[4BC 1184.2] Angels Await Prayers.--Seek most earnestly for a deeper experience and piety, and learn to walk circumspectly. ［Malachi 3:16, 17 quoted.］ God does not leave His erring children who are weak in faith, and who make many mistakes. The Lord hearkens and hears their prayer and their testimony. Those who look unto Jesus day by day and hour by hour, who watch unto prayer, are drawing nigh to Jesus. Angels with wings outspread wait to bear their contrite prayers to God, and to register them in the books of heaven (Letter 90, 1895). {4BC 1184.2} [4BC 1184.3] 17. All Luster Is Reflected Light.--All the luster possessed by those who have gained the richest experience is but the reflection of the light of the Sun of righteousness. He who lives nearest to Jesus shines the brightest. And let us thank God that the Master has His hidden ones, who are not recognized by the world, but whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. The luster of the tiniest gem in God's casket will glorify Him. There are many . . . who during this life do not seem to be particularly honored. But the Lord sees those who serve Him ［Malachi 3:17 quoted］ (Letter 94, 1903). {4BC 1184.3} [4BC 1184.4] Jewels Everywhere.--God has jewels in all the churches, and it is not for us to make sweeping denunciation of the professed religious world, but in humility and love, present to all the truth as it is in Jesus. Let men see piety and devotion, let them behold Christlikeness of character, and they will be drawn to the truth. He who loves God supremely and his neighbor as himself, will be a light in the world. Those who have a knowledge of the truth are to communicate the same. They are to lift up Jesus, the world's Redeemer; they are to hold forth the Word of life (RH Jan. 17, 1893). {4BC 1184.4} [4BC 1184.5] Chapter 4 1 (Psalm 11:6; 8:44). Root and Branches of Evil.--The whole work of the father of lies is recorded in the statute books of heaven, and those who lend themselves to the service of Satan, to put forth and present to men the lies of Satan by precept and practice, will receive according to their deeds. Root and branch will be destroyed by the fires of the last days. Satan, the great general of apostasy, is the root, and all his workers, who teach his lies in regard to the law of God, are the branches (MS 58, 1897). {4BC 1184.5} [4BC 1184.6] 5, 6. The Elijah Message.--In this age, just prior to the second coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven, God calls for men who will prepare a people to stand in the great day of the Lord. Just such a work as that which John did, is to be carried on in these last days. The Lord is giving messages to His people, through the instruments He has chosen, and He would have all heed the admonitions and warnings He sends. The message preceding the public ministry of Christ was, Repent, publicans and sinners; repent, Pharisees and Sadducees; "for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Our message is not to be one of peace and safety. As a people who believe in Christ's soon appearing, we have a definite message to bear,--"Prepare to meet thy God." {4BC 1184.6} [4BC 1184.7] Our message must be as direct as was that of John. He rebuked kings for their iniquity. Notwithstanding the peril his life was in, he never allowed truth to languish on his lips. Our work in this age must be as faithfully done. . . . {4BC 1184.7} [4BC 1184.8] In this time of well-nigh universal apostasy, God calls upon His messengers to proclaim His law in the spirit and power of Elias. As John the Baptist, in preparing a people for Christ's first advent, called their attention to the Ten Commandments, so we are to give, with no uncertain sound, the message: "Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come." With the earnestness that characterized Elijah the prophet and John the Baptist, we are to strive to prepare the way for Christ's second advent (SW March 21, 1905). {4BC 1184.8} [SD 7.1] SD - Sons and Daughters of God (1955) FOREWORD FROM A LIFE RICH IN EXPERIENCE AND A HEART ENLIGHTENED BY DIVINE REVELATIONS, ELLEN G. WHITE, AS SHE JOURNEYED ALONG LIFE'S PATHWAY, WAS EVER READY TO LEND A HELPING HAND OR SPEAK AN ENCOURAGING WORD. EVERY CHRISTIAN WAS TO HER A SON OR A DAUGHTER OF GOD, WITH UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITIES STRETCHING BEFORE HIM, AND ANGELS OF GOD BY HIS SIDE TO GUARD AND GUIDE HIM. FROM HER TIRELESS AND INSPIRED PEN THERE FLOWED A STEADY STREAM OF MESSAGES OF ENCOURAGEMENT, COUNSEL, INSTRUCTION, AND ENLIGHTENMENT. FROM WEEK TO WEEK THROUGH THE YOUTH'S INSTRUCTOR SHE SPOKE TO THE YOUTH OF THE CHURCH, AND IN THE REVIEW AND HERALD ADDRESSED ITS MEMBERS GENERALLY. HER BOOKS PRESERVED THE INSTRUCTION AND WARNING IN MORE PERMANENT FORM FOR ALL TO READ. MANY BENEFITED BY COMMUNICATIONS ADDRESSED TO THEM PERSONALLY. IN THIS VOLUME, WITH ITS DAILY DEVOTIONAL READINGS, HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED APPROPRIATE COUNSEL AND INSTRUCTION DRAWN FROM THESE ACCUMULATED E. G. WHITE WRITINGS AS KEPT ON FILE IN THE OFFICE OF THE ELLEN G. WHITE PUBLICATIONS. MANY TIMES THE MESSAGE OF THE DAY REFLECTS A FRESHNESS OF APPROACH AS ELLEN WHITE, UNDER THE VARIED CIRCUMSTANCES OF HER EXPERIENCE, PASSED ON WORDS OF CHEER AND ENCOURAGEMENT. IN EACH CASE, WHETHER DRAWN FROM BOOK, PERIODICAL ARTICLE, OR MANUSCRIPT, THE SOURCE REFERENCE IS GIVEN. THE VOLUME HAS BEEN COMPILED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE TRUSTEES WITH WHOM MRS. WHITE LEFT THE CARE OF HER WRITINGS, AND IN HARMONY WITH HER DIRECTIONS TO THIS BOARD. IT CAN READILY BE SEEN THAT IN AN ENDEAVOR TO HOLD THE READING OF EACH DAY TO ONE PRINTED PAGE AND AT THE SAME TIME GIVE A WELL-ROUNDED PRESENTATION, IT HAS BEEN NECESSARY AT TIMES TO SHORTEN SOME OF THE STATEMENTS SELECTED. SUCH OMISSIONS ARE INDICATED BY MARKS OF ELLIPSIS. THAT THIS VOLUME MAY LEAD EACH READER TO A DEEPER APPRECIATION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHILD OF GOD, IS THE SINCERE WISH OF THE PUBLISHERS AND THE TRUSTEES OF THE ELLEN G. WHITE PUBLICATIONS. WASHINGTON, D.C. Chap. 1 - We are Sons and Daughters of God That God Created Man in His Own Image God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1:27. {SD 7.1} [SD 7.2] All heaven took a deep and joyful interest in the creation of the world and of man. Human beings were a new and distinct order. They were made "in the image of God," and it was the Creator's design that they should populate the earth. They were to live in close communion with heaven, receiving power from the Source of all power. Upheld by God, they were to live sinless lives. {SD 7.2} [SD 7.3] The holy pair were not only children under the fatherly care of God, but students receiving instruction from the all-wise Creator. They were visited by angels, and were granted communion with their Maker, with no obscuring veil between. . . . The mysteries of the visible universe--"the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge"--afforded them an exhaustless source of instruction and delight. The laws and operations of nature, which have engaged men's study for six thousand years, were opened to their minds by the infinite Framer and Upholder of all. They held converse with leaf and flower and tree, gathering from each the secrets of its life. With every living creature, from the mighty leviathan that playeth among the waters, to the insect mote that floats in the sunbeam, Adam was familiar. He had given to each its name, and he was acquainted with the nature and habits of all. God's glory in the heavens, the innumerable worlds in their orderly revolutions, "the balancings of the clouds," the mysteries of light and sound, of day and night,--all were open to the study of our first parents. {SD 7.3} [SD 7.4] God created man a superior being; he alone is formed in the image of God, and is capable of partaking of the divine nature, of cooperating with his Creator and executing His plans. 8 {SD 7.4} [SD 8.1] That we should be Called the Sons of God Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not; because it knew him not. 1 John 3:1. {SD 8.1} [SD 8.2] As John thought of the love of Christ, he was led to exclaim, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." {SD 8.2} [SD 8.3] People think it a privilege to see a royal personage, and thousands go great distances to see one. How much greater privilege it is to be sons and daughters of the Most High. What greater privilege could be conferred on us than to be given entrance into the royal family? {SD 8.3} [SD 8.4] In order to become the sons and daughters of God, we must separate from the world. "Come out from among them, and be ye separate," the Lord says, "and I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters." . . . {SD 8.4} [SD 8.5] There is a heaven before us, a crown of life to win. But to the overcomer only is the reward given. He who gains heaven must be clothed with the robe of righteousness. "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." In the character of Christ there was no discord of any kind. And this must be our experience. Our lives must be controlled by the principles that controlled His life. {SD 8.5} [SD 8.6] Through the perfection of the sacrifice given for the guilty race, those who believe in Christ, coming unto Him, may be saved from eternal ruin. . . . {SD 8.6} [SD 8.7] Let no one be so deluded by the enemy as to think that it is a condescension for any man, however talented or learned or honored, to accept Christ. Every human being should look to heaven with reverence and gratitude, and exclaim with amazement, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." 9 {SD 8.7} [SD 9.1] That when Christ Appears we Shall be Like Him Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2. {SD 9.1} [SD 9.2] We are not to settle down, expecting that a change of character will come to us by some miraculous work, when Jesus shall appear in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. No, my young friends, we are judgment-bound, and probation is granted to us here in this life, in order that we may form characters for the future, immortal life. {SD 9.2} [SD 9.3] Let none imagine that selfishness, self-esteem, and self-indulgence are compatible with the Spirit of Christ. Upon every truly converted man or woman there rests a responsibility that we cannot rightly estimate. The maxims and ways of the world are not to be adopted by the sons and daughters of the heavenly King. {SD 9.3} [SD 9.4] In separating from the world, we shall encounter difficulties on every hand. But here is comfort for us: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." {SD 9.4} [SD 9.5] We should show by our words and works that we recognize the great responsibility laid upon us. Our light should shine so clearly that others can see that we glorify the Father in our daily lives; that we are connected with heaven and are joint heirs with Jesus Christ. {SD 9.5} [SD 9.6] To have fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ is to be ennobled and elevated, and made a partaker of joys unspeakable and full of glory. Food, clothing, station, and wealth may have their value; but to have a connection with God . . . is of priceless value. . . . And although it "doth not yet appear what we shall be," "when Christ, who is our life, shall appear," "we shall be like him." 10 {SD 9.6} [SD 10.1] That we are Purified as Christ is Pure And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 1 John 3:3. {SD 10.1} [SD 10.2] Christ would elevate and refine man's mind, purifying it from all dross, that he may appreciate the love that is without a parallel. {SD 10.2} [SD 10.3] Through repentance, faith, and good works he may perfect a righteous character, and claim, through the merits of Christ, the privileges of the sons of God. The principles of divine truth, received and cherished in the heart, will carry us to a height of moral excellence that we had not deemed it possible for us to reach. . . . "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." {SD 10.3} [SD 10.4] Holiness of heart and purity of life were the great subjects of the teachings of Christ. In His sermon on the mount, after specifying what must be done in order to be blessed, and what must not be done, He says, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Perfection, holiness,--nothing short of this would give them success in carrying out the principles He had given them. Without this holiness, the human heart is selfish, sinful, and vicious. Holiness will lead its possessor to be fruitful, and abound in all good works. He will never become weary in well-doing; neither look for promotion in this world; but he will look forward to be promoted by the Majesty of heaven when He shall exalt His sanctified and holy ones to His throne. . . . Holiness of heart will produce right actions. {SD 10.4} [SD 10.5] As God is pure in His sphere, so man is to be pure in his. And he will be pure if Christ is formed within, the hope of glory; for he will imitate Christ's life and reflect His character. {SD 10.5} [SD 10.6] The princely dignity of the Christian character will shine forth as the sun, and the beams of light from the face of Christ will be reflected upon those who have purified themselves even as He is pure. {SD 10.6} [SD 10.7] Purity of heart will lead to purity of life. 11 {SD 10.7} [SD 11.1] That God Sent His Son to Die that we Might Live Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10. {SD 11.1} [SD 11.2] In redemption God has revealed His love in sacrifice, a sacrifice so broad and deep and high that it is immeasurable. "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. . . ." {SD 11.2} [SD 11.3] When Adam's sin plunged the race into hopeless misery, God might have cut Himself loose from fallen beings. He might have treated them as sinners deserved to be treated. He might have commanded the angels of heaven to pour out upon our world the vials of His wrath. He might have removed this dark blot from His universe. But He did not do this. Instead of banishing them from His presence, He came still nearer to the fallen race. He gave His Son to become bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, . . . full of grace and truth." Christ by His human relationship to men drew them close to God. He clothed His divine nature with the garb of humanity, and demonstrated before the heavenly universe, before the unfallen worlds, how much God loves the children of men. {SD 11.3} [SD 11.4] The gift of God to man is beyond all computation. Nothing was withheld. God would not permit it to be said that He could have done more or revealed to humanity a greater measure of love. In the gift of Christ He gave all heaven. {SD 11.4} [SD 11.5] The Highest, who was with the Father before the world was, submitted to humiliation, that He might uplift humanity. Prophecy withdraws the veil, that we may behold the throne of heaven, that we may see upon that throne, high and lifted up, One who in human form, came to our world to suffer, to be lacerated with stripes, and bruised for our iniquities. {SD 11.5} [SD 11.6] Thus God showed His love for man. With Christ He gave all heaven, that the moral image of God might be restored in man. . . . His grace in all its vastness is provided for all. 12 {SD 11.6} [SD 12.1] That Power is Given us to Become the Sons of God But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. John 1:12. {SD 12.1} [SD 12.2] Divine sonship is not something that we gain of ourselves. Only to those who receive Christ as their Saviour is given the power to become sons and daughters of God. The sinner cannot, by any power of his own, rid himself of sin. For the accomplishment of this result, he must look to a higher Power. John exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Christ alone has power to cleanse the heart. He who is seeking for forgiveness and acceptance can say only,-- "Nothing in my hand I bring; Simply to Thy cross I cling." But the promise of sonship is made to all who "believe on his name." Every one who comes to Jesus in faith will receive pardon. {SD 12.2} [SD 12.3] The religion of Christ transforms the heart. It makes the worldly-minded man heavenly-minded. Under its influence the selfish man becomes unselfish, because this is the character of Christ. The dishonest, scheming man becomes upright, so that it is second nature to him to do to others as he would have others do to him. The profligate is changed from impurity to purity. He forms correct habits; for the gospel of Christ has become to him a savor of life unto life. {SD 12.3} [SD 12.4] God was to be manifest in Christ, "reconciling the world unto himself." Man had become so degraded by sin that it was impossible for him, in himself, to come into harmony with Him whose nature is purity and goodness. But Christ, after having redeemed man from the condemnation of the law, could impart divine power, to unite with human effort. Thus by repentance toward God and faith in Christ, the fallen children of Adam might once more become "sons of God." {SD 12.4} [SD 12.5] When a soul receives Christ, he receives power to live the life of Christ. 13 {SD 12.5} [SD 13.1] That the Church Is the Object of God's Supreme Regard That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:27. {SD 13.1} [SD 13.2] The church, enfeebled and defective though it be, is the only object on earth on which Christ bestows His supreme regard. He is constantly watching it with solicitude, and is strengthening it by His Holy Spirit. Will we, as members of His church, allow Him to impress our minds and to work through us to His glory? {SD 13.2} [SD 13.3] Christ loves His church. He will give all needed help to those who call upon Him for strength for the development of Christlike character. But His love is not weakness. He will not serve with their sins or give them prosperity while they continue to follow a wrong course of action. Only by faithful repentance will their sins be forgiven; for God will not cover evil with the robe of His righteousness. He will honor faithful service. He will abundantly bless those who reveal to their fellowmen His justice, mercy, and love. Let those who are engaged in His service walk before Him in true humility, following faithfully in His footsteps, cherishing the holy principles which will live through the eternal ages. Let them in word and action show that they obey the laws which are obeyed in heaven. {SD 13.3} [SD 13.4] The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to "the principalities and powers in heavenly places," the final and full display of the love of God.... The church is God's fortress, His city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world.... It is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to reveal His power to transform hearts. {SD 13.4} [SD 13.5] God's love for His church is infinite. His care over His heritage is unceasing. 14 {SD 13.5} [SD 14.1] We are His Sons and Daughters I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18. {SD 14.1} [SD 14.2] The Creator of the universe addresses you as an affectionate Father.... Your heavenly Father proposes to make you a member of the royal family, that through His exceeding great and precious promises you may be a partaker of the divine nature.... The more you partake of the character of the pure, sinless angels, and of Christ your Redeemer, the more vividly will you bear the impress of the divine, and the more faint will be the resemblance to the world. {SD 14.2} [SD 14.3] "I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters...." What a promise is here made upon condition of obedience!.... He promises to be a Father unto you. Oh, what a relationship is this! higher and holier than any earthly tie. If you make the sacrifice, if you have to forsake father, mother, sisters, brothers, wife, and children for Christ's sake, you will not be friendless. God adopts you into His family; you become members of the royal household, sons and daughters of the King who rules in the heaven of heavens. {SD 14.3} [SD 14.4] If you call God your Father, you acknowledge yourselves His children, to be guided by His wisdom, and to be obedient in all things, knowing that His love is changeless. You will accept His plan for your life. As children of God, you will hold His honor, His character, His family, His work, as the objects of your highest interest. It will be your joy to recognize and honor your relation to your Father, and to every member of His family. {SD 14.4} [SD 14.5] God is our Father, a tender parent, solicitous for His spiritual children. He is pledged to be the protector, counsellor, guide, and friend, of all who are obedient to Him. 15 {SD 14.5} [SD 15.1] If Children, then Heirs And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Romans 8:17. {SD 15.1} [SD 15.2] All who enter into a covenant with Jesus Christ become by adoption the children of God. They are cleansed by the regenerating power of the Word, and angels are commissioned to minister unto them. They are baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. They pledge themselves to become active members of His church in the earth. They are to be dead to all the allurements of worldly desires; but in conversation and godliness, they are, through sanctification of the Spirit to exert a living influence for God. {SD 15.2} [SD 15.3] "Heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ,"--what an exalted, dignified position! Separate and distinct from the world, secure from the wily snares of Satan! By their baptismal vows, God's professed followers have pledged themselves to stand in opposition to evil. The enemy of souls will work with all craft to corrupt their minds. He will seek to introduce his methods into their service for the Master. But there is safety for them if they will heed the injunction: "... be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." {SD 15.3} [SD 15.4] Man is honored by being made a co-partner in God's firm, by being accepted as a worker in the great centers He has established.... By appointment, the Lord our Redeemer is heir of God, and those who are co-laborers with Him in the work of saving souls, are joint heirs with Him. . . . To be an overcomer is to be placed in the ranks of those who have the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. {SD 15.4} [SD 15.5] To what greater honor could we aspire than to be called the children of God? What greater rank could we hold, what greater inheritance could we find, than that which comes to those who are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ? 16 {SD 15.5} [SD 16.1] He Knows our Needs Before we Ask Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. Matthew 6:8. {SD 16.1} [SD 16.2] If God, the divine artist, gives to the simple flowers, that perish in a day, their delicate and varied colors, how much greater care will He have for those who are created in His own image? ... If men love and obey God, and do their part, God will provide for all their wants. ... No man can add one cubit to his stature, no matter how solicitous he may be to do so. It is no less unreasonable to be troubled about the morrow and its needs. Do your duty, and trust in God; for He knows of what things you have need. . . . He watches over us with more tenderness than does a mother over an afflicted child.... God is a friend in perplexity and affliction, a protector in distress, a preserver in the thousand dangers that are unseen to us. {SD 16.2} [SD 16.3] God dwells in every abode; He hears every word that is spoken, listens to every prayer that is offered, tastes the sorrows and disappointments of every soul, regards the treatment that is given to father, mother, sister, friend, and neighbor. He cares for our necessities, and His love and mercy and grace are continually flowing to satisfy our need. . . . In His care we may safely rest. {SD 16.3} [SD 16.4] God helps the feeble, and strengthens those who have no strength. In the fields where the trials and the conflicts and poverty are the greatest, God's workmen must have increased protection. To those laboring in the heat of the conflict, God says, "The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand." {SD 16.4} [SD 16.5] Our Lord adapts Himself to our special needs. He is a shade on our right hand. He walks close by our side, ready to supply all our necessities. He comes very near to those who are engaged in willing service for Him. He knows every one by name. O what assurances we have of the tender love of Christ. 17 {SD 16.5} [SD 17.1] Every Good and Perfect Gift is from Him Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17. {SD 17.1} [SD 17.2] The power of God is manifested in the beating of the heart, in the action of the lungs, and in the living currents that circulate through the thousand different channels of the body. We are indebted to Him for every moment of existence, and for all the comforts of life. The powers and abilities that elevate man above the lower creation, are the endowment of the Creator. He loads us with His benefits. We are indebted to Him for the food we eat, the water we drink, the clothes we wear, the air we breathe. Without His special providence, the air would be filled with pestilence and poison. He is a bountiful benefactor and preserver. The sun which shines upon the earth, and glorifies all nature, the weird solemn radiance of the moon, the glories of the firmament, spangled with brilliant stars, the showers that refresh the land, and cause vegetation to flourish, the precious things of nature in all their varied richness, the lofty trees, the shrubs and plants, the waving grain, the blue sky, the green earth, the changes of day and night, the renewing seasons, all speak to man of his Creator's love. He has linked us to Himself by all these tokens in heaven and in earth. {SD 17.2} [SD 17.3] We may state to Him our temporal matters, asking Him for bread and raiment as well as for the bread of life and the robe of Christ's righteousness.... The gifts of Him who has all power in heaven and earth are in store for the children of God. Gifts so precious that they come to us through the costly sacrifice of the Redeemer's blood; gifts that will satisfy the deepest craving of the heart; gifts lasting as eternity, will be received and enjoyed by all who will come to God as little children. Take God's promises as your own, plead them before Him as His own words, and you will receive fulness of joy. 18 {SD 17.3} [SD 18.1] He Manifests His Love Toward Us In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9. {SD 18.1} [SD 18.2] Every manifestation of creative power is an expression of infinite love. The sovereignty of God involves fullness of blessing to all created beings. The psalmist says: "Strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of thy throne: Mercy and truth go before thy face. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound; They walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name do they rejoice all the day; And in thy righteousness are they exalted. For thou art the glory of their strength...." Psalm 89:13-18, R.V. {SD 18.2} [SD 18.3] The history of the great conflict between good and evil, from the time it first began in heaven to the final overthrow of rebellion and the total eradication of sin, is also a demonstration of God's unchanging love.... The law of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all intelligent beings depends upon their perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service of love,--service that springs from an appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced obedience.... So long as all created beings acknowledged the allegiance of love, there was perfect harmony throughout the universe of God. It was the joy of the heavenly host to fulfill the purpose of their Creator. They delighted in reflecting His glory and showing forth His praise. And while love to God was supreme, love for one another was confiding and unselfish. There was no note of discord to mar the celestial harmonies. 19 {SD 18.3} [SD 19.1] He is Near to All that Call Upon Him The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. Psalm 145:18. {SD 19.1} [SD 19.2] God is pleased when we keep our faces turned toward the Sun of Righteousness.... When we are in trouble and pressed down with anxieties, the Lord is near, and He bids us cast all our care upon Him, because He cares for us. . . . {SD 19.2} [SD 19.3] He comes to all His children in their affliction. In time of danger He is their refuge. In sorrow, He offers them joy and consolation. Shall we turn from the Redeemer, the fountain of living water, to hew out for ourselves broken cisterns, which can hold no water? When danger approaches, shall we seek for help from those as weak as ourselves, or shall we flee to Him who is mighty to save? His arms are open wide, and He utters the gracious invitation, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." ... {SD 19.3} [SD 19.4] It is not the manifestation of His great and awful majesty and unparalleled power that will leave us without excuse if we refuse Him our love and obedience. It is the love, the compassion, the patience, the long-suffering that He has shown which will witness against those who do not offer Him the willing service of their lives. Those who turn to God with heart and soul and mind will find in Him peaceful security. . . . {SD 19.4} [SD 19.5] He knows just what we need, just what we can bear, and He will give us grace to endure every trial and test that He brings upon us. My constant prayer is for a greater nearness to God. {SD 19.5} [SD 19.6] Every provision has been made to meet the needs of our spiritual and our moral nature.... Light and immortality are brought to light through the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus has said that He has set before us an open door, and no man can shut it. The open door is before us, and through the grace of Christ, beams of merciful light stream forth from the gates ajar. 20 {SD 19.6} [SD 20.1] Enoch, a Son of God, Walked with the Father And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. Genesis 5:24. {SD 20.1} [SD 20.2] Of Enoch it is written that he lived sixty-five years, and begat a son. After that he walked with God three hundred years.... After the birth of his first son, Enoch reached a higher experience; he was drawn into a closer relationship with God. He realized more fully his own obligations and responsibility as a son of God. {SD 20.2} [SD 20.3] Enoch's righteous life was in marked contrast with the wicked people around him. His piety, his purity, his unswerving integrity were the result of his walking with God, while the wickedness of the world was the result of their walking with the deceiver of mankind. There never has been and never will be an age when the moral darkness will be so dense as when Enoch lived a life of irreproachable righteousness. {SD 20.3} [SD 20.4] In the midst of a life of active labor, Enoch steadfastly maintained his communion with God. The greater and more pressing his labors, the more constant and earnest were his prayers.... After remaining for a time among the people laboring to benefit them by instruction and example, he would withdraw, to spend a season in solitude, hungering and thirsting for that divine knowledge which God alone can impart. Communing thus with God, Enoch came more and more to reflect the divine image. His face was radiant with a holy light, even the light that shineth in the face of Jesus. As he came forth from these divine communings, even the ungodly beheld with awe the impress of heaven upon his countenance. {SD 20.4} [SD 20.5] We, too, are to walk with God. When we do this, our faces will be lighted up by the brightness of His presence, and when we meet one another, we shall speak of His power, saying, Praise God. Good is the Lord, and good is the word of the Lord.... And those who will be translated at the close of time, will be those who commune with God on earth. 21 {SD 20.5} [SD 21.1] He is the Express Image of the Father Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 1:3. {SD 21.1} [SD 21.2] Who is Christ?--He is the only begotten Son of the living God. He is to the Father as a word that expresses the thought,--as a thought made audible. Christ is the word of God. Christ said to Philip, "He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father." His words were the echo of God's words. Christ was the likeness of God, the brightness of His glory, the express image of His person. {SD 21.2} [SD 21.3] As a personal being, God has revealed Himself in His Son. Jesus, the outshining of the Father's glory, "and the express image of his person" (Hebrews 1:3), was on earth found in fashion as a man. As a personal Saviour He came to the world. As a personal Saviour He ascended on high. As a personal Saviour He intercedes in the heavenly courts. Before the throne of God in our behalf ministers "One like unto the Son of man." Revelation 1:13. {SD 21.3} [SD 21.4] Christ, the Light of the world, veiled the dazzling splendor of His divinity and came to live as a man among men, that they might, without being consumed, become acquainted with their Creator. . . . Christ came to teach human beings what God desires them to know. In the heavens above, in the earth, in the broad waters of the ocean, we see the handiwork of God. All created things testify to His power, His wisdom, His love. But not from the stars or the ocean or the cataract can we learn of the personality of God as it is revealed in Christ. {SD 21.4} [SD 21.5] Tender, compassionate, sympathetic, ever considerate of others, He represented the character of God, and was constantly engaged in service for God and man. . . . As Jesus was in human nature, so God means His followers to be. In His strength we are to live the life of purity and nobility which the Saviour lived. 22 {SD 21.5} [SD 22.1] If We Sin, He Pleads Our Case in Heaven My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1. {SD 22.1} [SD 22.2] The Lord Jehovah did not deem the plan of salvation complete while invested only with His own love. By His appointment He has placed at His altar an Advocate clothed with our nature. As our Intercessor, Christ's office work is to introduce us to God as His sons and daughters. {SD 22.2} [SD 22.3] Christ has pledged Himself to be our substitute and surety, and He neglects no one. There is an inexhaustible fund of perfect obedience accruing from His obedience. In heaven His merits, His self-denial and self-sacrifice, are treasured as incense to be offered up with the prayers of His people. As the sinner's sincere, humble prayers ascend to the throne of God, Christ mingles with them the merits of His own life of perfect obedience. Our prayers are made fragrant by this incense. Christ has pledged Himself to intercede in our behalf, and the Father always hears the Son. {SD 22.3} [SD 22.4] This is the mystery of godliness. That Christ should take human nature, and by a life of humiliation elevate man in the scale of moral worth with God: that He should carry His adopted nature to the throne of God, and there present His children to the Father, to have conferred upon them an honor exceeding that conferred upon the angels,--this is the marvel of the heavenly universe, the mystery into which angels desire to look. This is love that melts the sinner's heart. {SD 22.4} [SD 22.5] He who could not see human beings exposed to destruction without pouring out His soul unto death to save them from eternal ruin, will look with pity and compassion upon every soul who realizes that he can not save himself. {SD 22.5} [SD 22.6] Christ is your Advocate. In this powerful, hearty recognition of God's love, take the hand of Christ, and hold it fast. His hand holds you much firmer than you can hold His hand. 23 {SD 22.6} [SD 23.1] Belief in Him Means Everlasting Life He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. John 3:36. {SD 23.1} [SD 23.2] When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan. {SD 23.2} [SD 23.3] Christ is ready to impart all heavenly influences. He knows every temptation that comes to man, and the capabilities of every human agent. He weighs his strength. He sees the present and the future, and presents before the mind the obligations that should be met, and urges that common, earthly things shall not be permitted to be so absorbing that eternal things shall be lost out of reckoning. {SD 23.3} [SD 23.4] The gifts of His grace through Christ are free to all. There is no election but one's own by which any may perish. God has set forth in His Word the conditions upon which every soul will be elected to eternal life--obedience to His commandments, through faith in Christ. God has elected a character in harmony with His law, and any one who shall reach the standard of His requirement, will have an entrance into the kingdom of glory. Christ Himself said, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." {SD 23.4} [SD 23.5] What an exalted position to be identified with one in whom is all perfection centered, who is indeed the Majesty of heaven, but who loved us, although fallen, so much that language cannot express it! He for our sakes laid aside His royal robe, stepped down from the throne of heaven, and condescended to clothe His divinity with humility, and became like one of us except in sin, that His life and character should be a pattern for all to copy, that they might have the precious gift of eternal life. 24 {SD 23.5} [SD 24.1] He Knows How to Help Us When We are Tempted For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Hebrews 2:18. {SD 24.1} [SD 24.2] Though enduring most terrible temptations, Christ did not fail or become discouraged. He was fighting the battle in our behalf, and had He faltered, had He yielded to temptation, the human family would have been lost. {SD 24.2} [SD 24.3] The Bible gives but a bare mention of the conflict with Satan in the wilderness of temptation, but it was a terrible ordeal. Christ came off conqueror, bearing the test and trial in our behalf. How little is man able to comprehend the strength of the temptation of Christ! How little does he understand of that ordeal upon which hung the destiny of a lost world! The world's Redeemer was not warring against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. All heaven was interested in this conflict, and what joy, what rejoicing there was in heaven because help had been laid upon One who is mighty to overcome, mighty to save! {SD 24.3} [SD 24.4] What an event was this when Christ placed Himself in the position of Adam, and endured the test where Adam had failed, and by this act placed man on a vantage ground, in favor with God, where he might overcome on his own account through the merits of Jesus. In His name, through His grace, man may be an overcomer, even as Christ was an overcomer. In Christ divinity and humanity were united, and the only way in which man may be an overcomer is through becoming a partaker of the divine nature. . . . Divinity and humanity are blended in him who has the spirit of Christ. The apostle Paul writes, "In all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest." . . . "We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." 25 {SD 24.4} [SD 25.1] He is Stronger and More Mighty Than Our Adversary Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Psalm 24:8. {SD 25.1} [SD 25.2] Christ was strong to save the whole world. He wanted all. He could not endure the thought that one should be lost. He wept at the grave of Lazarus, that He could not save every one whom Satan's power had laid low in death. He had given Himself a ransom for many, even all who would avail themselves of the privilege of coming back to their loyalty to God. . . . When He raised Lazarus from the dead, He knew that for that life He must pay the ransom on the cross of Calvary. Every rescue made was to cause Him the deepest humiliation. He was to taste death for every man. {SD 25.2} [SD 25.3] In His life on earth, Christ developed a perfect character, He rendered perfect obedience to His Father's commandments. In coming to the world in human form, in becoming subject to the law, in revealing to men that He bore their sickness, their sorrow, their guilt, He did not become a sinner. Before the Pharisees He could say, "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" Not one stain of sin was found upon Him. He stood before the world the spotless Lamb of God. {SD 25.3} [SD 25.4] From the light of His exalted purity, the world's Redeemer could see that the maladies from which the human family were suffering were brought upon them by transgression of the law of God. Every case of suffering He could trace back to its source. In every case He read the sad and awful end of unrepenting sinners. He knew that He alone could rescue them from the pit into which they had fallen. He alone could place their feet in the right path; His perfection alone could avail for their imperfection. He alone could cover their nakedness with His spotless robe of righteousness. . . . He is strong to deliver. Help has been laid on One that is mighty. He encircles man with His long human arm, while with His divine arm He lays hold of Omnipotence. 26 {SD 25.4} [SD 26.1] He is the Embodiment of Truth To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. John 18:37. {SD 26.1} [SD 26.2] Christ's conscious superiority, even as He descended step by step in the path of humiliation, gave His words an amazing power. What lessons of instruction He gave, and with what authority He rebuked the sins of men in high position. Truth was truth to Him, and it never suffered in His hands; for He was the author of truth. "To this end," He says, "was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." . . . He was the embodiment of truth and holiness. He who had stood in the councils of God, who had dwelt in the innermost sanctuary of the Eternal, was speaking that whereof He knew....But the men who claimed to stand high in knowledge and spiritual understanding failed to comprehend His meaning; and that which had been evolved from eternity by the Father and the Son, they in their ignorance stood as critics to condemn. {SD 26.2} [SD 26.3] Christ crucified is ever drawing souls to Him. On the other hand, Satan is drawing them away from Christ, that they may not walk in the light of His countenance, that they may not see Christ in His goodness and mercy, His infinite compassion and unsurpassed love. He intercepts himself by presenting the attractions of worldly inducements, that God in Christ may not be discerned. But Christ came that whosoever will believe in Him may be saved. As a flower turns to the sun that its bright rays may aid in perfecting its beauty and symmetry, so should Christ's followers turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven's light may shine upon them, perfecting their characters, and giving them a deep and abiding experience in the things of God. It is beyond our power to conceive the blessings that are brought within our reach through Christ, if we will but unite our human effort with divine grace. 27 {SD 26.3} [SD 27.1] He is Ever Before Us, We Shall Not Be Moved I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:8. {SD 27.1} [SD 27.2] Amid the perplexities that will press upon the soul, there is only One who can help us out of all our difficulties, and relieve all our disquietude. We are to cast all our care upon Jesus, and bear in mind that He is present, and is directing us to commune with Him. We are to keep our minds stayed upon God; and in our weakness, He will be our strength; in our ignorance, He will be our wisdom; in our frailty, He will be our enduring might. {SD 27.2} [SD 27.3] We may be assured that we need not go into the heavens to bring Jesus down to us, neither into the deep to bring Him up; for He is at our right hand, and His eye is ever upon us. We should ever seek to realize that the Lord is very near us, to be our counselor and guide. This is the only way in which we may have confidence toward God. {SD 27.3} [SD 27.4] We need to educate and train the mind so that we shall have an intelligent faith, and have an understanding friendship with Jesus. Unless we continually cherish friendship between God and our souls, we shall separate from Him, and walk apart from Him. We shall make friends of those around us, and place our trust in humanity, and our affections will be diverted from the true object of worship. We must not allow coldness to chill our love for our Redeemer. If we have fellowship with Him, we must ever set the Lord before us, and treat Him as an honored Friend, giving Him the first place in our affections. We should speak of His matchless charms, and constantly cultivate the desire to have a better knowledge of Jesus Christ. Then His Spirit will have a controlling power upon life and character. . . . If ever there was a time when men needed the presence of Christ at their right hand, it is now. . . . We need the Captain of our salvation continually by our side. 28 {SD 27.4} [SD 28.1] Sons of God Are Led By Him As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Romans 8:14. {SD 28.1} [SD 28.2] The Holy Spirit is a person, for He beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God. When this witness is borne, it carries with it its own evidence. At such times we believe and are sure that we are the children of God. {SD 28.2} [SD 28.3] The Lord has fulness of grace to bestow on every one that will receive the heavenly gift. The Holy Spirit will bring the God-entrusted capabilities into Christ's service, and will mold and fashion the human agent according to the divine Pattern, in proportion as the human agent shall earnestly desire the transformation. {SD 28.3} [SD 28.4] Those who consent to be led by the Spirit of God will be illuminated and sanctified. They will discern the hatefulness of sin and the beauty of holiness. They will esteem it a great honor to be called the sons of God, knowing that they are wholly unworthy to be associated with Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father. Christ took upon Him our nature, that He might associate us with Himself. He suffered in the flesh . . . that He might bring many sons and daughters to God. {SD 28.4} [SD 28.5] It is the Spirit that causes to shine into darkened minds the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness; that makes men's hearts burn within them with an awakened realization of the truths of eternity; that presents before the mind the great standard of righteousness, and convinces of sin; that inspires faith in Him who alone can save from sin; that works to transform character by withdrawing the affections of men from those things which are temporal and perishable, and fixing them upon the eternal inheritance. The Spirit recreates, refines, and sanctifies human beings, fitting them to become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. 29 {SD 28.5} [SD 29.1] He Guides Us Into All Truth Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:13. {SD 29.1} [SD 29.2] Every servant of God is to be guided by the Holy Spirit. It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Our path, however rugged it may be, is marked out for us by the Lord; and in it we must walk. {SD 29.2} [SD 29.3] Christ has made provision that His church shall be a transformed body, illumined with the light of heaven, possessing the glory of Immanuel. It is His purpose that every Christian shall be surrounded with a spiritual atmosphere of light and peace. There is no limit to the usefulness of the one who, putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart and lives a life wholly consecrated to God. . . . {SD 29.3} [SD 29.4] To us today, as verily as to the first disciples, the promise of the Spirit belongs. God will today endow men and women with power from above, as He endowed those who on the Day of Pentecost heard the word of salvation. At this very hour His Spirit and His grace are for all who need them and will take Him at His word. {SD 29.4} [SD 29.5] Teach your children that it is their privilege to receive every day the baptism of the Holy Spirit. {SD 29.5} [SD 29.6] Those who are under the influence of the Spirit of God will not be fanatical, but calm and steadfast, free from extravagance in thought, word, or deed. Amid the confusion of delusive doctrines, the Spirit of God will be a guide and a shield to those who have not resisted the evidences of truth, silencing every other voice but that which comes from Him who is the truth. {SD 29.6} [SD 29.7] A holy influence is to go forth to the world from those who are sanctified through the truth.... The Holy Spirit is to work on human hearts, taking the things of God and showing them to men. 30 {SD 29.7} [SD 30.1] He Teaches Us The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 1 John 2:27. {SD 30.1} [SD 30.2] It is the Spirit itself that teaches and enlightens. The most powerful preaching of the Word, the reading of the Scriptures, will not be able to transform the character and save souls unless the Spirit works with and through the human agents. The planning and devising must not be of a character to draw attention to self. The Word is a power, a sword, in the hands of the human agent, but the Holy Spirit in its vital power is the efficiency to impress the mind. "They shall be all taught of God." It is God that causes the light to shine into hearts. ... The reason why God can do so little for us is that we forget that living virtue in the Holy Spirit is to combine with the human agent. {SD 30.2} [SD 30.3] With the great truth we have been privileged to receive, we should, and under the Holy Spirit's power we could, become living channels of light. We could then approach the mercy-seat; and seeing the bow of promise, kneel with contrite hearts, and seek the kingdom of heaven with a spiritual violence that would bring its own reward. We would take it by force, as did Jacob. Then our message would be the power of God unto salvation. Our supplications would be full of earnestness, full of a sense of our great need; and we would not be denied. The truth would be expressed by life and character, and by lips touched with the living coal from off God's altar. When this experience is ours, we shall be lifted out of our poor, cheap selves, that we have cherished so tenderly. We shall empty our hearts of the corroding power of selfishness, and shall be filled with praise and gratitude to God. We shall magnify the Lord, the God of all grace, who has magnified Christ. And He will reveal His power through us, making us as sharp sickles in the harvest-field. 31 {SD 30.3} [SD 31.1] He Brings Wisdom and Understanding And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:2. {SD 31.1} [SD 31.2] As the Holy Spirit opens to you the truth, you will treasure up the most precious experiences, and will long to speak to others of the comforting things that have been revealed to you. When brought into association with them, you will communicate some fresh thought in regard to the character or the work of Christ. You will have some fresh revelation of His pitying love to impart to those who love Him and to those who love Him not. {SD 31.2} [SD 31.3] "Give, and it shall be given unto you;" for the word of God is "a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon." The heart that has once tasted the love of Christ, cries out continually for a deeper draught, and as you impart, you will receive in richer and more abundant measure. Every revelation of God to the soul increases the capacity to know and to love. The continual cry of the heart is, "More of Thee," and ever the Spirit's answer is, "Much more." For our God delights to do "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." To Jesus, who emptied Himself for the salvation of lost humanity, the Holy Spirit was given without measure. So it will be given to every follower of Christ when the whole heart is surrendered for His indwelling. Our Lord Himself has given the command, "Be filled with the Spirit," and this command is also a promise of its fulfilment. It was the good pleasure of the Father that in Christ should "all the fulness dwell;" and "in him ye are made full." {SD 31.3} [SD 31.4] God has poured out His love unstintedly, as the showers that refresh the earth. He says: "Let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together." . . . "Of his fulness have we received, and grace for grace." 32 {SD 31.4} [SD 32.1] He Imparts the Fruit of the Spirit For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. Ephesians 5:9. {SD 32.1} [SD 32.2] Shall we consider that we are capable of fashioning our lives and characters to enter into the portals of glory? We cannot do it. We are dependent every moment upon the Spirit of God operating upon us and upon our children. {SD 32.2} [SD 32.3] If parents would see a different state of things in their family, let them consecrate themselves wholly to God, and the Lord will devise ways and means whereby a transformation may take place in their households. {SD 32.3} [SD 32.4] Your compassionate Redeemer is watching you in love and sympathy, ready to hear your prayers, and render you the assistance which you need in your life-work. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, faith and charity are the elements of the Christian character. These precious graces are the fruits of the Spirit. They are the Christian's crown and shield. . . . Nothing can give more perfect content and satisfaction. {SD 32.4} [SD 32.5] As you receive the Spirit of Christ, . . . you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your convictions deepen, your love be made perfect. More and more you will reflect the likeness of Christ in all that is pure, noble, and lovely. . . . {SD 32.5} [SD 32.6] This fruit can never perish, but will produce after its kind a harvest unto eternal life. {SD 32.6} [SD 32.7] "When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come." Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own. 33 {SD 32.7} [SD 33.1] The Spirit Quickeneth It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63. {SD 33.1} [SD 33.2] Only the Holy Spirit of God can quicken the perceptive faculties. {SD 33.2} [SD 33.3] Only to those who wait humbly upon God, who watch for His guidance and grace, is the Spirit given. This promised blessing, claimed by faith, brings all other blessings in its train. It is given according to the riches of the grace of Christ, and He is ready to supply every soul according to the capacity to receive. {SD 33.3} [SD 33.4] The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. Those only who are thus taught of God, those only who possess the inward working of the Spirit, and in whose life the Christ-life is manifested, can stand as true representatives of the Saviour. {SD 33.4} [SD 33.5] God takes men as they are, and educates them for His service, if they will yield themselves to Him. The Spirit of God, received into the soul, quickens all its faculties. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the mind that is devoted unreservedly to God, develops harmoniously, and is strengthened to comprehend and fulfil the requirements of God. The weak, vacillating character becomes changed to one of strength and steadfastness. Continual devotion establishes so close a relation between Jesus and His disciples that the Christian becomes like his Master in character. He has clearer, broader views. His discernment is more penetrative, his judgment better balanced. So quickened is he by the life-giving power of the Sun of Righteousness that he is enabled to bear much fruit to the glory of God. {SD 33.5} [SD 33.6] The believers will be of one heart and of one mind, and the Lord will make His Word powerful in the earth. New cities and villages and territories will be entered; the church will arise and shine, because her light has come, for the glory of the Lord is risen upon her. . . . If the Holy Spirit dwells in us, . . . we shall lift up Jesus. 34 {SD 33.6} [SD 34.1] He Speaks to Those Who Listen He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Revelation 2:29. {SD 34.1} [SD 34.2] How man can be a counterpart of Jesus Christ is beyond human comprehension. But the Holy Spirit can strengthen our spiritual eyesight, enabling us to see what our natural eyes cannot see, or our ears hear, or our minds comprehend. By the Spirit which searches all things, even the deep things of God, have been revealed precious truths which cannot be described by pen or voice. {SD 34.2} [SD 34.3] In all who will submit themselves to the Holy Spirit a new principle of life is to be implanted; the lost image of God is to be restored in humanity. {SD 34.3} [SD 34.4] But man can not transform himself by the exercise of his will. He possesses no power by which this change can be effected. The leaven --something wholly from without--must be put into the meal before the desired change can be wrought in it. So the grace of God must be received by the sinner before he can be fitted for the kingdom of glory. All the culture and education which the world can give, will fail of making a degraded child of sin a child of heaven. The renewing energy must come from God. The change can be made only by the Holy Spirit. All who would be saved, high or low, rich or poor, must submit to the working of this power. {SD 34.4} [SD 34.5] Every heart that has been visited by the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness will reveal the working of the Spirit of God in voice, mind, and character. The machinery will move as if oiled and guided by a masterly hand. There will be less friction when the spirit of the worker receives the oil from the two olive branches. The holy influences will be imparted to others in words of kindness, tenderness, love, and encouragement. 35 {SD 34.5} [SD 35.1] Countless Angels Ready to Help Us And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne . . . and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. Revelation 5:11. {SD 35.1} [SD 35.2] When Christ ascended to the Father, He did not leave His followers without help. The Holy Spirit, as His representative, and the heavenly angels, as ministering spirits, are sent forth to aid those who against great odds are fighting the good fight of faith. Ever remember that Jesus is your helper. No one understands as well as He your peculiarities of character. He is watching over you, and if you are willing to be guided by Him, He will throw around you influences for good that will enable you to accomplish all His will for you. {SD 35.2} [SD 35.3] Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness and relies wholly on the merits of the Saviour. God would send every angel in heaven to the aid of such a one, rather than allow him to be overcome. {SD 35.3} [SD 35.4] Angels are God's ministers, radiant with the light ever flowing from His presence, and speeding on rapid wing to execute His will. {SD 35.4} [SD 35.5] Angels are ever present where they are most needed, with those who have the hardest battle with self to fight, and whose surroundings are the most discouraging. {SD 35.5} [SD 35.6] In all ages, angels have been near to Christ's faithful followers. The vast confederacy of evil is arrayed against all who would overcome; but Christ would have us look to the things which are not seen, to the armies of heaven encamped about all who love God, to deliver them. From what dangers, seen and unseen, we have been preserved through the interposition of the angels, we shall never know, until in the light of eternity we see the providences of God. Then we shall know that the whole family of heaven was interested in the family here below, and that messengers from the throne of God attended our steps from day to day. 36 {SD 35.6} [SD 36.1] They Minister to the Heirs of Salvation Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Hebrews 1:14. {SD 36.1} [SD 36.2] God has angels whose whole work is to draw those who shall be heirs of salvation. . . . The angels' work is to keep back the powers of Satan. {SD 36.2} [SD 36.3] The work of these heavenly beings is to prepare the inhabitants of this world to become children of God, pure, holy, undefiled. But men, though professing to be followers of Christ, do not place themselves in a position where they can understand this ministry, and thus the work of the heavenly messengers is made hard. The angels, who do always behold the face of the Father in heaven, would prefer to remain close by the side of God, in the pure and holy atmosphere of heaven; but a work must be done in bringing this heavenly atmosphere to the souls who are tempted and tried, that Satan may not disqualify them for the place the Lord would have them fill in the heavenly courts. Principalities and powers in heavenly places combine with these angels in their ministration for those who shall be heirs of salvation. {SD 36.3} [SD 36.4] Angels, who will do for you what you can not do for yourselves, are waiting for your co-operation. They are waiting for you to respond to the drawing of Christ. Draw nigh to God and to one another. By desire, by silent prayer, by resistance of satanic agencies, put your will on the side of God's will. While you have one desire to resist the devil, and sincerely pray, Deliver me from temptation, you will have strength for your day. It is the work of the heavenly angels to come close to the tried, the tempted, the suffering ones. They labor long and untiringly to save the souls for whom Christ has died. And when souls appreciate their advantages, appreciate the heavenly assistance sent them, respond to the Holy Spirit's working in their behalf; when they put their will on the side of Christ's will, angels bear the tidings heavenward. . . . And there is rejoicing among the heavenly host. 37 {SD 36.4} [SD 37.1] They Constantly Ascend and Descend Heaven's Ladder And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. Genesis 28:12. {SD 37.1} [SD 37.2] In this speck of a world, the heavenly universe manifests the greatest interest.... Yet we come in contact with the busy activity of our cities, we mingle with the multitude in the crowded thoroughfares, we enter marts of trade and walk the streets; and through all, from morning till evening, the people act as if business, sport, and pleasure were all there is to life,--as if this world were all there is to occupy the mind. How few contemplate the unseen agencies! {SD 37.2} [SD 37.3] All heaven is intensely interested in the human beings who are so full of activity, and yet have no thought for the unseen.... Sometimes the heavenly intelligences draw aside the curtain that hides the unseen world, that our minds may be withdrawn from the hurry and rush, and consider that there are witnesses to all we do and say, when engaged in business, or when we think ourselves alone.... {SD 37.3} [SD 37.4] These heavenly beings are ministering angels, and they frequently disguise themselves in the form of human beings, and as strangers converse with those who are engaged in the work of God. In lonely places they have been the companions of the traveler in peril. In tempest-tossed ships they have spoken words to allay fear and inspire hope in the hour of danger. Many, under different circumstances, have listened to the voices of the inhabitants of other worlds. Time and again have they been the leaders of armies. They have been sent forth to cleanse away pestilence. They have eaten at the humble board of families, and often have they appeared as weary travelers in need of shelter for the night.... {SD 37.4} [SD 37.5] Heavenly angels are co-operating with us in every good work, and thus earth is connected with heaven. {SD 37.5} [SD 38.1] Chap. 2 - We Obey the Father's Law of Love The Commandments are Sure All his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. Psalm 111:7, 8. {SD 38.1} [SD 38.2] Adam and Eve, at their creation, had a knowledge of the law of God. It was printed on their hearts, and they understood its claims upon them. The law of God existed before man was created. It was adapted to the condition of holy beings; even angels were governed by it. After the fall, the principles of righteousness were unchanged. Nothing was taken from the law; not one of its holy precepts could be improved. And as it has existed from the beginning, so will it continue to exist throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. {SD 38.2} [SD 38.3] Our duty to obey this law is to be the burden of this last message of mercy to the world. God's law is not a new thing. It is not holiness created, but holiness made known. It is a code of principles expressing mercy, goodness, and love. It presents to fallen humanity the character of God, and states plainly the whole duty of man. {SD 38.3} [SD 38.4] The law of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all intelligent beings depends upon their perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service of love--service that springs from an appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced obedience; and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service. {SD 38.4} [SD 38.5] "All His commandments are sure...." Whatever is built upon the authority of man will be overthrown; but that which is founded upon the rock of God's immutable word shall stand forever. {SD 38.5} [SD 38.6] The sacred statutes which Satan has hated and sought to destroy, will be honored throughout a sinless universe. 39 {SD 38.6} [SD 39.1] The Law of God is Perfect The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. Psalm 19:7. {SD 39.1} [SD 39.2] The laws which God gave His ancient people were wiser, better, and more humane than those of the most civilized nations of the earth. The laws of the nations bear marks of the infirmities and passions of the unrenewed heart; but God's law bears the stamp of the divine. {SD 39.2} [SD 39.3] Says the psalmist, "The law of the Lord is perfect." How wonderful in its simplicity, its comprehensiveness and perfection, is the law of Jehovah! It is so brief that we can easily commit every precept to memory, and yet so far-reaching as to express the whole will of God, and to take cognizance not only of the outward actions, but of the thoughts and intents, the desires and emotions, of the heart. Human laws can not do this. They can deal with the outward actions only. A man may be a transgressor, and yet conceal his misdeeds from human eyes; he may be a criminal,--a thief, a murderer, or an adulterer,-- but so long as he is not discovered, the law can not condemn him as guilty. . . . {SD 39.3} [SD 39.4] The law of God is simple, and easily understood. If the children of men would, to the best of their ability, obey this law, they would gain strength of mind and power of discernment to comprehend still more of God's purposes and plans. And this advancement would be continued, not only during the present life, but during eternal ages; for however far he may advance in the knowledge of God's wisdom and power, there is always an infinity beyond. {SD 39.4} [SD 39.5] Since "the law of the Lord is perfect," every variation from it must be evil. {SD 39.5} [SD 39.6] Obedience was the only condition upon which ancient Israel was to receive the fulfilment of the promises that made them the highly favored people of God; and obedience to that law will bring as great blessings to individuals and nations now as it would have brought to the Hebrews. 40 {SD 39.6} [SD 40.1] The Law is Holy, Just, and Good Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Romans 7:12. {SD 40.1} [SD 40.2] As the Supreme Ruler of the universe, God has ordained laws for the government not only of all living beings, but of all the operations of nature. Everything, whether great or small, animate or inanimate, is under fixed laws which cannot be disregarded. There are no exceptions to this rule; for nothing that the divine hand has made has been forgotten by the divine mind.... To man alone, the crowning work of His creation, God has given a conscience to realize the sacred claims of the divine law, and a heart capable of loving it as holy, just, and good; and of man prompt and perfect obedience is required. {SD 40.2} [SD 40.3] This rule forbids all oppression from parents and all disobedience from children. The Lord is full of lovingkindness, mercy, and truth. His law is holy, just, and good, and must be obeyed by parents and children. The rules which should regulate the lives of parents and children flow from a heart of infinite love, and God's rich blessing will rest upon those parents who administer His law in their homes, and upon the children who obey this law. The combined influence of mercy and justice is to be felt. "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Households under this discipline will walk in the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment. {SD 40.3} [SD 40.4] Let the youth look upon the divine standard, and never be content with a low aim.... Walk not hesitatingly, but firmly in the strength and grace of Jesus Christ. Unto Him is committed all power in heaven and in earth. Take refuge in Jesus Christ, and enter into a firm covenant with Him in faith, to love and serve Him. {SD 40.4} [SD 40.5] Since the law of God is "holy, and just, and good," a transcript of the divine perfection, it follows that a character formed by obedience to that law will be holy. Christ is the perfect example of such a character. 41 {SD 40.5} [SD 41.1] The Law is Truth and Righteousness Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. Psalm 119:142. {SD 41.1} [SD 41.2] God sent truth into our world in untarnished glory, beauty, and perfection, and placed it in contrast with error. Neither men nor devils were able to detect a flaw in the character of Christ; but the revelation of the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world, placed darkness in such contrast, that men would not receive the light. . . . There is no natural enmity between evil angels and evil men; both are evil through transgression of the law of God, and evil will always league against God. Fallen men and fallen angels enter into a desperate companionship. . . . {SD 41.2} [SD 41.3] The purity and holiness of the character of Christ stirred up the very worst passions of the human heart. . . . His perfect obedience to the commandments of God was a continual rebuke to a sensual and perverse generation. His spotless character was shedding light into the midst of the moral darkness of the world.... {SD 41.3} [SD 41.4] Those who become the sons of God cannot avoid coming into conflict with the hosts of apostasy. . . . Through the merits of the Redeemer, God accepts the efforts of sinful man in keeping His law, which is holy, just, and good. {SD 41.4} [SD 41.5] Those who truly unite with Christ will be found doing the same work that Christ did while on the earth,--they will be found magnifying the law and making it honorable. . . . When the advocates of truth reveal the efficiency of truth in their life and character, a blow is struck against the kingdom of Satan. {SD 41.5} [SD 41.6] The character of God is righteousness and truth; such is the nature of His law. Says the psalmist, "Thy law is the truth;" "all thy commandments are righteousness." . . . Such a law, being an expression of the mind and will of God, must be as enduring as its Author. 42 {SD 41.6} [SD 42.1] Hasty Obedience Brings Rich Blessings I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. Psalm 119:60. {SD 42.1} [SD 42.2] Obedience to the laws of God develops in man a beautiful character that is in harmony with all that is pure and holy and undefiled. In the life of such a man the message of the gospel of Christ is made clear. Accepting the mercy of Christ and His healing from the power of sin, he is brought into right relation with God. His life, cleansed from vanity and selfishness, is filled with the love of God. His daily obedience to the law of God obtains for him a character that assures him eternal life in the kingdom of God. {SD 42.2} [SD 42.3] In His earthly life the Saviour gives us an example of the hallowed lives that may be ours if we will devote our days to doing good to the souls that need our help. It is our privilege to bring joy to the sorrowful, light to the darkened, and life to the perishing. The Lord's message comes to us, "Why stand ye here all the day idle; work while it is day; for the night cometh when no man can work." Every word we speak, every act we perform, that conduces to the happiness of others, will conduce to our own happiness, and make our lives like the life of Christ. {SD 42.3} [SD 42.4] Our daily duties are to be cheerfully accepted and cheerfully performed. Our chief duty is to reveal in words and deportment a life which will make manifest the attributes of heaven. The Word of life is given to us to study and practice. Our actions are to be in strict conformity to the laws of the kingdom of heaven. Then heaven can approve our work; and the talents we employ in His service will multiply for greater usefulness. The consecrated life will shine amid the moral darkness of the world, guiding perishing souls to the truth of the Word. . . . {SD 42.4} [SD 42.5] In His Gift to the world the Lord has revealed how solicitous He is that we bear in our lives the marks of our heavenly citizenship by letting every ray of light we have received shine forth in good works to our fellow-men. 43 {SD 42.5} [SD 43.1] In the Home And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. Deuteronomy 6:9. {SD 43.1} [SD 43.2] From the earliest times the faithful in Israel had given much attention to the matter of education. The Lord had directed that the children, even from babyhood, should be taught of His goodness and His greatness, especially as revealed in His law and shown in the history of Israel. Through song and prayer, and lessons from the Scriptures, adapted to the opening mind, fathers and mothers were to instruct their children that the law of God is an expression of His character, and that as they received the principles of the law into the heart, the image of God was traced on mind and soul. {SD 43.2} [SD 43.3] If it was essential for Moses to embody the commandments in sacred song, so that as they marched in the wilderness, the children could learn to sing the law verse by verse, how essential it is at this time to teach our children God's Word! {SD 43.3} [SD 43.4] True happiness in this life and in the future life depends upon obedience to a "Thus saith the Lord." . . . Let Christ's life be the pattern. Satan will devise every possible means to break down this high standard of piety as one altogether too strict. It is your work to impress upon your children in their early years the thought that they are formed in the image of God. Christ came to this world to give them a living example of what they all must be, and parents who claim to believe the truth for this time are to teach their children to love God and to obey His law. This is the greatest and most important work that fathers and mothers can do. {SD 43.4} [SD 43.5] The great reformative movement must begin in the home. Obedience to God's law is the great incentive to industry, economy, truthfulness, and just dealing between man and man. {SD 43.5} [SD 43.6] A noble, all-round manhood does not come by chance. It is the result of the molding process of character building in the early years of youth, and a practice of the law of God in the home. 44 {SD 43.6} [SD 44.1] To be a Strength to All Nations Thy God hath commanded thy strength; strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us. Psalm 68:28. {SD 44.1} [SD 44.2] His ［God's］ laws were not alone for the Jewish nation. The moral law was given before the people called Jews were in existence. The law of ten commandments was of universal obligation. The sacrificial ordinances were devised to represent the one great Sacrifice, the Lamb of God, that was to take away the sin of the world, and in behalf of the transgressor meet the requirements of divine justice. {SD 44.2} [SD 44.3] The Lord would not have His people exclusive. Christ's delegated messengers are to proclaim the gospel of His grace to all nations, tongues, and people. We are to make it known that the Great Advocate is giving audience to the whole world. The Jewish church was called to be God's representative to an apostate world, and in order to fulfill this mission the Jewish people were to maintain their own existence as a nation distinct from all the idolatrous nations upon the earth. They were to stand in the world maintaining their peculiar and holy character. They could maintain their own spirituality by doing that which Adam and Eve failed to do,--by rendering obedience to all the commandments of God, and in their characters representing God's mercy, goodness, compassion, and love. Thus in excellence of character they could stand above every other nation; for through a pure and obedient people the Lord would manifest His rich blessings. Thus the principles of the laws governing His kingdom were to be exalted throughout the world. Just as surely as they responded to the mercy, the light, the grace given, they would become the light of the world. They would be constantly directing attention to God, as a wise, faultless, Supreme Ruler, and the praise of God would be in all the earth. . . . The Lord is our God, and He has the same purpose in regard to His believing, loyal people today. 45 {SD 44.3} [SD 45.1] Rejoices the Heart and Enlightens the Eyes The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. Psalm 19:8. {SD 45.1} [SD 45.2] We have only glimmering light in regard to the exceeding breadth of the law of God.... Many of those who claim to believe the testing truths for these last days, act as though God took no note of their disrespect of, and manifest disobedience to, the principles of His holy law. The law is the expression of His will, and it is through obedience to that law that God proposes to accept the children of men as His sons and daughters.... An infinite sacrifice has been made that the moral image of God may be restored to man, through willing obedience to all the commandments of God. Exceeding great is our salvation for ample provision has been made through the righteousness of Christ, that we may be pure, entire, wanting nothing.... If man will keep God's law through faith in Christ, the treasures of heaven will be at his disposal. {SD 45.2} [SD 45.3] Open the eyes of your understanding; see the beautiful harmony in the laws of God in nature, and be awed, and reverence your Creator, the Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. See Him, by the eye of faith, bending over you in love.... Your faith in Jesus will give strength to every purpose, consistency to the character. All your happiness, peace, joy, and success in this life are dependent upon genuine, trusting faith in God. This faith will prompt true obedience to the commandments of God. Your knowledge and faith in God is the strongest restraint from every evil practice, and the motive to all good. Believe in Jesus as one who pardons your sins, one who wants you to be happy in the mansions He has gone to prepare for you. He wants you to live in His presence; to have eternal life and a crown of glory. {SD 45.3} [SD 45.4] In keeping God's commandments there is great reward, even in this life. Our conscience does not condemn us. Our hearts are not at enmity with God, but at peace with Him. 46 {SD 45.4} [SD 46.1] Statutes Given for Our Good Always And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. Deuteronomy 6:24. {SD 46.1} [SD 46.2] As the youth go out into the world, to encounter its allurements to sin,--the passion for money-getting, for amusement and indulgence, for display, luxury, and extravagance, the overreaching, fraud, robbery and ruin,--what are the teachings there to be met? {SD 46.2} [SD 46.3] Spiritualism asserts that men are unfallen demigods; that "each mind will judge itself"; that "true knowledge places men above all law"; that "all sins committed are innocent"; for "whatever is, is right," and "God doth not condemn." The basest of human beings it represents as in heaven, and highly exalted there.... Multitudes are thus led to believe that desire is the highest law, that license is liberty, and that man is accountable only to himself. {SD 46.3} [SD 46.4] With such teaching given at the very outset of life, when impulse is strongest, and the demand for self-restraint and purity is most urgent, where are the safeguards of virtue? . . . At the same time anarchy is seeking to sweep away all law, not only divine, but human.... {SD 46.4} [SD 46.5] Such are the influences to be met by the youth of today. To stand amidst such upheavals they are now to lay the foundations of character. In every generation and in every land the true foundation and pattern for character-building have been the same. The divine law, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God will all thy heart, . . . and thy neighbour as thyself," the great principle made manifest in the character and life of our Saviour, is the only secure foundation and the only sure guide. . . . {SD 46.5} [SD 46.6] Here is the only safeguard for individual integrity, for the purity of the home, the well-being of society, or the stability of the nation. Amidst all life's perplexities and dangers and conflicting claims, the one safe and sure rule is to do what God says. 47 {SD 46.6} [SD 47.1] We Are Assured of Life Everlasting Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Revelation 22:14. {SD 47.1} [SD 47.2] The affections of the pleasure lover are drawn away from heavenly to earthly things. He subordinates the glories of eternity to the engrossing interests of time. In his desire to possess earthly riches, the heavenly treasure is lost from view. The claims of the future life are disregarded, and the interests of this life hold sway. . . . {SD 47.2} [SD 47.3] Christ brings the nobler world to view. He presents the advantages of citizenship in that city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. He takes us to the threshold of infinity, and shows us its glories, declaring them to be within the reach of all who will live in harmony with the laws of God. Through obedience to the laws of Jehovah, the human family may become a united, happy family in the city of God; but there is no room there for those who have no regard for the will of the Lord. All who will may gain everlasting life, but they must gain it by accepting the law of God as their guide in this life instead of seeking to follow their own laws. . . . To those who will live a life that is in harmony with the Father, Christ will impart the virtues of His life. {SD 47.3} [SD 47.4] Think ye that the commandment-keepers will be sorry, and mourn when the pearly gates of the Golden City of God are swung back upon their glittering hinges, and they are welcomed in? No, never. They will then rejoice, that they are not under the bondage of the law, but that they have kept God's law, and therefore are free from it. They will have right to the tree of life, a right to its healing leaves. {SD 47.4} [SD 47.5] The God of heaven has placed a benediction upon them that keep the commandments of God. {SD 47.5} [SD 47.6] He who has been faithful over the "few things" of earth, will be made ruler over "many things" in the eternal world of glory. 48 {SD 47.6} [SD 48.1] Christ Magnified the Law and Made It Honorable The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable. Isaiah 42:21. {SD 48.1} [SD 48.2] The law of God's government was to be magnified by the death of God's only begotten Son. Christ bore the guilt of the sins of the world. Our sufficiency is found only in the incarnation and death of the Son of God. He could suffer, because sustained by divinity. He could endure, because He was without one taint of disloyalty or sin. Christ triumphed in man's behalf in thus bearing the justice of punishment. He secured eternal life to men, while He exalted the law, and made it honorable. {SD 48.2} [SD 48.3] Every soul is under obligation to follow in the footsteps of Christ, the great example for the human family. He said, "I have kept my Father's commandments." The Pharisees thought that He was seeking to lessen the claims of the law of God, but His voice rang out upon their ears saying, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." {SD 48.3} [SD 48.4] Christ came to magnify the law and to make it honorable; He came to extol the old commandment which ye had from the beginning. Then we need the law and the prophets. We need the Old Testament to bring us down along the line to the New Testament, which does not take the place of the Old Testament, but more distinctly reveals to us the plan of salvation, giving significance to the whole system of sacrifices and offerings, and to the word which we had from the beginning. Perfect obedience is enjoined upon every soul, and obedience to the expressed will of God will make you one with Christ. . . . Of Him it is written, "Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." 49 {SD 48.4} [SD 49.1] Love to Be Fulfilled in Our Lives Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:10. {SD 49.1} [SD 49.2] How many are deficient in love! O, that love might eradicate from the heart hatred, emulation, and strife, and the root of bitterness, whereby many are defiled. Never can the love of Jesus be received and shed abroad in the heart until envious feelings, hatred, jealousies, and evil surmisings are put away. . . . {SD 49.2} [SD 49.3] Many are deceiving themselves; for the principle of love does not dwell in their hearts. They may close their eyes to their own errors and defects; but they cannot deceive God. There must be a reformation. The plowshare of truth must plow deep furrows in our proud hearts, and tear up the sod of our unsanctified natures, that the Spirit and love of Jesus may be planted in our hearts. Time is fast hastening on, and every work will soon be brought into judgment, and either our sins or our names will be blotted out of the Book of Life. . . . {SD 49.3} [SD 49.4] Pure love is simple in its operations, and separate from every other principle of action. When combined with earthly motives and selfish interests, it ceases to be pure. God considers more with how much love we work, than the amount we do. Love is a heavenly attribute. The natural heart cannot originate it. This heavenly plant only flourishes where Christ reigns supreme. Where love exists, there is power and truth in the life. Love does good, and nothing but good. Those who have love bear fruit unto holiness, and in the end everlasting life. {SD 49.4} [SD 49.5] It was the same Jesus who commanded that love should be the ruling principle in the old dispensation, that commanded that love should be the ruling principle in the hearts of His followers in the New Testament. The working out of the principle of love is true sanctification. 50 {SD 49.5} [SD 50.1] Law of Love Written in Our Hearts After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. . . . I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:33, 34. {SD 50.1} [SD 50.2] The work Christianity is designed to achieve in the world is not to depreciate the law of God, not to detract from its sacred dignity in the slightest degree, but it is to write that law in the mind and heart. When the law of God is thus implanted in the soul of the believer, he is approaching eternal life through the merits of Jesus. . . . {SD 50.2} [SD 50.3] The object of the gospel is met when this great end is achieved. Its work from age to age is to unite the hearts of His followers in a spirit of universal brotherhood, through belief of the truth, and thus establish heaven's system of order and harmony in the family of God on earth, that they may be accounted worthy to become members of the royal family above. God, in His wisdom and mercy, tests men and women here, to see if they will obey His voice and respect His law, or rebel as Satan did. . . . {SD 50.3} [SD 50.4] God's object in giving the law to the fallen race was that man might, through Jesus, rise from his low estate to be one with God, that the greatest moral changes might be manifested in his nature and character. This moral transformation must take place, or man would not be a safe subject in the kingdom of God; for he would raise a revolt. . . . {SD 50.4} [SD 50.5] Here in this life is the testing, trying time. The angels of God are watching the development of character, and weighing moral worth. The whole question is settled in this, Is he obedient or disobedient to the commandments of God? has the sinner been transformed in this world, through the merits of Christ, to an obedient servant, so that he is fitted to join the heavenly society? {SD 50.5} [SD 50.6] The law of God in our hearts will bring our own interests in subordination to high and eternal considerations. 51 {SD 50.6} [SD 51.1] We are to Love the Lord with All Our Hearts Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Matthew 22:37. {SD 51.1} [SD 51.2] He who has the love of God shed abroad in his heart, will reflect the purity and love which exist in Jehovah, and which Christ represented in our world. He who has the love of God in his heart has no enmity against the law of God, but renders willing obedience to all His commandments, and this constitutes Christianity. He who has supreme love to God will reveal love to his fellow-men, who belong to God both by creation and redemption. Love is the fulfilling of the law; and it is the duty of every child of God to render obedience to His commandments. . . . {SD 51.2} [SD 51.3] The law of God, which is perfect holiness, is the only true standard of character. Love is expressed in obedience, and perfect love casteth out all fear. Those who love God, have the seal of God in their foreheads, and work the works of God. Would that all who profess Christianity knew what it means to love God practically. . . . They would have some realization of the infinite holiness of God, knowing that He is high and lifted up, and the train of His glory fills the temple. They would have a powerful influence upon the life and character of those around them, which would work as leaven amid the mass of humanity, transforming others through the power of Jesus Christ. Connected with the Source of power, they would never lose their vital influence, but would ever increase in efficiency. {SD 51.3} [SD 51.4] Love to God must be a living principle, underlying every act and word and thought. If in the strength of Christ we are seeking to maintain such a consecration, we shall be daily holding communion with God. . . . The principles of God's law will dwell in the heart, and control the actions. It will then be as natural for us to seek purity and holiness, to shun the spirit and example of the world, and to seek to benefit all around us, as it is for the angels of glory to execute the mission of love assigned them. 52 {SD 51.4} [SD 52.1] We Will Love Our Neighbors as Ourselves Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Matthew 22:39. {SD 52.1} [SD 52.2] The divine law requires us to love God supremely, and our neighbor as ourselves. Without the exercise of this love, the highest profession of faith is mere hypocrisy. {SD 52.2} [SD 52.3] The worshiper of God will find that he cannot cherish one fiber of the root of selfishness. He cannot do his duty to his God and practice oppression toward his fellow men. The second principle of the law is like unto the first, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." "This do and thou shalt live." These are the words of Jesus Christ from which there can be no departure on the part of any man, woman, or youth who would be a true Christian. It is obedience to the principles of the commandments of God, that molds the character after the divine similitude. . . . {SD 52.3} [SD 52.4] To leave a suffering neighbor unrelieved is a breach of the law of God. . . . He who loves God will not only love his fellow men, but will regard with tender compassion the creatures which God has made. When the Spirit of God is in man it leads him to relieve rather than to create suffering. . . . We are to care for every case of suffering, and to look upon ourselves as God's agents to relieve the needy to the very uttermost of our ability. We are to be laborers together with God. There are some who manifest great affection for their relatives, for their friends and favorites, who yet fail to be kind and considerate to those who need tender sympathy, who need kindness and love. With earnest heart, let us inquire, Who is my neighbor? Our neighbors are not merely our neighbors and special friends, are not simply those who belong to our church or who think as we do. Our neighbors are the whole human family. We are to do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. We are to give to the world an exhibition of what it means to carry out the law of God. We are to love God supremely and our neighbors as ourselves. 53 {SD 52.4} [SD 53.1] Mercy Shown to Thousands Who Love God's Law And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Exodus 20:6. {SD 53.1} [SD 53.2] The ten holy precepts spoken by Christ upon Sinai's mount were the revelation of the character of God, and made known to the world the fact that He had jurisdiction over the whole human heritage. That law of ten precepts of the greatest love that can be presented to man is the voice of God from heaven speaking to the soul in promise. "This do, and you will not come under the dominion and control of Satan." There is not a negative in that law, although it may appear thus. It is DO, and Live. . . . The Lord has given His holy commandments to be a wall of protection around His created beings. {SD 53.2} [SD 53.3] Everything that God could do, He has done to manifest His great love and mercy to you. He "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Then rest in the assurance of the love of God. . . . Not because we first loved Him did God love us; but "while we were yet sinners," Christ died for us, making full and abundant provision for our redemption. Although by our disobedience we have merited God's displeasure and condemnation, yet He has not forsaken us, leaving us to grapple with the power of the enemy in our own finite strength. Heavenly angels fight our battles for us, and cooperating with them, we may be victorious over the powers of evil. . . . As we draw nigh to Him by faith, He draws nigh to us, adopting us into His family, and making us His sons and daughters. {SD 53.3} [SD 53.4] To those who are faithful in His service, mercy is promised, not merely to the third and fourth generation . . . but to thousands of generations. {SD 53.4} [SD 53.5] The tender mercies of God are unmeasured, and those who appreciate the love of Christ will be renewed in true holiness, and brought into Christ, their living Head. They will be followers of God as dear children. 54 {SD 53.5} [SD 54.1] We Love God's Commandments More Than Gold Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. Psalm 119:127. {SD 54.1} [SD 54.2] In these days of peril shall we show less devotion to the truth of God, and less fervent attachment to His law, than in former years? The very condition of things exists which Christ declared would be, prior to His second coming in power and glory. The prevailing ungodliness tends to paralyze and even to destroy true faith and piety. But this is the very time when the gold of Christian integrity will shine brightest, in contrast to the dross of hypocrisy and corruption. Now is the time for Christ's chosen to show their devotion to His service,-- the time for all His followers to bear the noblest testimony for their Master by standing firm against the prevailing current of evil. {SD 54.2} [SD 54.3] As we see the results which have followed a disregard of God's law,--dishonesty, theft, licentiousness, drunkenness, and murder,-- we are prepared to say with the psalmist, "I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold"; "in keeping of them, there is great reward." When the divine law is set aside, the greatest misery will result, both to families and to society. Our only hope of better things is to be found in a faithful adherence to the precepts of Jehovah. Infidel France once tried the experiment of rejecting the authority of God. What scenes of horror followed! Men cast aside the divine law as a yoke of bondage, and in their boasted liberty they placed themselves under the rule of the veriest tyrant. Anarchy and bloodshed ruled that terrible day. It was then demonstrated to the world that the surest way to undermine the foundation of order and government, is to set at naught the law of God. . . . {SD 54.3} [SD 54.4] Instead of feeling that we are now in the slightest degree excusable in further transgression, we shall realize as never before the justice of God's claims upon us, and the sacred character of His law, since Christ must die to maintain its authority. Ere long the obedient will see the blessed results that follow the keeping of all God's commandments. 55 {SD 54.4} [SD 55.1] Christ Came to Earth to Fulfill the Law Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Matthew 5:17. {SD 55.1} [SD 55.2] God chose Israel as the depositary of priceless treasure of truth for all nations, and He gave them His law as the standard of the character they were to develop before the world, before angels, and before the unfallen worlds. . . . Through disobedience and disloyalty God's chosen nation developed a character exactly opposite to the character God designed them to develop by obeying His law. They placed their own mold and superscription upon the truth, removing from it the superscription of God. . . . The law of God was being buried beneath the minutiae of outward forms,--such as the frequent washing of the hands before eating, and the washing of pots and cups. Tithes were exacted on simple garden herbs. To those who made so much of these minor things, Christ said, ". . .these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." . . . {SD 55.2} [SD 55.3] Amid all this confusing din of voices there was need of a teacher direct from the heavenly universe to speak from inspired lips to human hearts, and to proclaim the testing truths so important to every one. . . . {SD 55.3} [SD 55.4] As a Teacher sent from God, Christ's work was to explain the true significance of the laws of God's government. . . . Resetting truth in the framework of God's own law, He caused it to shine in its original, heavenly luster. . . . He enthroned the divine precepts in companionship with the royalty of eternal, uncorrupted truth bearing the sanction of God, the Source of all truth. . . . {SD 55.4} [SD 55.5] Christ came not only to vindicate the law before the inhabitants of this world, but by His life to settle forever the immutability of God's law. . . . He ［God］ never lets go one who commits the keeping of the soul to His care. Having loved them because of their love of Jesus, He loves them to the end. 56 {SD 55.5} [SD 56.1] We Shall Have No Other Gods Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3. {SD 56.1} [SD 56.2] The ten commandments, Thou shalt, and Thou shalt not, are ten promises assured to us if we render obedience to the law governing the universe. {SD 56.2} [SD 56.3] There is not a moral precept enjoined in any part of the Bible which is not engraved with the finger of God in His holy law on the two tables of stone. A copy was given to Moses on Mount Sinai. The first four commandments enjoined upon man his duty to serve the Lord our God with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the mind, and with all the strength. This takes the whole man. This requires a love so fervent, so intense, that man can cherish nothing in his mind or affections in rivalry with God; and his works will bear the signature of heaven. Everything is secondary to the glory of God. Our heavenly Father is to be ever cherished as the first, the joy and prosperity, the light and sufficiency of our life, and our portion forever. {SD 56.3} [SD 56.4] Let men worship and serve the Lord God, and Him only. Let not selfish pride be lifted up and served as a god. Let not money be made a god. If sensuality is not kept under the control of the higher powers of the mind, base passion will rule the being. Anything that is made the subject of undue thought and admiration, absorbing the mind, is a god chosen before the Lord. {SD 56.4} [SD 56.5] Jehovah, the eternal, self-existent, uncreated One, Himself the source and sustainer of all, is alone entitled to supreme reverence and worship. Man is forbidden to give to any other object the first place in his affections or his service. Whatever we cherish that tends to lessen our love for God or to interfere with the service due Him, of that do we make a god. 57 {SD 56.5} [SD 57.1] We Shall Not Serve Any Graven Images Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them. Exodus 20:4, 5. {SD 57.1} [SD 57.2] Our Creator demands our supreme devotion, our first allegiance. Anything which tends to abate our love for God, or to interfere with the service due Him, becomes thereby an idol. With some their lands, their houses, their merchandise, are the idols. Business enterprises are prosecuted with zeal and energy, while the service of God is made a secondary consideration. Family worship is neglected, secret prayer forgotten. Many claim to deal justly with their fellow-men, and seem to feel that in so doing they discharge their whole duty. But it is not enough to keep the last six commandments of the Decalogue. We are to love the Lord our God with all the heart. Nothing short of obedience to every precept . . . can satisfy the claims of the divine law. {SD 57.2} [SD 57.3] There are many whose hearts have been so hardened by prosperity that they forget God, and forget the wants of their fellow-men. Professed Christians adorn themselves with jewelry, laces, costly apparel, while the Lord's poor suffer for the necessaries of life. Men and women who claim redemption through a Saviour's blood will squander the means intrusted to them for the saving of other souls, and then grudging dole out their offerings for religion, giving liberally only when it will bring honor to themselves. These are idolaters. {SD 57.3} [SD 57.4] Anything that diverts the mind from God assumes the form of an idol, and that is why there is so little power in the church today. {SD 57.4} [SD 57.5] The second commandment forbids the worship of the true God by images or similitudes. . . . The mind, turned away from the infinite perfection of Jehovah, would be attracted to the creature rather than to the Creator. {SD 57.5} [SD 57.6] God is a searcher of the heart. He distinguishes between true heart-service and idolatry. 58 {SD 57.6} [SD 58.1] We Shall Not Take the Name of the Lord in Vain Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Exodus 20:7. {SD 58.1} [SD 58.2] The reason for this command is given: we are not to swear "by the heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black." All things come of God. We have nothing that we have not received; and, more than this, we have nothing that has not been purchased for us by the blood of Christ. {SD 58.2} [SD 58.3] Burning words of passion should never be spoken, for in the sight of God and holy angels they are as a species of swearing. {SD 58.3} [SD 58.4] This commandment not only prohibits false oaths and common swearing, but it forbids us to use the name of God in a light or careless manner, without regard to its awful significance. By the thoughtless mention of God in common conversation, by appeals to Him in trivial matters, and by the frequent and thoughtless repetition of His name, we dishonor Him. "Holy and reverend in his name." All should meditate upon His majesty, His purity and holiness, that the heart may be impressed with a sense of His exalted character; and His holy name should be uttered with reverence and solemnity. {SD 58.4} [SD 58.5] It is not men whom we are to exalt and worship; it is God, the only true and living God, to whom our worship and reverence are due. According to the teaching of the Scriptures, it dishonors God to address ministers as "reverend." No mortal has any right to attach this to his own name, or to the name of any other human being. It belongs only to God, to distinguish Him from every other being. . . . "Holy and reverend is his name." We dishonor God when we use this word where it does not belong. . . . The Father and the Son alone are to be exalted. 59 {SD 58.5} [SD 59.1] We Shall Keep the Sabbath Day Holy Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Exodus 20:8. {SD 59.1} [SD 59.2] God said, "The seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God." He placed His sanctity upon this day and blessed it and hallowed it as a day of rest. . . .It is the only commandment in the whole Decalogue that tells who God is. It places God in distinction with every other god. It says the God that made the heaven and the earth, the God that made the trees and the flowers and that created man; this is the God that you are to keep before your children, and you have only to point to the flowers and tell them that He made these and that He rested on the seventh day from all His labors. . . . The seventh day is a God-given memorial. {SD 59.2} [SD 59.3] Pointing to God as the maker of the heavens and the earth, it distinguishes the true God from all false gods. All who keep the seventh day, signify by this act that they are worshippers of Jehovah. Thus the Sabbath is the sign of man's allegiance to God as long as there are any upon the earth to serve Him. . . . {SD 59.3} [SD 59.4] God has given men six days wherein to labor, and He requires that their own work be done in the six working days. Acts of necessity and mercy are permitted on the Sabbath, the sick and suffering are at all times to be cared for; but unnecessary labor is to be strictly avoided. . . . And the commandment includes all within our gates. The inmates of the house are to lay aside their worldly business during the sacred hours. All should unite to honor God by willing service upon His holy days. {SD 59.4} [SD 59.5] So long as the heavens and the earth endure, the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator's power. And when Eden shall bloom on earth again, God's holy rest day will be honored by all beneath the sun. "From one sabbath to another" the inhabitants of the glorified new earth shall go up "to worship before me, saith the Lord." 60 {SD 59.5} [SD 60.1] Long Life Promised for Honoring Parents Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Exodus 20:12. {SD 60.1} [SD 60.2] Those who would truly follow Christ must let Him abide in the heart, and enthrone Him there as supreme. They must represent His spirit and character in their home life, and show courtesy and kindness to those with whom they come in contact. There are many children who profess to know the truth, who do not render to their parents the honor and affection that are due to them, who manifest but little love to father and mother, and fail to honor them in deferring to their wishes, or in seeking to relieve them of anxiety. Many who profess to be Christians do not know what it means to "honour thy father and thy mother," and consequently will know just as little what it means, "that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." . . . The Heart-searcher knows what is your attitude toward your parents; for He is weighing moral character in the golden scales of the heavenly sanctuary. O, confess your neglect of your parents, confess your indifference toward them, and your contempt of God's holy commandment. {SD 60.2} [SD 60.3] Parents are entitled to a degree of love and respect which is due to no other person. God Himself, who has placed upon them a responsibility for the souls committed to their charge, has ordained that during the earlier years of life, parents shall stand in the place of God to their children. And he who rejects the rightful authority of his parents, is rejecting the authority of God. The fifth commandment requires the children not only to yield respect, submission, and obedience to their parents, but also to give them love and tenderness, to lighten their cares, to guard their reputation, and to succor and comfort them in old age. {SD 60.3} [SD 60.4] The fifth commandment is binding upon children as long as their own lives and the lives of their parents are spared. 61 {SD 60.4} [SD 61.1] We Shall Not Kill Thou shalt not kill. Exodus 20:13. {SD 61.1} [SD 61.2] All acts of injustice that tend to shorten life; the spirit of hatred and revenge, or the indulgence of any passion that leads to injurious acts toward others, or causes us even to wish them harm (for "whoso hateth his brother is a murderer"); a selfish neglect of caring for the needy or suffering; all self-indulgence or unnecessary deprivation or excessive labor that tends to injure health,--all these are, to a greater or less degree, violations of the sixth commandment. {SD 61.2} [SD 61.3] Some sacrifice physical and moral obligations, thinking to find happiness, and they lose both soul and body. Others will seek their happiness in indulgence of an unnatural appetite, and consider the indulgence of taste more desirable than health and life. Many suffer themselves to be enchained by sensual passions, and will sacrifice physical strength, intellect, and moral powers, to the gratification of lust. They will bring themselves to untimely graves, and in the Judgment will be charged with self-murder. {SD 61.3} [SD 61.4] The spirit of hatred and revenge originated with Satan; and it led him to put to death the Son of God. Whoever cherishes malice or unkindness is cherishing the same spirit; and its fruit will be unto death. In the revengeful thought the evil deed lies enfolded, as the plant in the seed. {SD 61.4} [SD 61.5] The law of God takes note of the jealousy, envy, hatred, malignity, revenge, lust, and ambition that surge through the soul, but have not found expression in outward action, because the opportunity, not the will, has been wanting. And these sinful emotions will be brought into the account in the day when "God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing." {SD 61.5} [SD 61.6] Christ is righteousness, sanctification, and redemption to those who believe in Him. . . . He set before us a perfect example of holy obedience to God's law. 62 {SD 61.6} [SD 62.1] We Shall Be Pure Thou shalt not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14. {SD 62.1} [SD 62.2] This commandment forbids not only acts of impurity, but sensual thoughts and desires, or any practice that tends to excite them. Purity is demanded not only in the outward life, but in the secret intents and emotions of the heart. Christ, who taught the far-reaching obligation of the law of God, declared the evil thought or look to be as truly sin as is the unlawful deed. {SD 62.2} [SD 62.3] When the thought of evil is loved and cherished, however secretly, said Jesus, it shows that sin still reigns in the heart. The soul is still in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. He who finds pleasure in dwelling upon scenes of impurity, who indulges the evil thought, the lustful look, may behold in the open sin, with its burden of shame and heartbreaking grief, the true nature of the evil which he has hidden in the chambers of the soul. The season of temptation, under which, it may be, one falls into grievous sin, does not create the evil that is revealed, but only develops or makes manifest that which was hidden and latent in the heart. As a man "thinketh in his heart, so is he"; for out of the heart "are the issues of life." The heart in which Christ dwells, will be so filled, so satisfied, with His love that it will not be consumed with longing to attract sympathy and attention to itself. And through the surrender of the soul to God, His wisdom can accomplish what human wisdom fails to do. {SD 62.3} [SD 62.4] So long as life shall last, there will be need of guarding the affections and the passions with a firm purpose. Not one moment can we be secure except as we rely upon God, the life hidden with Christ. {SD 62.4} [SD 62.5] The nearer we live to Jesus, the more will we partake of His pure and holy character; and the more offensive sin appears to us, the more exalted and desirable will appear the purity and brightness of Christ. 63 {SD 62.5} [SD 63.1] We Shall Not Steal Thou shalt not steal. Exodus 20:15. {SD 63.1} [SD 63.2] Both public and private sins are included in this prohibition. The eighth commandment condemns man-stealing and slave-dealing, and forbids wars of conquest. It condemns theft and robbery. It demands strict integrity in the minutest details of the affairs of life. It forbids overreaching in trade, and requires the payment of just debts or wages. It declares that every attempt to advantage one's self by the ignorance, weakness, or misfortune of another, is registered as fraud in the books of heaven. {SD 63.2} [SD 63.3] The eighth commandment is to barricade the soul, and hedge man in, so that he shall make no injurious encroachment--which his self-love and desire for gain would make on his neighbor's rights. It forbids every species of dishonesty, injustice, or fraud, however prevalent, however palliated by plausible pretenses. {SD 63.3} [SD 63.4] "Thou shalt not steal" was written by the finger of God upon the tables of stone, yet how much underhand stealing of affections is practiced and excused. A deceptive courtship is maintained, private communications are kept up, until the affections of one who is inexperienced and knows not whereunto these things may grow, are in a measure withdrawn from her parents and placed upon him who shows by the very course he pursues that he is unworthy of her love. The Bible condemns every species of dishonesty. {SD 63.4} [SD 63.5] To trifle with hearts is a crime of no small magnitude in the sight of a holy God. {SD 63.5} [SD 63.6] As we deal with our fellow men in petty dishonesty or in more daring fraud, so will we deal with God. Men who persist in a course of dishonesty will carry out their principles until they cheat their own souls and lose heaven and eternal life. {SD 63.6} [SD 63.7] So long as heaven and earth continue, the holy principles of God's law will . . . continue, a source of blessing, sending forth streams to refresh the earth. 64 {SD 63.7} [SD 64.1] We Shall Not Lie, or Bear False Witness Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Exodus 20:16. {SD 64.1} [SD 64.2] The ninth commandment requires of us an inviolable regard for exact truth in every declaration by which the character of our fellow men may be affected. The tongue, which is kept so little under the control of the human agent, is to be bridled by strong conscientious principles, by the law of love toward God and man. {SD 64.2} [SD 64.3] False-speaking in any matter, every attempt or purpose to deceive our neighbor, is here included. An intention to deceive is what constitutes falsehood. By a glance of the eye, a motion of the hand, an expression of the countenance, as falsehood may be told as effectually as by words. All intentional overstatement, every hint or insinuation calculated to convey an erroneous or exaggerated impression, even the statement of facts in such a manner as to mislead, is falsehood. This precept forbids every effort to injure our neighbor's reputation by misrepresentation or evil surmising, by slander or tale-bearing. Even the intentional suppression of truth, by which injury may result to others, is a violation of the ninth commandment. {SD 64.3} [SD 64.4] He ［Jesus］ teaches that the exact truth should be the law of speech. "Let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay." . . . These words condemn all those meaningless phrases and expletives that border on profanity. They condemn the deceptive compliments, the evasion of truth, the flattering phrases, the exaggerations, the misrepresentations in trade, that are current in society and in the business world. They teach that no one who tries to appear what he is not, or whose words do not convey the real sentiment of his heart, can be called truthful. . . . {SD 64.4} [SD 64.5] Everything that Christians do should be as transparent as the sunlight. Truth is of God; deception, in every one of its myriad forms, is of Satan. . . . We can not speak the truth unless our minds are continually guided by Him who is truth. 65 {SD 64.5} [SD 65.1] We Shall Not Be Covetous Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. Exodus 20:17. {SD 65.1} [SD 65.2] The last commandment condemns covetousness. Every selfish desire, every degree of discontent, every act of overreaching, every selfish gratification works to the strengthening and developing of a character which will destroy the Christlikeness of the human agent, and close the gates of the city of God against him. {SD 65.2} [SD 65.3] When . . . angels come to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation, and witness the exhibition of selfishness, of covetousness, of overreaching, and benefiting self at others' disadvantage, they turn away in grief. . . . In no way could the Lord be better glorified and the truth more highly honored, than for unbelievers to see that the truth has wrought a great and good work upon the lives of naturally covetous and penurious men. If it could be seen that the faith of such had an influence to mold their characters, to change them from close, selfish, overreaching, money-loving men, to men who love to do good, who seek opportunities to use their means to bless those who need to be blessed, who visit the widow and fatherless in their affliction, and who keep themselves unspotted from the world, it would be an evidence that their religion was genuine. . . . Those who profess to be waiting and watching for the appearing of their Lord should not disgrace their profession by bantering in deal and standing for the last penny. Such fruit does not grow upon the Christian tree. {SD 65.3} [SD 65.4] The tenth commandment strikes at the very root of all sins, prohibiting the selfish desire, from which springs the sinful act. He who in obedience to God's law refrains from indulging even a sinful desire for that which belongs to another, will not be guilty of an act of wrong toward his fellow-creatures. 66 {SD 65.4} [SD 66.1] It Shall Be Our Righteousness And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us. Deuteronomy 6:25. {SD 66.1} [SD 66.2] The happiness of man is found in obedience to the laws of God. In obedience to God's law he is surrounded as with a hedge and kept from the evil. {SD 66.2} [SD 66.3] The tempter's voice will be heard on every side, telling you that you are not now required to keep the law of God. This is a device of Satan. God has a law, and men must keep it. If they disregard these rules, they will not have that perfection of character . . . required to become members of the royal family . . . for God wrote these ten holy rules on tables of stone and kept them in the ark of God's testimony. The cover of this ark . . . was called the mercy-seat, to signify that although death was the penalty for transgressing the law, mercy came through Jesus Christ to pardon the repentant, believing sinner. {SD 66.3} [SD 66.4] The only hope of any man lies through Jesus Christ, who brought the robe of His righteousness to put upon the sinner who would lay off his filthy garments. . . . The pure and holy garments are not prepared to be put on by any one after he has entered the gate of the city. All who enter will have on the robe of Christ's righteousness. . . . There will be no covering up of sins and faults to hide the deformity of character; no robes will be half washed; but all will be pure and spotless. {SD 66.4} [SD 66.5] When we bring our lives to complete obedience to the law of God, regarding God as our supreme Guide, the clinging to Christ as our hope of righteousness, God will work in our behalf. This is a righteousness of faith. . . . The commandments of God diligently studied and practiced, open to us communication with heaven, and distinguish for us the true from the false. This obedience works out for us the divine will, bringing into our lives the righteousness and perfection that was seen in the life of Christ. {SD 66.5} [SD 67.1] Chap. 3 - We Enroll in the School of Christ All Who Are Weary of Sin Are Urged to Enroll Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28. {SD 67.1} [SD 67.2] It is today that the sweet voice of mercy is falling upon your ears. It is today that the heavenly invitation comes to you. It is today that in Heaven everything says, Come. {SD 67.2} [SD 67.3] Come, for all things are now ready. Whosoever will, let him come and partake of the waters of life freely. It is now that we want childlike simplicity. We want to see everything like pride, and vanity, and folly, put away. We have the Judgment in view. Men and women will want strength that is greater than any human aid to lean upon. They must lean upon the mighty arm of Jehovah. We have in view that day when the works of men are to be tried, and tested; and we want you to get ready. . . . We make appeals to you to rid yourselves of the pride of the world, the pride and vanity, and folly, of life. Jesus loves you. Jesus pities you. The angelic host He sends to minister unto you. And now, while all Heaven is interested for you, will you be interested for yourselves? {SD 67.3} [SD 67.4] Some men seem afraid to take God at His word as though it would be presumption in them. They pray for the Lord to teach us and yet are afraid to credit the pledged word of God and believe we have been taught of Him. So long as we come to our heavenly Father humbly and with a spirit to be taught, willing and anxious to learn, why should we doubt God's fulfillment of His own promise? . . . When you have sought to know His will, your part in the operation with God is to believe that you will be led and guided and blessed in the doing of His will. . . . It is Christ who is guiding His people today, showing them where and how to work. 68 {SD 67.4} [SD 68.1] We Learn of Christ 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. Matthew 11:29. {SD 68.1} [SD 68.2] Only by the aid of the divine Teacher can we understand the truths of God's Word. In His school we shall learn how to be meek and lowly. He shows us how to understand the mysteries of godliness. {SD 68.2} [SD 68.3] Let those who desire an education of the highest kind, learn . . . that God is nigh unto all who seek Him with the whole heart. {SD 68.3} [SD 68.4] The more one sees of the character of God, the more humble he becomes, and the lower his estimation is of himself. This indeed is the evidence that he beholds God, that he is in union with Jesus Christ. Unless we are meek and lowly, we cannot in truth claim that we have any conception of the character of God. Men may think that they possess superior qualifications. Their splendid talents, great learning, eloquence, activity, and zeal, may dazzle the eye, delight the fancy, and awaken the admiration of those who cannot read beneath the surface; but unless humility and modesty is linked with these other gifts, self-glorification and self-exaltation will be seen. Unless each qualification is consecrated to the Lord, unless those to whom the Lord has entrusted gifts seek that grace which alone can make their qualifications acceptable to God, they are looked upon by the Lord . . . as unprofitable servants. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God thou wilt not despise." . . . Those whose hearts are melted and subdued, who have seen the glorious manifestation of God's character, will show no heedless presumption. . . . Self will be lost in the consciousness they have of God's wonderful glory, and their own utter unworthiness. All who value a happy and holy walk with God . . . will leave nothing undone if only they may gain a glimpse of His glory. In every place and under every circumstance, they will pray to God that they may be allowed to see Him. They will cherish that meek and contrite spirit that trembles at the word of God. 69 {SD 68.4} [SD 69.1] He Teaches Us His Yoke is Easy, His Burden, Light For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:30. {SD 69.1} [SD 69.2] We are to bear the yoke of Christ that we may be placed in complete union with Him. "Take my yoke upon you," He says.... Wearing the yoke unites finite man in companionship with the dearly beloved Son of God. Lifting the cross cuts away self from the soul, and places man where he learns how to bear Christ's burdens. We can not follow Christ without wearing His yoke, without lifting the cross and bearing it after Him. If our will is not in accord with the divine requirements, we are to deny our inclinations, give up our darling desires, and step in Christ's footsteps. . . . {SD 69.2} [SD 69.3] Men frame for their own necks yokes that seem light and pleasant to wear, but they prove galling in the extreme. Christ sees this, and He says, Take My yoke upon you. The yoke you would place upon your own neck, thinking it a precise fit, will not fit at all. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me the lessons essential for you to learn; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. The Lord never makes a false estimate concerning His heritage. He measures the men with whom He is working. When they submit to His yoke, when they give up the struggle that has been unprofitable for themselves and for the cause of God, they will find peace and rest. When they become sensible of their own weakness, their own deficiencies, they will delight to do God's will. They will submit to the yoke of Christ. Then God can work in them to will and to do of His good pleasure, which is often entirely contrary to the plans of the human mind. When the heavenly anointing comes to us, we shall learn the lesson of meekness and lowliness, which always brings rest to the soul. {SD 69.3} [SD 69.4] Although you will have trials, yet these trials, well borne, only make the way more precious. 70 {SD 69.4} [SD 70.1] Christ is the Heaven-Sent Teacher And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst . John 6:35. {SD 70.1} [SD 70.2] The mind is the best possession we have; but it must be trained by study, by reflection, by learning in the school of Christ, the best and truest educator the world has ever known. {SD 70.2} [SD 70.3] "I am the Bread of life," the Author, Nourisher, and Supporter of eternal, spiritual life.... To eat His flesh and to drink His blood means to receive Him as a heaven-sent teacher. Belief in Him is essential to spiritual life. Those who feast on the Word never hunger, never thirst, never desire any higher or more exalted good. {SD 70.3} [SD 70.4] The truest, the most exalted, knowledge is found in the Word of God. In its simplicity there is eloquence. There are those who will grasp the words of the supposed great men of the world, and love to dwell upon their phraseology as something they need to esteem and value. You will hear men exalting human beings, extolling those who are called great by this world. In doing this, they lose sight of Christ in the Word. He is not to them all and in all,--the first, the last, the best, in everything. These need to sit at the feet of Jesus, and learn of Him whom to know aright is life eternal. {SD 70.4} [SD 70.5] The Bible is our guide in the safe paths that lead to eternal life. God has inspired men to write that which will present the truth to us, which will attract, and which, if practised, will enable the receiver to obtain moral power to rank among the most highly educated minds. The minds of all who make the Word of God their study will enlarge. Far more than any other study, this is of a nature to increase the powers of comprehension, and endow every faculty with new vigor. . . . It brings us into close connection with all heaven, imparting wisdom, and knowledge, and understanding. . . . The gospel is adapted for spiritual food, to satisfy man's spiritual appetite. In every case it is just what man needs. 71 {SD 70.5} [SD 71.1] We Receive a Faith that Works by Love For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. Galatians 5:6. {SD 71.1} [SD 71.2] When you present your petitions to the Lord, it should be in humility, without boasting of superior attainments, but with real soul hunger for the blessing of God. Christ always knows what is cherished in the heart. We must come in faith that the Lord will hear and answer our prayers; for "whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Genuine faith is the faith that works by love, and purifies the soul. A living faith will be a working faith. Should we go into the garden and find that there was no sap in the plants, no freshness in the leaves, no bursting buds or blooming flowers, no signs of life in stalk or branches, we would say, "The plants are dead. Uproot them from the garden; for they are a deformity to the beds." So it is with those who profess Christianity, and have no spirituality. If there are no signs of religious vigor, if there is no doing of the commandments of the Lord, it is evident that there is no abiding in Christ, the living vine. {SD 71.2} [SD 71.3] Faith and love are the essential, powerful, working elements of Christian character. Those who possess them are one with Christ, and are carrying forward His mission. . . . We are to sit at Christ's feet as continual learners, and to work with His gifts of faith and love. We shall then wear Christ's yoke, and lift His burdens, and Christ will recognize us as one with Him; in heaven it will be said, "Ye are labourers together with God." Will our youth remember that without faith it is impossible to please God? and it must be faith that works by love and purifies the soul. {SD 71.3} [SD 71.4] We cannot overestimate the value of simple faith and unquestioning obedience. It is by following in the path of obedience in simple faith that the character obtains perfection. 72 {SD 71.4} [SD 72.1] We Learn to Speak the Language of Canaan My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass. Deuteronomy 32:2. {SD 72.1} [SD 72.2] We are to be witnesses for Christ; and this we shall be when we grow up daily into the full stature of men and women in Christ. It is our privilege to grow more and more like Him every day. Then we shall acquire the power to express our love for Him in higher, purer speech, and our ideas will enlarge and deepen, and our judgment become more sound and trustworthy, while our testimony will have more of life and assurance. We are not to cultivate the language of the earthy, and be so familiar with the conversation of men, that the language of Canaan will be new and unfamiliar to us. We are to learn in the school of Christ; yet it is manifest that many are satisfied with very limited experience in spiritual things, for they reveal but little knowledge of spiritual things in their prayers and testimonies. There is less good judgment manifested in matters concerning our eternal interests, than in matters concerning our earthly, temporal affairs. {SD 72.2} [SD 72.3] Christians are to be faithful students in the school of Christ, ever learning more of heaven, more of the words and will of God; more of the truth and how to use faithfully the knowledge that they have gained. {SD 72.3} [SD 72.4] The chief requisite of language is that it be pure and kind and true--"the outward expression of an inward grace." . . . The best school for this language study is the home. {SD 72.4} [SD 72.5] Kind words are as dew and gentle showers to the soul. The Scripture says of Christ that grace was poured into His lips, that He might "know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary." And the Lord bids us, "Let your speech be alway with grace," "that it may minister grace unto the hearers." When the heart is pure, rich treasure of wisdom will flow forth. 73 {SD 72.5} [SD 73.1] We Learn to Beware of Vain Deceit and Flattery Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Colossians 2:8. {SD 73.1} [SD 73.2] Flattery is an art by which Satan lieth in wait to deceive and to puff up the human agent with high thoughts of himself. . . . Flattery has been the food upon which many of our youth have been nourished; and those who have praised and flattered have supposed that they were doing right; but they have been doing wrong. Praise, flattery, and indulgence have done more toward leading precious souls into false paths, than any other art that Satan has devised. Flattery is a part of the world's policy, but it is no part of Christ's policy. Through flattery poor human beings, full of frailty and infirmities, come to think that they are efficient and worthy, and become puffed up in their fleshly mind. They become intoxicated with the idea that they possess ability beyond what they do have, and their religious experience becomes unbalanced. Unless in the providence of God they shall be turned from these deceptions, and become converted, and learn the a-b-c of religion in the school of Christ, they will lose their souls. Many a youth has been flattered that he has ability as a natural gift; when the ability he thinks he has, can be attained only through diligent training and culture, learning the meekness and lowliness of Christ. . . . God permits him to be attacked by the enemy, in order that he may understand his own weakness. He is permitted to make some decided blunder, and is plunged into painful humiliation. But when he is writhing under a sense of his own weakness, he is not to be judged harshly.... This is the time when he needs a friend who ... will deal patiently and faithfully with the erring. . . . He is not to be lifted up by the aid of flattery. . . . Rather he is to be pointed to the first rounds of the ladder, and his stumbling feet are to be placed on the lowest round of the ladder of progress. . . . Through the aid of wise counselors, his defeat will be turned into victory. 74 {SD 73.2} [SD 74.1] Affliction Teaches Us to Long for Heaven For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Corinthians 4:17. {SD 74.1} [SD 74.2] While the Lord has not promised His people exemption from trials, He has promised that which is far better. He has said, "As thy days, so shall thy strength be." ... If you are called to go through the fiery furnace for His sake, Jesus will be by your side, even as He was with the faithful three in Babylon. Those who love their Redeemer will rejoice at every opportunity of sharing with Him humiliation and reproach. The love they bear their Lord, makes suffering for His sake sweet. {SD 74.2} [SD 74.3] In all ages Satan has persecuted the people of God. He has tortured them and put them to death; but in dying they became conquerors. They revealed in their steadfast faith a mightier One than Satan. Satan could torture and kill the body, but he could not touch the life that was hid with Christ in God. He could incarcerate in prison walls, but he could not bind the spirit. They could look beyond the gloom to the glory, saying: "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." ... {SD 74.3} [SD 74.4] The church of God, hated and persecuted by the world, are educated and disciplined in the school of Christ. They walk in narrow paths on earth; they are purified in the furnace of affliction. They follow Christ through sore conflicts; they endure self-denial, and experience bitter disappointments; but their painful experience teaches them the guilt and woe of sin, and they look upon it with abhorrence. Being partakers of Christ's sufferings, they are destined to be partakers of His glory. In holy vision the prophet saw the triumph of the people of God. He says: "I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory ... stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb. 75 {SD 74.4} [SD 75.1] We are to Consider Nature's Lessons And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. Matthew 6:28. {SD 75.1} [SD 75.2] Natural science is God's storehouse from which every student in the school of Christ may draw. The ways of God in natural philosophy, and the mysteries connected with His dealings with man, are a treasury from which all may draw. {SD 75.2} [SD 75.3] The flowers of the field, in their endless variety, are always ministering to the delight of the children of men. God Himself nourishes every root, that He may express His love to all who will be softened and subdued by the works of His hands. We need no artificial display. God's love is represented by the beautiful things of His creation. {SD 75.3} [SD 75.4] Christ sought to draw the attention of His disciples away from the artificial to the natural: "If God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith!" Why did not our heavenly Father carpet the earth with brown or gray? He chose the color that was most restful, the most acceptable to the senses. How it cheers the heart and refreshes the weary spirit to look upon the earth, clad in its garments of living green! Without this covering the air would be filled with dust, and the earth would appear like a desert. Every spire of grass, every opening bud and blooming flower is a token of God's love, and should teach us a lesson of faith and trust in Him. Christ calls our attention to their natural loveliness, and assures us that the most gorgeous array of the greatest king that ever wielded an earthly scepter was not equal to that worn by the humblest flower. You who are sighing for the artificial splendor which wealth alone can purchase, for costly paintings, furniture, and dress, listen to the voice of the divine Teacher. He points you to the flower of the field, the simple design of which cannot be equalled by human skill. 76 {SD 75.4} [SD 76.1] We Enter Into Christ's Rest There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Hebrews 4:9. {SD 76.1} [SD 76.2] If you are willing to learn meekness and lowliness of heart in Christ's school, He will surely give you rest and peace. It is a terribly hard struggle to give up your own will and your own way. But this lesson learned, you will find rest and peace. Pride, selfishness, and ambition, must be overcome; your will must be swallowed up in the will of Christ. The whole life may become one constant love sacrifice, every action a manifestation, and every word an utterance of love. As the life of the vine circulates through stem and cluster, descends into the lower fibres, and reaches to the topmost leaf, so will the grace and love of Christ burn and abound in the soul, sending its virtues to every part of the being, and pervading every exercise of body and mind. {SD 76.2} [SD 76.3] In being co-workers with Christ in the great work for which He gave His life, we shall find true rest. When we were sinners, He gave His life for us. He wants us to come to Him and learn of Him. Thus we are to find rest. He says He will give us rest. "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart." In doing this you will find in your own experience the rest that Christ gives, the rest that comes from wearing His yoke and lifting His burdens. {SD 76.3} [SD 76.4] A form of godliness without the power is a weariness and burden; but when the whole heart is enlisted in the service of Christ, there is rest to the soul; for God causeth such to triumph daily over the powers of darkness. God helps him who commits his soul unto the Lord as unto a faithful Creator. {SD 76.4} [SD 76.5] To learn the lessons Christ teaches is the greatest treasure students can find. Rest comes to them in the consciousness that they are trying to please the Lord. 77 {SD 76.5} [SD 77.1] Dependence Upon God For without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5, last part. {SD 77.1} [SD 77.2] The first lesson to be taught . . . is the lesson of dependence upon God. . . . As a flower of the field has its root in the soil; as it must receive air, dew, showers, and sunshine, so must we receive from God that which ministers to the life of the soul. {SD 77.2} [SD 77.3] The presence of God is guaranteed to the Christian. This Rock of faith is the living presence of God. The weakest may depend upon it. Those who think themselves the strongest may become the weakest unless they depend on Christ as their efficiency, their worthiness. This is the Rock upon which we may build successfully. God is near in Christ's atoning sacrifice, in His intercession, His loving, tender ruling power over the church. Seated by the eternal throne, He watches them with intense interest. As long as the members of the church shall through faith draw sap and nourishment from Jesus Christ, and not from man's opinions and devisings and methods; if having a conviction of the nearness of God in Christ, they put their entire trust in Him, they will have a vital connection with Christ as the branch has connection with the parent stock. The church is established not on theories of men, on long-drawn-out plans and forms. It depends upon Christ their righteousness. It is built on faith in Christ, "and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." . . . {SD 77.3} [SD 77.4] The strength of every soul is in God and not in man. Quietness and confidence is to be the strength of all who give their hearts to God. Christ has not a casual interest in us but an interest stronger than a mother for her child. . . . Our Saviour has purchased us by human suffering and sorrow, by insult, reproach, abuse, mockery, rejection, and death. He is watching over you, trembling child of God. He will make you secure under His protection. . . . Our weakness in human nature will not bar our access to the heavenly Father, for He ［Christ］ died to make intercession for us. 78 {SD 77.4} [SD 78.1] To Center Our Thoughts in Christ And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Ephesians 4:23. {SD 78.1} [SD 78.2] The youth of today may be educated for the fulfilment of high and holy purposes. . . . They are pupils in the school of Christ, learning from day to day lessons of the divine Master. {SD 78.2} [SD 78.3] It is in youth that the affections are most ardent, the memory most retentive, and the heart most susceptible to divine impressions; and it is during youth that the mental and physical powers should be set to the task in order that great improvements may be made in view of the world that now is, and that which is to come. {SD 78.3} [SD 78.4] The amount of valuable knowledge that can be acquired by young men and young women can hardly be estimated; but to reach a high standard, they must close the door to the debasing thoughts that Satan would thrust into the mind, and refuse to yield to his temptations. The youth may acquire that which gold cannot buy, by cherishing a pure, strong purpose in endeavoring to be all that God designed they should be. The mind should be trained to dwell upon right themes of thought. They should study the Scriptures, and bring into daily life the divine rules which God has laid down for their guidance. He who has grown old in the service of God may find his mind a blank in regard to the things that are happening about him, and recent transactions may soon pass from his memory; but his mind is all awake to the scenes and transactions of his childhood. O that the youth may realize how important it is to keep the mind guarded, pure and clean, from corrupting thoughts, and to preserve the soul from all debasing practices; for the purity or impurity of youth is reflected upon old age. {SD 78.4} [SD 78.5] The truths of the Bible, received, will uplift the mind from its earthliness and debasement. If the Word of God were appreciated as it should be, both young and old would possess an inward rectitude, a strength of principle, that would enable them to resist temptation. 79 {SD 78.5} [SD 79.1] To Resist Temptation Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7. {SD 79.1} [SD 79.2] Satan still comes with his temptations to the children of men. He employs every means at his command to conceal himself from view, and this is why so many are ignorant of his devices. A few days since, the question was asked me, "Do you believe in a personal devil?" "I do," was the answer. "Well," rejoined the questioner, "I do not believe that there is any such being; our evil thoughts and impulses are all the devil we know anything about!" "But," I asked, "who suggests these thoughts? Whence do they originate, if not from Satan?" . . . {SD 79.2} [SD 79.3] Just as surely as we have a personal Saviour, we have also a personal adversary, cruel and cunning, who ever watches our steps, and plots to lead us astray. He can work most effectually in disguise. Wherever the opinion is entertained that he does not exist, there he is most busy. When we least suspect his presence, he is gaining advantage over us. I feel alarmed as I see so many of the youth yielding to his power while they know it not. Did they but see their danger, they would flee to Christ, the sinner's refuge. {SD 79.3} [SD 79.4] Aim to be faithful students in the school of Christ, learning daily to conform your life to the divine Pattern. Set your faces heavenward, and press toward the mark for the prize of your high calling in Christ Jesus. Run the Christian race with patience, and rise superior to every temptation, however grievous it may be, that shall come to you. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God; and if you are desirous of taking the first upward step, you will find His hand stretched out to help you. It remains with you, individually, as to whether you walk in the light of the Sun of Righteousness, or in the darkness of error. The truth of God can be a blessing to you only as you permit its influence to purify and refine your soul. 80 {SD 79.4} [SD 80.1] To Be Loving and Kind Let brotherly love continue. Hebrews 13:1. {SD 80.1} [SD 80.2] No member of the family can inclose himself within himself. . . . If he is filled with the love of Christ, he will manifest courtesy, kindness, tender regard for the feelings of others, and will communicate to his associates, by his acts of love, a tender, grateful, happy feeling. It will be made manifest that he is living for Jesus, and daily learning lessons at His feet, receiving His light and His peace. {SD 80.2} [SD 80.3] The most careful cultivation of the outward proprieties of life is not sufficient to shut out all fretfulness, harsh judgment, and unbecoming speech. True refinement will never be revealed so long as self is considered as the supreme object. Love must dwell in the heart. A thoroughgoing Christian draws his motives of action from his deep heart-love for his Master. Up through the roots of his affection for Christ springs an unselfish interest in his brethren. {SD 80.3} [SD 80.4] Of all things that are sought, cherished, and cultivated, there is nothing so valuable in the sight of God as a pure heart, a disposition imbued with thankfulness and peace. {SD 80.4} [SD 80.5] If the divine harmony of truth and love exists in the heart, it will shine forth in words and actions.... The spirit of genuine benevolence must dwell in the heart. Love imparts to its possessor grace, propriety, and comeliness of deportment. Love illuminates the countenance and subdues the voice; it refines and elevates the entire man. It brings him into harmony with God, for it is a heavenly attribute. {SD 80.5} [SD 80.6] Allow no selfishness to live in the heart or find room in the home.... When all are members of the royal family, there will be true politeness in the home life. Each member of the family will seek to make it pleasant for every other member. 81 {SD 80.6} [SD 81.1] Humility But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. James 4:6. {SD 81.1} [SD 81.2] You are safe only as, in perfect submission and obedience, you connect yourselves with Christ. The yoke is easy, for Christ carries the weight. As you lift the burden of the cross, it will become light; and that cross is to you a pledge of eternal life. It is the privilege of each to follow gladly after Christ, exclaiming at every step, "Thy gentleness hath made me great." But if we would travel heavenward, we must take the Word of God as our lesson-book. In the words of inspiration we must read our lessons day by day.... {SD 81.2} [SD 81.3] The humiliation of the man Christ Jesus is incomprehensible to the human mind; but His divinity and His existence before the world was formed can never be doubted by those who believe the Word of God. The apostle Paul speaks of our Mediator, the only begotten Son of God, who in a state of glory was in the form of God, the Commander of all the heavenly hosts, and who, when He clothed His divinity with humanity, took upon Him the form of a servant.... {SD 81.3} [SD 81.4] In consenting to become man, Christ manifested a humility that is the marvel of the heavenly intelligences. The act of consenting to be a man would be no humiliation were it not for the fact of Christ's exalted pre-existence. We must open our understanding to realize that Christ laid aside His royal robe, His kingly crown, His high command, and clothed His divinity with humanity, that He might meet man where he was, and bring to the human family moral power to become the sons and daughters of God. To redeem man, Christ became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. {SD 81.4} [SD 81.5] The meekness and humility that characterized the life of Christ will be made manifest in the life and character of those who "walk even as he walked." 82 {SD 81.5} [SD 82.1] Meekness The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. Psalm 25:9. {SD 82.1} [SD 82.2] You will have to learn the important lesson of what it is to be a man in the sight of God. It is to be like Jesus, meek and lowly of heart, to guard the interests of others more sacredly that you would your own.... It should be carried out in your daily life and practise, showing that you have not been playing truant or a dull scholar in the school of Christ. {SD 82.2} [SD 82.3] Selfishness cannot exist in a heart where Christ dwells; if cherished, it will crowd out everything besides. It will lead you to follow inclination rather than duty, to make self the subject of thought, and to gratify and indulge yourself, instead of seeking to be a blessing to others. Your wants, your pleasures, will come before everything else.... True happiness is to be found, not in self-indulgence and self-pleasing, but in learning of Christ.... Those who trust to their own wisdom, and follow their own ways, go complaining at every step, because the burden which selfishness binds upon them is so heavy. . . . {SD 82.3} [SD 82.4] Jesus loves the young, and He longs to have them possess that peace which He alone can impart. He bids them learn of Him meekness and lowliness of heart. This precious grace is rarely seen in the youth of the present day, even in those who profess to be Christians. Their own ways seem right in their eyes. In accepting the name of Christ, they do not accept His character, . . . therefore they know nothing of the joy and peace to be found in His service. {SD 82.4} [SD 82.5] The meekness of Christ, manifested in the home, will make the inmates happy; it provokes no quarrel, gives back no angry answer, but soothes the irritated temper, and diffuses a gentleness that is felt by all within its charmed circle. Wherever cherished, it makes the families of earth a part of the one great family above. 83 {SD 82.5} [SD 83.1] Thoughtfulness Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering. Colossians 3:12. {SD 83.1} [SD 83.2] Look to Jesus as your guide and pattern.... Study how you can be like Him, in thoughtfulness for others, in meekness and humility. Thus may you "grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ"; you may reflect His image, and be accepted of Him as His own, at His coming. {SD 83.2} [SD 83.3] When Jesus is comprehended by faith, and brought into the inner sanctuary of the soul, the Holy Spirit will mold and fashion the character after the likeness of Christ. Lessons will then be daily learned in the school of Christ. The character of the tree will be known by its fruits. "By their fruits ye shall know them." The Christian will shine as a light amid the moral darkness of the world. He will be tender of heart, and considerate of the feelings of others. The Word of God instructs us to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves," and it is the duty of every Christian to bring himself under discipline to the rules of the Bible, that he may be "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed." The work coming from the hands of those who do this, will be as lasting as eternity. It will not be mingled with a shred of selfishness, and it will not be loose, careless work. {SD 83.3} [SD 83.4] Tender affections should ever be cherished between husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters. Every hasty word should be checked, and there should not be even the appearance of the lack of love one for another. It is the duty of everyone in the family to be pleasant, to speak kindly. {SD 83.4} [SD 83.5] Cultivate tenderness, affection, and love that have expression in little courtesies, in speech, in thoughtful attentions. {SD 83.5} [SD 83.6] It is the inward adorning, the graces of the Spirit, the kind word, the thoughtful consideration for others that God values. 84 {SD 83.6} [SD 84.1] Self-Control And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. Acts 24:16. {SD 84.1} [SD 84.2] Strength of character consists of two things--power of will and power of self-control. Many youth mistake strong, uncontrolled passion for strength of character; but the truth is that he who is mastered by his passions is a weak man. The real greatness and nobility of the man is measured by his powers to subdue his feelings, not by the power of his feelings to subdue him. {SD 84.2} [SD 84.3] Never should we lose control of ourselves. Let us ever keep before us the perfect Pattern. It is a sin to speak impatiently and fretfully or to feel angry--even though we do not speak. We are to walk worthy, giving a right representation of Christ. The speaking of an angry word is like flint striking flint: it at once kindles wrathful feelings. {SD 84.3} [SD 84.4] Never be like a chestnut bur. In the home do not allow yourself to use harsh, rasping words. You should invite the heavenly Guest to come into your home, at the same time making it possible for Him and the heavenly angels to abide with you. You should receive the righteousness of Christ, the sanctification of the Spirit of God, the beauty of holiness, that you may reveal to those around you the Light of life. . . . {SD 84.4} [SD 84.5] Said a celebrated emperor when on his dying bed, "Among all my conquests there is but one which affords me any consolation now, and that is the conquest I have gained over my own turbulent temper." Alexander and Caesar found it easier to subdue a world than to subdue themselves. After conquering nation after nation, they fell--one of them "the victim of intemperance, the other of mad ambition." {SD 84.5} [SD 84.6] The highest evidence of nobility in a Christian is self-control. {SD 84.6} [SD 84.7] In the Lord's work you are constantly in a school where you may learn lessons of self-control, of sanctified dignity, of gentlemanly manners and behavior. 85 {SD 84.7} [SD 85.1] Purity He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands. Job 22:30. {SD 85.1} [SD 85.2] He who deservedly bears the name of Christian, which signifies Christlike, will be filled with piety and purity, with love and reverence for God and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent; and his spirit, his words, his actions, will all bear the impress of Heaven. Others will see that he has been with Jesus and learned of Him, His prayers will be simple and fervent, and will ascend to God on the wings of faith. Learning in the school of Christ, he will have a humble opinion of himself; and though he may be poor in this world's goods, he may be rich in the graces of God's Spirit, and may bless and enrich others by his spirit and influence, because Christ is in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. He will shed about him an atmosphere of hope and courage and strength, and will put to shame those who are worldly, selfish, formal professors, who have a name to live and are dead. {SD 85.2} [SD 85.3] The precious faith inspired of God imparts strength and nobility of character. As His goodness, His mercy, and His love are dwelt upon, clearer and still clearer will be the perception of truth; higher, holier, the desire for purity of heart and clearness of thought. The soul dwelling in the pure atmosphere of holy thought is transformed by intercourse with God through the study of His Word. Truth is so large, so far-reaching, so deep, so broad, that self is lost sight of. The heart is softened, and subdued into humility, kindness, and love. . . . Being pure-minded, they will become strong-minded. {SD 85.3} [SD 85.4] Purity of heart and loveliness of spirit are more precious than gold, both for time and for eternity. Only the pure in heart shall see God. 86 {SD 85.4} [SD 86.1] Simplicity But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3. {SD 86.1} [SD 86.2] He who will observe simplicity in all his habits, restricting the appetite and controlling the passions, may preserve his mental powers strong, active, and vigorous, quick to perceive everything which demands thought or action, keen to discriminate between the holy and the unholy, and ready to engage in every enterprise for the glory of God and the benefit of humanity. {SD 86.2} [SD 86.3] The little ones should be educated in childlike simplicity. They should be trained to be content with the small, helpful duties and the pleasures and experiences natural to their years. Childhood answers to the blade in the parable, and the blade has a beauty peculiarly its own. Children should not be forced into a precocious maturity, but as long as possible should retain the freshness and grace of their early years. The more quiet and simple the life of the child--the more free from artificial excitement and the more in harmony with nature--the more favorable it is to physical and mental vigor and to spiritual strength. {SD 86.3} [SD 86.4] Parents should by their example encourage the formation of habits of simplicity, and draw their children away from an artificial to a natural life. Those children are most attractive who are natural and unaffected. {SD 86.4} [SD 86.5] The greatest Teacher the world ever knew was admired for His simplicity; for He presented divine truth in such a way that even children could comprehend His words, and at the same time He drew the attention of the best educated and deepest thinkers of the world. By the use of familiar illustrations He made truth plain to the minds of the common people. In simplicity He sowed the seed of the gospel truth in the minds and hearts of His hearers, and it sprang up and yielded a harvest unto everlasting life. {SD 86.5} [SD 86.6] His ［Christ's］ glory was in His simplicity. 87 {SD 86.6} [SD 87.1] Steadfastness For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear. Job 11:15. {SD 87.1} [SD 87.2] It is right for the youth to feel that they must reach the highest development of their mental powers. We would not restrict the education to which God has set no limit. But our attainments avail nothing if not put to use for the honor of God and the good of humanity. . . . {SD 87.2} [SD 87.3] What we need is knowledge that will strengthen mind and soul, that will make us better men and women. Heart education is of far more importance than mere book-learning. It is well, even essential, to have a knowledge of the world in which we live; but if we leave eternity out of our reckoning, we shall make a failure from which we can never recover. . . . If the youth understood their own weakness, they would find in God their strength. {SD 87.3} [SD 87.4] There is a science of Christianity to be mastered,--a science as much deeper, broader, higher than any human science as the heavens are higher than the earth. The mind is to be disciplined, educated, trained; for we are to do service for God in ways that are not in harmony with inborn inclination. Hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil must be overcome. Often the education and training of a lifetime must be discarded, that one may become a learner in the school of Christ. Our hearts must be educated to become steadfast in God. We are to form habits of thought that will enable us to resist temptation. We must learn to look upward. The principles of the Word of God,--principles that are as high as heaven, and that compass eternity,--we are to understand in their bearing upon our daily life. Every act, every word, every thought, is to be in accord with these principles. All must be brought into harmony with, and subject to, Christ. 88 {SD 87.4} [SD 88.1] Patience For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. Hebrews 10:36. {SD 88.1} [SD 88.2] The lives of some are without peace or gladness because they never get out of the range of self. They are ever reaching out for sympathy from others. If they would go to work to see how helpful they could be, and would speak words of love and courage, their souls, now dry and sorrowful, would become like a watered garden. {SD 88.2} [SD 88.3] You must learn in the school of Christ precious lessons of patience. Do not become discouraged, but keep at the work in all humility. It will drive you to Jesus; it will lead you to study the Pattern. You want to work as Jesus worked. {SD 88.3} [SD 88.4] Trials will come, it is true, even to those who are fully consecrated. The patience of the most patient will be severely tested. . . . Often silence is the severest rebuke that could be given to the one who has sinned with his lips. {SD 88.4} [SD 88.5] When they ［the children and youth］ lose self-control and speak words that are passionate, an attitude of silence is often the best course to pursue, not taking up a line of reproof or argument or condemnation. Repentance will come very soon. The silence that is golden will often do more than all the words that can be uttered. {SD 88.5} [SD 88.6] When others are impatient, fretful, and complaining because self is not subdued, begin to sing some of the songs of Zion. While Christ was working at the carpenter's bench, others would sometimes surround Him, trying to cause Him to be impatient; but He would begin singing some of the beautiful psalms, and before they realized what they were doing, they had joined with Him in singing, influenced, as it were, by the power of the Holy Spirit which was there. {SD 88.6} [SD 88.7] Christ's perfect example and the grace of God are given him ［man］ to enable him to train his sons and daughters to be sons and daughters of God. 89 {SD 88.7} [SD 89.1] Self-denial Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. Mark 10:28. {SD 89.1} [SD 89.2] All have daily lessons to learn in the school of Christ, and a daily experience to gain, that they may understand their duty as His children. {SD 89.2} [SD 89.3] Many an honest, well-meaning person makes no advancement in the Christian life because he does not see the necessity of constantly learning more of Jesus. When first converted, he rejoices that he has taken his position on the Lord's side. A year later, he bears the same testimony. There is no evidence of spiritual growth; he is still weak as a child. . . . The first experience of the new convert is happy and joyous; but trials come; the perplexities of life are to be met; sinful traits of character that have not been controlled, strive for the mastery, and too frequently obtain it. Then come a loss of confidence and peace, neglect of prayer and the reading of the Scriptures. For want of the knowledge and experience which they should have, many are overcome by Satan. They do not know how to discern his temptations, or to resist them. . . . {SD 89.3} [SD 89.4] Have faith in Jesus as your helper. Remember that you are not to choose your own work, or follow your own ways, but to look to Jesus as your guide and pattern. Keep His example before you, and constantly ask what will be pleasing in His sight. Learn from Him lessons of self-denial and self-sacrifice. {SD 89.4} [SD 89.5] Watch every moment, keeping your mind stayed upon God, instead of having it upon dress, and suffering pride to dwell in your heart. Seek to deny yourself; be holy; let your mind dwell upon heaven, and let your conversation be there also. . . . Those who follow Christ will choose the suffering, self-denying part, and will have His approbation here, and . . . glory, immortality and eternal life hereafter. 90 {SD 89.5} [SD 90.1] Forgiveness Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Colossians 3:13. {SD 90.1} [SD 90.2] The religion of Jesus Christ means progress; it means to be ever reaching upward to a holier and higher standard. The Christian whose heart has been touched with the beauty of the Saviour's character, is to put into practice that which he learns in the school of Christ. We must be apt pupils in the school of Christ, readily learning that which He teaches us from day to day. {SD 90.2} [SD 90.3] We can never attain perfection of character if we do not hear the voice of God and obey His counsel. This instruction does not apply simply to those who have had no trials to meet which would create dislike to their brethren, but it applies to those who have been injured, who have suffered from financial wrong, from reproach and criticism, from misapprehension and misjudgment. These must not allow hatred to enter the heart, or permit unkind feelings to arise when they look upon those who have injured them. . . . {SD 90.3} [SD 90.4] Like Christ we shall forgive our enemies, and watch for opportunities to show those who have harmed us that we love their souls, and if we could, would do them good. . . . If those who have injured us, still continue in their course of wrong-doing . . . we must make efforts to be reconciled to our brethren, following the Bible plan, as Christ Himself has directed. If our brethren refuse to be reconciled, then do not talk about them, nor injure their influence, but leave them in the hands of a just God, who judgeth all men righteously. . . . The youth may profess to have great love for the cause of God; but while they are unreconciled to their companions, they are unreconciled to God. It is these . . . selfish feelings that are cherished, that keep the blessing of God out of our hearts and homes. Let the love of Christ flow into the heart and transform the character, or we shall not be children of God. 91 {SD 90.4} [SD 91.1] Peter's Sifting Resulted in His Conversion And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Luke 22:31, 32. {SD 91.1} [SD 91.2] The reason so many of Christ's professed disciples fall into grievous temptation is that they have not a correct knowledge of themselves. Here is where Peter was so thoroughly sifted by the enemy. If we could understand our own weakness, we should see so much to do for ourselves that we would humble our hearts under the mighty hand of God. Hanging our helpless souls upon Christ, we would supplement our ignorance with His wisdom, our weakness with His strength, our frailty with His enduring might. Peter fell because he did not know his own frailty. He thought himself strong. . . . {SD 91.2} [SD 91.3] Had Peter walked humbly with God, hiding self in Christ; had he earnestly looked for divine help; had he been less self-confident; had he received the Lord's instruction and practised it, he would have been watching unto prayer. . . . Had he closely examined himself, the Lord would have given him divine help and there would have been no need of Satan's sifting. . . . There is no power in the whole satanic force that can disable the soul that trusts, in simple confidence, in the wisdom that comes from God. {SD 91.3} [SD 91.4] The watch-care of Christ for Peter was the cause of his restoration. Satan could do nothing against the all-powerful intercession of Christ. And the prayer that Christ offered for Peter He offers in behalf of all who are humble and contrite in heart. . . . Peter sinned against light and knowledge, and against great and exalted privileges. It was self-confidence that caused him to fail, and it is this same evil that is now working in human hearts. It may be our purpose to be right and to do right, but we shall most surely err unless we are constant learners in the school of Christ. Our only safety is in walking humbly with God. 92 {SD 91.4} [SD 92.1] Lazarus Raised to Testify to God's Glory When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. John 11:4. {SD 92.1} [SD 92.2] Christ's two days' delay after hearing that Lazarus was sick was not a neglect or a denial on His part. . . . This should be an encouragement to us. . . . We are to rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. The answer to our prayers may not come as quickly as we desire, and it may not be just what we have asked; but He who knows what is for the highest good of His children will bestow a much greater good than we have asked, if we do not become faithless and discouraged. {SD 92.2} [SD 92.3] Christ had not only the loved ones at Bethany to think of; He had the training of His disciples to consider. They were to be His representatives to the world, that the Father's blessing might include all. For their sake He permitted Lazarus to die. Had He restored him from illness to health, the miracle that is the most positive evidence of His divine character would not have been performed. {SD 92.3} [SD 92.4] Had Christ been in the sick-room, Lazarus would not have died; for Satan would have had no power over him. In the presence of the Lifegiver, death could not have aimed his dart at Lazarus. . . . He permitted Lazarus to pass under the dominion of death, and the suffering sisters saw their brother laid in the grave. Christ knew that as they looked on the face of their dead brother, their faith in their Redeemer would be severely tried. Thus He was pruning the branches, that they might bring forth more fruit. He knew that because of the struggle through which they were now passing, their faith would shine forth with far greater power. {SD 92.4} [SD 92.5] To all who are reaching out to feel the guiding hand of God, the moment of greatest discouragement is the time when divine help is nearest. . . . From every temptation and every trial He will bring them forth with firmer faith and a richer experience. 93 {SD 92.5} [SD 93.1] Elisha's Faithfulness Rewarded So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 1 Kings 19:19. {SD 93.1} [SD 93.2] The prophet Elijah was about to close his earthly labors. Another was to be called to carry forward the work for that time. In his course of travel, Elijah was directed northward.... Wherever Elijah looked, the land he saw was owned by one man,--a man who had not bowed the knee to Baal, whose heart had remained undivided in the service of God.... The owner of the land was Shaphat.... {SD 93.2} [SD 93.3] The attention of Elijah was attracted to Elisha, the son of Shaphat, who with the servants was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen. He was educator, director, and worker. Elisha did not live in the thickly populated cities. His father was a tiller of the soil, a farmer. Far from city and court dissipation, Elisha had received his education. He had been trained in habits of simplicity, of obedience to his parents and to God. . . . But though of a meek and quiet spirit, Elisha had no changeable character. Integrity and fidelity and the love and fear of God were his. He had the characteristics of a ruler, but with it all was the meekness of one who would serve. His mind had been exercised in the little things, to be faithful in whatsoever he should do; so that if God should call him to act more directly for Him, he would be prepared to hear His voice. {SD 93.3} [SD 93.4] The surroundings of Elisha's home were those of wealth; but he realized that in order to obtain an all-round education, he must be a constant worker in any work that needed to be done. He had not consented to be in any respect less informed than his father's servants. He had learned how to serve first, that he might know how to lead, instruct, and command. {SD 93.4} [SD 93.5] Elisha stood in Elijah's place. And he who had been faithful in that which was least, proved himself faithful also in much. 94 {SD 93.5} [SD 94.1] Moses Endured as Seeing Him Who is Invisible By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Hebrews 11:27. {SD 94.1} [SD 94.2] For the honor of God and the deliverance of His downtrodden people, Moses sacrificed the honors of Egypt. Then, in a special sense, God undertook his training.... He had yet to learn the lesson of dependence upon divine power. He had mistaken God's purpose. It was his hope to deliver Israel by force of arms. For this he risked all, and failed. In defeat and disappointment he became a fugitive and exile in a strange land. . . . Apparently cut off forever from his life's mission, he was receiving the discipline essential for its fulfilment. . . . He must obtain the experience that would make him a faithful, long-suffering shepherd to Israel. . . . In the stern simplicity of the wilderness . . . Moses gained that which went with him throughout the years of his toilsome and care-burdened life,--a sense of the personal presence of the Divine One. . . . When misunderstood and misrepresented, when called to bear reproach and insult, to face danger and death, he was able to endure "as seeing him who is invisible." {SD 94.2} [SD 94.3] Moses stands forth superior in wisdom and integrity to all the sovereigns and statesmen of earth. . . . He was generous, noble, well-balanced; he was not defective, and his qualities were not merely half developed. He could successfully exhort his fellow-men, because his life itself was a living representation of what man can become and accomplish with God as his helper. . . . He spoke from the heart and it reached the heart. He was accomplished in knowledge and yet simple as a child in the manifestation of his deep sympathies. Endowed with a remarkable instinct, he could judge instantly of the needs of all who surrounded him. . . . Of the man who is noted for his meekness, Christ says, He can be trusted. Through him I can reveal Myself to the world. He will not weave into the web any threads of selfishness. 95 {SD 94.3} [SD 95.1] Though Severely Tried Job Remained Perfect and Upright There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. Job 1:1. {SD 95.1} [SD 95.2] Unselfishness, the principle of God's kingdom, is the principle that Satan hates; its very existence he denies. From the beginning of the great controversy he has endeavored to prove God's principles of action to be selfish, and he deals in the same way with all who serve God. To disprove Satan's claim is the work of Christ and of all who bear His name. . . . {SD 95.2} [SD 95.3] Very early in the history of the world is given the life-record of one over whom this controversy of Satan's was waged. Of Job, the patriarch of Uz, the testimony of the Searcher of hearts was, "There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil." {SD 95.3} [SD 95.4] Against this man, Satan brought scornful charge: "Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast thou not made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?" . . . {SD 95.4} [SD 95.5] The Lord said unto Satan, "All that he hath is in thy power." "Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life." {SD 95.5} [SD 95.6] Thus permitted, Satan swept away all that Job possessed,--flocks and herds, men-servants and maidens, sons and daughters; and he "smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown." {SD 95.6} [SD 95.7] Still another element of bitterness was added to his cup. His friends, seeing in adversity but the retribution of sin, pressed on his bruised and burdened spirit their accusations of wrong-doing. . . . {SD 95.7} [SD 95.8] "When he hath tried me," he said, "I shall come forth as gold." So it came to pass. By his patient endurance he vindicated his own character, and thus the character of Him whose representative he was. . . . The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. . . . So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. 96 {SD 95.8} [SD 96.1] Paul Blinded so He Would See Christ And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Acts 9:17. {SD 96.1} [SD 96.2] In the military schools of Egypt, Moses was taught the law of force, and so strong a hold did this teaching have upon his character that it required forty years . . . to fit him for leadership of Israel by the law of love. The same lesson Paul had to learn. {SD 96.2} [SD 96.3] At the gate of Damascus the vision of the Crucified One changed the whole current of his life. The persecutor became a disciple, the teacher a learner. The days of darkness spent in solitude at Damascus were as years in his experience. The Old Testament Scriptures stored in his memory were his study, and Christ his teacher. To him also nature's solitudes became a school. To the desert of Arabia he went, there to study the Scriptures and to learn of God. He emptied his soul of the prejudices and traditions that had shaped his life, and received instruction from the Source of truth. {SD 96.3} [SD 96.4] His after-life was inspired by the one principle of self-sacrifice, the ministry of love. "I am debtor," he said, "both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise." . . . {SD 96.4} [SD 96.5] While he possessed high intellectual endowments, the life of Paul revealed the power of a rarer wisdom. Principles of deepest import, principles concerning which the greatest minds of his time were ignorant, are unfolded in his teachings and exemplified in his life. He had that greatest of all wisdom, which gives quickness of insight and sympathy of heart, which brings man in touch with men, and enables him to arouse their better nature and inspire them to a higher life.... {SD 96.5} [SD 96.6] "Being reviled," he said, "we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we entreat"; "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." 97 {SD 96.6} [SD 97.1] Moab a Failure because He Refused to Change Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed. Jeremiah 48:11. {SD 97.1} [SD 97.2] A man may refuse to hear the counsels and admonitions of God. He may choose to take the regulating of his conduct into his own hands.... Like Moab, he refuses to be changed. . . . He refuses to correct his defective traits of character, although the Lord has plainly pointed out his work, his privileges, his opportunities, and the advancement to be made. It is too much trouble to break up his old ways, and transform his ideas and methods. "His taste remained in him." He clings to his defects. {SD 97.2} [SD 97.3] There are many who are not satisfied with the work that God has given them. They are not satisfied to serve Him pleasantly in the place that He has marked out for them, or to do uncomplainingly the work that He has placed in their hands. It is right for us to be dissatisfied with the way in which we perform duty, but we are not to be dissatisfied with the duty itself, because . . . in His providence God places before human beings service that will be as medicine for their diseased minds. . . . Some He places where relaxed discipline and over-indulgence will not become their snare, where they are taught to appreciate the value of time, and to make the best and wisest use of it. {SD 97.3} [SD 97.4] There are some who desire to be a ruling power, and who need the sanctification of submission.... They are being qualified to fill places where their disciplined ability will make them of the greatest service. Some God trains by bringing to them disappointment and apparent failure. It is His purpose that they shall learn to master difficulty.... {SD 97.4} [SD 97.5] Many are ignorant of how to work for God, not because they need to be ignorant, but because they are not willing to submit to His training process. Moab is spoken of as a failure because, the Word declares, "he hath been at ease from his youth." {SD 97.5} [SD 98.1] Chap. 4 - We are Transformed by God's Grace Our Heart the Most Precious Offering My son ［my daughter］, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. Proverbs 23:26. {SD 98.1} [SD 98.2] Give to God the most precious offering that it is possible for you to make; give Him your heart. He speaks to you saying, "My son, My daughter, give Me thine heart. Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow; for I will cleanse you with My own blood. I will make you members of My family--children of the heavenly King. Take My forgiveness, My peace which I freely give you. I will clothe you with My own righteousness,--the wedding garment,--and make you fit for the marriage supper of the Lamb. When clothed in My righteousness, through prayer, through watchfulness, through diligent study of My Word, you will be able to reach a high standard. You will understand the truth, and your character will be molded by a divine influence. {SD 98.2} [SD 98.3] The heart in which Jesus makes His abode will be quickened, purified, guided, and ruled by the Holy Spirit, and the human agent will make strenuous efforts to bring his character into harmony with God. He will avoid everything that is contrary to the revealed will and mind of God. {SD 98.3} [SD 98.4] Such a life ... will be full of comfort, full of satisfaction, because you are bringing heaven into your life, peace into your soul. . . . I would that all the young could understand how precious is the offering of a youthful heart to God. How lovingly the angels guard the steps of God-fearing, God-loving youth. Jesus knows them by name, and their example is helping other youth to do right. The youth who has hidden within the heart and mind a store of God's words of caution and encouragement, of His precious pearls of promise, from which he can draw at any time, will be a living channel of light. 99 {SD 98.4} [SD 99.1] Diligent Heart Keeping Essential to Growth in Grace Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23. {SD 99.1} [SD 99.2] Diligent heart-keeping is essential to a healthy growth in grace. The heart in its natural state is a habitation for unholy thoughts and sinful passions. When brought into subjection to Christ, it must be cleansed by the Spirit from all defilement. This can not be done without the consent of the individual. {SD 99.2} [SD 99.3] When the soul has been cleansed, it is the duty of the Christian to keep it undefiled. Many seem to think that the religion of Christ does not call for the abandonment of daily sins, the breaking loose from habits which have held the soul in bondage. They renounce some things condemned by the conscience, but they fail to represent Christ in the daily life. They do not bring Christlikeness into the home. They do not show a thoughtful care in their choice of words. Too often, fretful, impatient words are spoken, words which stir the worst passions of the human heart. Such ones need the abiding presence of Christ in the soul. Only in His strength can they keep guard over the words and actions. In the work of heart-keeping we must be instant in prayer, unwearied in petitioning the throne of grace for assistance. Those who take the name of Christian should come to God in earnestness and humility, pleading for help. The Saviour has told us to pray without ceasing. The Christian can not always be in the position of prayer, but his thoughts and desires can always be upward. Our self-confidence would vanish, did we talk less and pray more. {SD 99.3} [SD 99.4] The affections should center upon God. Contemplate His greatness, His mercy and excellences. Let His goodness and love and perfection of character captivate your heart. {SD 99.4} [SD 99.5] The Saviour of the world loves to have children and youth give their hearts to Him. 100 {SD 99.5} [SD 100.1] God Promises Us a New Heart of Flesh A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26. {SD 100.1} [SD 100.2] The youth especially stumble over this phrase, "A new heart." They do not know what it means. They look for a special change to take place in their feelings. This they term conversion. Over this error thousands have stumbled to ruin, not understanding the expression, "Ye must be born again." . . . When Jesus speaks of the new heart, He means the mind, the life, the whole being. To have a change of heart is to withdraw the affections from the world, and fasten them upon Christ. To have a new heart is to have a new mind, new purposes, new motives. What is the sign of a new heart?--a changed life. There is a daily, hourly dying to selfishness and pride. {SD 100.2} [SD 100.3] Then a spirit of kindness will be manifested, not by fits and starts, but continually. There will be a decided change in attitude, in deportment, in words and actions toward all with whom you are in any way connected. You will not magnify their infirmities, you will not place them in an unfavorable light. You will work in Christ's lines. . . . {SD 100.3} [SD 100.4] Instead of exposing and publishing one's faults to others, you will put forth the most patient efforts to heal and bind up. . . . A harsh-spirited man is unrefined, coarse; he is not spiritual; he has not a heart of flesh, but a heart as unimpressible as a stone. His only help is to fall on the Rock, and be broken. The Lord will place all such in the crucible, and try them in fire, as gold is tried. When He can see His own image reflected in them He will remove them. . . . The religion of Christ is to take possession of the whole being, and give force and power to all our faculties, renovating, cleansing, and refining. It manifests itself without parade, and high-sounding words, but is shown in an upright and unselfish life. {SD 100.4} [SD 100.5] God's power alone can change a heart of stone to a heart of flesh. 101 {SD 100.5} [SD 101.1] The Renewed Heart Loves as Christ Loved A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. John 13:34. {SD 101.1} [SD 101.2] Jesus says, "Love one another as I have loved you." Love is not simply an impulse, a transitory emotion, dependent upon circumstances; it is a living principle, a permanent power. The soul is fed by the streams of pure love that flow from the heart of Christ, as a well-spring that never fails. O, how is the heart quickened, how are its motives ennobled, its affections deepened, by this communion! Under the education and discipline of the Holy Spirit, the children of God love one another, truly, sincerely, unaffectedly,--"without partiality, and without hypocrisy." And this because the heart is in love with Jesus. Our affection for one another springs from our common relation to God. We are one family, we love one another as He loved us. When compared with this true, sanctified, disciplined affection, the shallow courtesy of the world, the meaningless expression of effusive friendship, are as chaff to the wheat. {SD 101.2} [SD 101.3] To love as Christ loved means to manifest unselfishness at all times and in all places, by kind words and pleasant looks. . . . Genuine love is a precious attribute of heavenly origin, which increases its fragrance in proportion as it is dispensed to others. . . . {SD 101.3} [SD 101.4] Christ's love is deep and earnest, flowing like an irrepressible stream to all who will accept it. There is no selfishness in His love. If this heaven-born love is an abiding principle in the heart, it will make itself known, not only to those we hold most dear in sacred relationship, but to all with whom we come in contact. It will lead us to bestow little acts of attention, to make concessions, to perform deeds of kindness, to speak tender, true, encouraging words. It will lead us to sympathize with those whose hearts hunger for sympathy. 102 {SD 101.4} [SD 102.1] The Renewed Heart Bringeth Forth Good Things A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things. Matthew 12:35. {SD 102.1} [SD 102.2] True sanctification unites believers to Christ and to one another in bonds of tender sympathy. This union causes to flow continually into the heart rich currents of Christlike love, which flows forth again in love for one another. {SD 102.2} [SD 102.3] The qualities which it is essential for all to possess are those which marked the completeness of Christ's character,--His love, His patience, His unselfishness, and His goodness. These attributes are gained by doing kindly actions with a kindly heart. . . . Christians love those around them as precious souls for whom Christ has died. There is no such thing as a loveless Christian; for "God is love." . . . "This is my commandment, That ye love one another as I have loved you." This is the fruit that is to be given back to God. {SD 102.3} [SD 102.4] The Lord will help every one of us where we need help the most in the grand work of overcoming and conquering self. Let the law of kindness be upon your lips and the oil of grace in your heart. This will produce wonderful results. You will be tender, sympathetic, courteous. You need all these graces. The Holy Spirit must be received and brought into your character; then it will be as holy fire, giving forth incense which will rise up to God, not from lips that condemn, but as a healer of the souls of men. Your countenance will express the image of the divine. . . . God requires every soul in His service to kindle their censers from the coals of sacred fire. The common, severe, harsh words that come from your lips so readily must be withheld, and the Spirit of God speak through the human agent. By beholding the character of Christ you will become changed into His likeness. The grace of Christ alone can changed your heart and then you will reflect the image of the Lord Jesus. God calls upon us to be like Him, --pure, holy, and undefiled. We are to bear the divine image. 103 {SD 102.4} [SD 103.1] The Renewed Heart is a Pure Heart Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8. {SD 103.1} [SD 103.2] The wisdom that is from above is "first pure." Into the city of God there will enter nothing that defiles. All who are to be dwellers there, will here have become pure in heart. In one who is learning of Jesus, there will be manifest a growing distaste for careless manners, unseemly language, and coarse thought. When Christ abides in the heart, there will be purity and refinement of thought and manner. {SD 103.2} [SD 103.3] But the words of Jesus, "Blessed are the pure in heart," have a deeper meaning,--not merely pure in the sense in which the world understands purity, free from that which is sensual, pure from lust, but true in the hidden purposes and motives of the soul, free from pride and self-seeking, humble, unselfish, childlike. . . . {SD 103.3} [SD 103.4] The pure in heart see God in a new and endearing relation, as their Redeemer; and while they discern the purity and loveliness of His character, they long to reflect His image. They see Him as a Father longing to embrace a repenting son, and their hearts are filled with joy. . . . {SD 103.4} [SD 103.5] The pure in heart discern the Creator in the works of His mighty hand, in the things of beauty that comprise the universe. In His written Word they read in clearer lines the revelation of His mercy, His goodness, and His grace. The truths that are hidden from the wise and prudent, are revealed to babes. The beauty and preciousness of truth . . . are constantly unfolding to those who have a trusting, childlike desire to know and to do the will of God. . . . {SD 103.5} [SD 103.6] The pure in heart live as in the visible presence of God during the time He apportions them in this world. And they will also see Him face to face in the future, immortal state, as did Adam when he walked and talked with God in Eden. "Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face." 104 {SD 103.6} [SD 104.1] God's Peace Keeps the New Heart And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7. {SD 104.1} [SD 104.2] When we receive Christ as an abiding guest in the soul, the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The Saviour's life on earth, though lived in the midst of conflict, was a life of peace. While angry enemies were constantly pursuing Him, He said, "He that sent me is with me; the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." No storm of human or satanic wrath could disturb the calm of that perfect communion with God. And He says to us: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest." Bear with Me the yoke of service for the glory of God and the uplifting of humanity, and you will find the yoke easy, and the burden light. . . . {SD 104.2} [SD 104.3] Happiness drawn from earthly sources is as changeable as varying circumstances can make it; but the peace of Christ is a constant and abiding peace. It does not depend upon any circumstances in life, on the amount of worldly goods, or the number of earthly friends. Christ is the fountain of living water, and happiness drawn from Him can never fail. {SD 104.3} [SD 104.4] Every man's experience testifies to the truth of the words of Scripture, "The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest. . . . There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked," Sin has destroyed our peace. While self is unsubdued, we can find no rest. The masterful passions of the heart no human power can control. We are as helpless here as were the disciples to quiet the raging storm. But He who spoke peace to the billows of Galilee, has spoken the word of peace for every soul. However fierce the tempest, those who turn to Jesus . . . will find deliverance. His grace . . . quiets the strife of human passion, and in His love the heart is at rest. 105 {SD 104.4} [SD 105.1] Transformed by the Renewing of the Mind And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2. {SD 105.1} [SD 105.2] Will men and women consider how God regards the creatures He has made? He formed man's mind. We do not think one noble thought that does not come from Him. He knows all the mysterious workings of human mind; for did He not make it? God sees that sin has debased and degraded man, but He looks upon him with pity and compassion; for He sees that Satan has him in his power. {SD 105.2} [SD 105.3] All true reformation begins with soul-cleansing. It is by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the mind through the power of the Holy Spirit, that a change is wrought in the life. {SD 105.3} [SD 105.4] By beholding Christ we become changed. If the mind dwells upon temporal things constantly, these things become all-absorbing, affecting the character, so that God's glory is lost sight of and forgotten. The opportunities that are within reach for them to become conversant with heavenly things, are overlooked. Spiritual life dies. . . . {SD 105.4} [SD 105.5] Make God your entire dependence. When you do otherwise, then it is time for a halt to be called. Stop right where you are, and change the order of things. . . . In sincerity, in soul-hunger, cry after God. Wrestle with the heavenly agencies until you have the victory. Put your whole being into the Lord's hands soul, body, and spirit, and resolve to be His loving, consecrated agency, moved by His will, controlled by His mind, infused by His Spirit . . . then you will see heavenly things clearly. {SD 105.5} [SD 105.6] If we would permit our minds to dwell more upon Christ and the heavenly world, we should find a powerful stimulus and support in fighting the battles of the Lord. Pride and love of the world will lose their power as we contemplate the glories of that better land so soon to be our home. Beside the loveliness of Christ, all earthly attractions will seem of little worth. 106 {SD 105.6} [SD 106.1] Mind Increases Strength by Continual Effort A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. Proverbs 24:5. {SD 106.1} [SD 106.2] Put your highest power into your effort. Call to your aid the most powerful motives. You are learning. Endeavor to go to the bottom of everything you set your hand to. Never aim lower than to become competent in the matters which occupy you. Do not allow yourself to fall into the habit of being superficial and neglectful in your duties and studies; for your habits will strengthen and you will become incapable of anything better. The mind naturally learns to be satisfied with that which requires little care and effort, and to be content with something cheap and inferior. There are, young men and young women, depths of knowledge which you have never fathomed, and you are satisfied and proud of your superficial attainments. If you knew much more than you do now, you would be convinced that you know very little. {SD 106.2} [SD 106.3] God demands of you vigorous and earnest intellectual efforts, and with every determined effort, your powers will strengthen. Your work will then always be agreeable, because you will know that you are progressing. You can either become accustomed to slow, uncertain, irresolute movements, so much so that the work of your life will not be one-half what it could be; or, your eyes fixed upon God, and your soul strengthened by prayer, you can overcome a disgraceful slowness and a dislike for work, and train your mind to think rapidly and to put forth strong efforts at the proper time. {SD 106.3} [SD 106.4] God has given the human mind great power, power to show that the Creator has endowed man with ability to do a great work against the enemy of all righteousness, power to show what victories may be gained in the conflict against evil. To those who fulfill God's purpose for them will be spoken the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things." 107 {SD 106.4} [SD 107.1] Every Thought Obedient to Christ Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5. {SD 107.1} [SD 107.2] The Lord purifies the heart very much as we air a room. We do not close the doors and windows, and throw in some purifying substance; but we open the doors and throw wide the windows, and let heaven's purifying atmosphere flow in. . . . The windows of impulse, of feeling must be opened up toward heaven, and the dust of selfishness and earthliness must be expelled. The grace of God must sweep through the chambers of the mind, the imagination must have heavenly themes for contemplation, and every element of the nature must be purified and vitalized by the Spirit of God. {SD 107.2} [SD 107.3] The thoughts must be bound about, restricted, withdrawn from branching out and contemplating things that will only weaken and defile the soul. The thoughts must be pure, the meditations of the heart must be clean. . . . The noble powers of the mind have been given to us by the Lord, that we may employ them in contemplating heavenly things. God has made abundant provision that the soul may make continual progression in the divine life. . . . {SD 107.3} [SD 107.4] We give our time and thought to the trivial and commonplace things of the world, and neglect the great interests that pertain to eternal life. The noble powers of the mind are dwarfed and enfeebled by lack of exercise on themes that are worthy of their concentration. "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." . . .As we meditate upon the perfections of our divine Model, we shall desire to become wholly transformed and renewed in the image of His purity. We are called to come out and be separate from the world that we may be the sons and daughters of the Most High. 108 {SD 107.4} [SD 108.1] The Mind Must Be Fed With Pure Food Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Proverbs 30:5. {SD 108.1} [SD 108.2] There are many who are easily amused with story books. The mind is filled with a cheap kind of food for meditation, so that it becomes powerless to search and comprehend the very things which concern eternal interests. The Lord enjoins upon children and youth to search for truth as for hidden treasure, and to be attracted and fascinated by that which unites the human with the divine. {SD 108.2} [SD 108.3] The mind must be fed with pure food if the heart be pure. . . . The Bible is the standard for the young who would be loyal to the King of heaven. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." {SD 108.3} [SD 108.4] It is impossible for the youth to possess a healthy tone of mind, and correct religious principles, unless they enjoy the perusal of the Word of God. This book contains the most interesting history, points out the way of salvation through Christ, and is their guide to a higher, and better life. {SD 108.4} [SD 108.5] The Bible gives the true seeker an advanced mental discipline, and he comes from contemplation of divine things with his faculties enriched; self is humbled, while God and His revealed truth are exalted. . . . The Bible contains just that quality of food that the Christian needs, in order that he may grow strong in spirit and intellect. . . . Through the study of the Bible, converse is held with patriarchs and prophets. The truth is clothed in elevated language, which exerts a fascinating power over the mind; the thought is lifted up from the things of earth, and brought to contemplate the glory of the future immortal life. {SD 108.5} [SD 108.6] Let the thought, the aptitude, the keen exercise of brain power, be given to the study of the thoughts of God. 109 {SD 108.6} [SD 109.1] We are to Take Time to Think About God Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10. {SD 109.1} [SD 109.2] Christians should . . . cultivate a love for meditation, and cherish a spirit of devotion. Many seem to begrudge moments spent in meditation, and the searching of the Scriptures, and prayer, as though the time thus occupied was lost. I wish you could all view these things in the light God would have you; for you would then make the kingdom of Heaven of the first importance. To keep your heart in Heaven, will give vigor to all your graces, and put life into all your duties. To discipline the mind to dwell upon heavenly things, will put life and earnestness into all our endeavors. {SD 109.2} [SD 109.3] Let every one who desires to be a partaker of the divine nature appreciate the fact that he must escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. There must be a constant, earnest struggling of the soul against the evil imaginings of the mind. There must be a steadfast resistance of temptation to sin in thought or act. The soul must be kept from every stain, through faith in Him who is able to keep you from falling. We should meditate upon the Scriptures, thinking soberly and candidly upon the things that pertain to our eternal salvation. The infinite mercy and love of Jesus, the sacrifice made in our behalf, call for most serious and solemn reflection. We should dwell upon the character of our dear Redeemer and Intercessor. We should seek to comprehend the meaning of the plan of salvation. We should meditate upon the mission of Him who came to save His people from their sins. By constantly contemplating heavenly themes, our faith and love will grow stronger. Our prayers will be more and more acceptable to God, because they will be more and more mixed with faith and love. They will be more intelligent and fervent. {SD 109.3} [SD 109.4] When the mind is thus filled . . . the believer in Christ will be able to bring forth good things from the treasure of the heart. 110 {SD 109.4} [SD 110.1] Turn Minds From the Artificial to the Natural When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? Psalm 8:3, 4. {SD 110.1} [SD 110.2] God encourages us to contemplate His works in the natural world. He desires that we shall turn our minds from the study of the artificial to the natural. We shall understand this better as we lift up our eyes to the hills of God, and contemplate the works which His own hands have created. His hand has molded the hills, and balanced them in their position, that they shall not be moved except at His command. The wind, the sun, the rain, the snow, and the ice are all ministers to do His will. {SD 110.2} [SD 110.3] By the Christian, God's love and benevolence can be seen in every gift from His hands. The beauties of nature are a theme for contemplation. In studying the natural loveliness surrounding us, the mind is carried up through nature to the Author of all that is lovely. All the works of God are speaking to our senses, magnifying His power, exalting His wisdom. Every created thing has in it charms which interest the child of God, and mold his taste to regard these precious evidences of God's love above the work of human skill. {SD 110.3} [SD 110.4] In words of glowing fervor, the prophet magnifies God in His created works: "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained: what is man, that thou art mindful of him?" {SD 110.4} [SD 110.5] The world, filled with sport and pleasure-loving, is always thirsting for some new interest. And how little time and thought are given to the Creator of the heavens and the earth. God calls upon His creatures to turn their attention from the confusion and perplexity around them, and admire His handiwork. The heavenly bodies are worthy of contemplation. God has made them for the benefit of man, and as we study His works, angels of God will be by our side to enlighten our minds. 111 {SD 110.5} [SD 111.1] The Mind Fixed on Christ He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known. Proverbs 10:9. {SD 111.1} [SD 111.2] The very first step in the path of life is to keep the mind stayed on God, to have His fear continually before the eyes. A single departure from moral integrity blunts the conscience, and opens the door to the next temptation. "He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his way shall be known." We are commanded to love God supremely, and our neighbor as ourselves; but the daily experience of life shows that this law is disregarded. Uprightness in deal and moral integrity will secure the favor of God, and make a man a blessing to himself and to society; but amid the varied temptations that assail one whichever way he may turn, it is impossible to keep a clear conscience and the approval of Heaven without divine aid and a principle to love honesty for the sake of the right. {SD 111.2} [SD 111.3] A character that is approved of God and man is to be preferred to wealth. The foundation should be laid broad and deep, resting on the rock Christ Jesus. There are too many who profess to work from the true foundation, whose loose dealing shows them to be building on sliding sand; but the great tempest will sweep away their foundation, and they will have no refuge. . . . Do these persons see the future? Or are their eyes too dim to see, through the miasma-laden fogs of worldliness, that honor and integrity are not rewarded in the coin of this world? Will God reward virtue with mere worldly success? He has their names graven on the palms of His hands, as heirs to enduring honors, riches that are imperishable. {SD 111.3} [SD 111.4] To dwell upon the beauty, goodness, mercy, and love of Jesus is strengthening to the mental and moral powers, and while the mind is kept trained to do the works of Christ, to be obedient children, you will habitually inquire, Is this the way of the Lord? 112 {SD 111.4} [SD 112.1] Changes Us from Sinners to Saints Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18. {SD 112.1} [SD 112.2] God is clothed with power; He is able to take those who are dead in trespasses and sins, and by the operation of the Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead, transform the human character, bringing back to the soul the lost image of God. Those who believe in Jesus Christ are changed from being rebels against the law of God into obedient servants and subjects of His kingdom. They are born again, regenerated, sanctified through the truth. {SD 112.2} [SD 112.3] The world is to see God in His followers. Life and immortality are brought to light through those who are one with God in Christ. It is our privilege to have the spirit of light and knowledge that is the wisdom of heaven. All who have this spirit, in whatever position they may be placed, the highest or the lowest place of service, will reveal in their work the power of this light and knowledge. {SD 112.3} [SD 112.4] Constantly we behold Him who lived among men a life of perfect obedience. The more closely we behold Him, the more nearly we shall resemble Him in character, and the greater will be our efficiency in working for others. We shall be lifted far above the trials and perplexities of this life. . . . Self is to be hidden. Christ alone is to appear, full of grace and truth. . . . {SD 112.4} [SD 112.5] Heaven is to begin on this earth. When the Lord's people are filled with meekness and tenderness, they will realize that His banner over them is love, and His fruit will be sweet to their taste. They will make a heaven below in which to prepare for heaven above. {SD 112.5} [SD 112.6] He who receives Christ by living faith has a living connection with God. . . . He carries with him the atmosphere of heaven, which is the grace of God, a treasure that the world cannot buy. {SD 112.6} [SD 112.7] If you would be a saint in heaven, you must first be a saint on earth. 113 {SD 112.7} [SD 113.1] Changes Our Rudeness to Refinement Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Romans 12:9. {SD 113.1} [SD 113.2] Habits, often repeated, make character. Children who allow themselves to speak rudely to one another, and to be impolite at home, are forming habits that will cling to them in after life, and that will be most difficult to overcome. They do not show that they fear the Lord. They do not manifest refinement of character; their disposition becomes coarse, lacking in civility and that which constitutes refinement of manners; and all this casts a reflection upon the home training. In the behavior of children away from home, strangers can read, as in an open book, the history of the home life. They read there of duties left undone, of want of thoughtfulness, of lack of self-forgetfulness, of a disposition toward strife, fretfulness, impatience; while those who show that they have the fear of the Lord before them will, in character and in words, testify of a home where love is cherished, where there is peace, where patience is cultivated, where attention is given to the little proprieties of life, each mindful of his duty to make others happy. . . . {SD 113.2} [SD 113.3] Are you all preparing to become members of the heavenly family? Are you seeking in the home life to be fitted to become members of the Lord's family? If so, make the home life happy by mutual self-sacrifice. If we want Jesus in our home, let kind words only be spoken there. The angels of God will not abide in a home where there is strife and contention. Let love be cherished, and peace and Christian politeness, and angels will be your guests. {SD 113.3} [SD 113.4] If children and youth seek to be kind and courteous at home thoughtfulness will become an abiding habit. Every-day politeness will cause them to be always polite. Home is the very place in which to practice self-denial and thoughtfulness to each member of the family; thus it is with the family in heaven, thus it will be when the scattered families of earth are reunited in the heavenly home. 114 {SD 113.4} [SD 114.1] Changes Our Slothfulness to Dispatch Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord. Romans 12:11. {SD 114.1} [SD 114.2] There are young men and young women who are very much opposed to order and discipline. . . . They pay no heed to rules for rising and retiring at regular hours, but burn the midnight oil, and then lie in bed in the morning. . . . Would it not be well to break up the habit of turning the precious hours into night, and turning the hours of night into day by the use of artificial light? . . . {SD 114.2} [SD 114.3] As far as possible, it is well to consider what is to be accomplished through the day. Make a memorandum of the different duties that await your attention, and set apart a certain time for the doing of each duty. Let everything be done with thoroughness, neatness, and dispatch. . . . {SD 114.3} [SD 114.4] Give yourself a number of minutes to do the work, and do not stop to read papers and books that take your eye, but say to yourself, "No, I have just so many minutes in which to do my work, and I must accomplish my task in the given time." . . . Let those who are naturally slow of movement, seek to become active, quick, energetic, remembering the words of the apostle, "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord." . . . {SD 114.4} [SD 114.5] If you are under the control of slow, dilatory movements, if your habits are of a lazy order, you will make a long job out of a short one; and it is the duty of those who are slow, to reform, and to become more expeditious. If they will, they can overcome their fussy, lingering habits. . . . {SD 114.5} [SD 114.6] Earnest, persevering effort will place you on the vantage-ground of victory; for he who strives to overcome in and through the grace of Christ, will have divine enlightenment, and will understand how great truths can be brought into little things, and religion can be carried into the little as well as into the large concerns of life. 115 {SD 114.6} [SD 115.1] Changes Our Stubborn Wills to Sanctified Wills As the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Ephesians 6:6. {SD 115.1} [SD 115.2] Let no one say, "I cannot overcome my defects of character"; for if this is your decision, then you cannot have eternal life. The impossibility is all in your will. If you will not, that constitutes the cannot. {SD 115.2} [SD 115.3] The real difficulty is the corruption of an unsanctified heart, and an unwillingness to submit to the will of God. When there is a determined purpose born in your heart to overcome, you will have a disposition to overcome, and will cultivate those traits of character that are desirable, and will engage in the conflict with steady, persevering effort. You will exercise a ceaseless watchfulness over your defects of character, and will cultivate right practices in little things. The difficulty of overcoming will be lessened in proportion as the heart is sanctified by the grace of Christ. {SD 115.3} [SD 115.4] What a work might have been done for us as individuals, if our proud and stubborn wills had been wholly submerged in the will of God, and our souls lifted up from earthliness to a higher, purer atmosphere! {SD 115.4} [SD 115.5] Self-will and pride are evils that turned angels into demons and barred the gates of heaven against them. {SD 115.5} [SD 115.6] You cannot control your impulses, your emotions, as you may desire, but you can control the will, and you can make an entire change in your life. By yielding up your will to Christ, your life will be hid with Christ in God, and allied to the power which is above all principalities and powers. You will have strength from God that will hold you fast to His strength; and a new light, even the light of living faith, will be possible to you. . . . There will be in you a power, an earnestness, and a simplicity that will make you a polished instrument in the hands of God. 116 {SD 115.6} [SD 116.1] Changes Our Constant Complaining to Praise Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Psalm 107:8. {SD 116.1} [SD 116.2] We are heaven-bound, and we should show the attractive part of our faith. We should not go as a crippled band of mourners, groaning and complaining all along the journey to our Father's house. {SD 116.2} [SD 116.3] Those professed Christians who are constantly complaining, who seem to think happiness and a cheerful countenance a sin, have not the genuine attributes of religion. Those who look upon nature's beautiful scenery as they would upon a dead picture; who choose to look upon dead leaves rather than to gather the beautiful flowers; who take a mournful pleasure in all that is melancholy in the language spoken to them by the natural world; who see no beauty in valleys clothed in living green, and grand mountain heights clothed with verdure; who close their senses to the joyful voice that speaks to them in nature, . . .--these are not in Christ. {SD 116.3} [SD 116.4] Suppose we change this order of things. . . . Suppose you try to count all your blessings. You have thought so little upon them, and they have been so continual, that when reverses or afflictions come, you are grieved, and think God is unjust. You do not call to mind how little gratitude you have manifested for all the blessings of God. You have not deserved them; but because they have flowed in upon you day by day, year by year, you have looked upon them as a matter of course, thinking it was your right to receive every advantage, and give nothing in return. . . . The blessings of God are more than the hairs of our head, more than the sands of the seashore. Meditate upon His love and care for us, and may it inspire you with love that trials cannot interrupt nor afflictions quench. {SD 116.4} [SD 116.5] If we could only see the many dangers from which we are daily preserved by the holy angels, instead of complaining of our trials and misfortunes, we would talk continually of the mercies of God. 117 {SD 116.5} [SD 117.1] Changes Our Defiance to Submission Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Hebrews 13:17. {SD 117.1} [SD 117.2] There are some young men and women who have no method in doing their work. Though they are always busy, they can present but little results. They have erroneous ideas of work, and think that they are working hard, when if they had practised method in their work, and applied themselves intelligently to what they had to do, they would have accomplished much more in a shorter time. By dallying over the less important matters, they find themselves hurried, perplexed, and confused when they are called upon to do those duties that are more essential. . . . Under circumstances like these, where young men and women are making such mistakes in their life discipline, it would be sinful not to speak words of advice and counsel. {SD 117.2} [SD 117.3] It is an extremely delicate thing to tell people of their faults. The reprover is likely to find that in those reproved, pride and stubbornness assert themselves, and the will is arrayed in defiance and opposition. But for all this, advice should be given, and faults should be laid bare. Let the young cultivate a teachable spirit, that they may be benefited by the efforts of those who seek to help them. . . . {SD 117.3} [SD 117.4] It may seem that we are to study our own hearts, and square our own actions by some standard of our own; but this is not the case. This would but work deform instead of reform. The work must begin in the heart, and then the spirit, the words, the expression of the countenance, and the actions of the life, will make manifest that a change has taken place. In knowing Christ through the grace that He has shed forth abundantly, we become changed. . . . In humility we shall correct every fault and defect of character; because Christ is abiding in the heart, we shall be fitted up for the heavenly family above. 118 {SD 117.4} [SD 118.1] Changes Our Empty Lamps into Full Lamps The wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Matthew 25:4. {SD 118.1} [SD 118.2] Let every youth consider the parable of the ten virgins. All had lamps, that is, an outward semblance of religion; but only five of them had the inward piety. Five of them were wanting in the oil of grace. The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit, was not abiding in their hearts. Without the oil of grace, of what use was it to bear about a lamp of profession? However high may be the profession, however high may be the position held by a professor of religion, if the oil of grace is wanting, he has nothing with which to feed his lamp, and it cannot send forth clear, shining rays of light. . . . {SD 118.2} [SD 118.3] The reason why the Bridegroom delays is because He is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. O the precious longsuffering of our merciful Saviour! O that each of the dear youth would appreciate the value of the soul that has been purchased at infinite cost on Calvary! O that each one would place a proper estimate upon the capabilities that have been given him of God! Through Christ you may climb the ladder of progress, and bring every power under the control of Jesus. . . . In spirit, in thought, in word, and in action, you may make manifest that you are moved by the Spirit of Christ, and your life may wield a power of influence over others. {SD 118.3} [SD 118.4] We are living in altogether too solemn a period of the world's history to be careless and negligent. . . . You must pray, believe, and obey. In your own strength you can do nothing; but in the grace of Jesus Christ, you can employ your powers in such a way as to bring the greatest good to your own soul, and the greatest blessing to the souls of others. Lay hold of Jesus, and you will diligently work the works of Christ, and will finally receive the eternal reward. 119 {SD 118.4} [SD 119.1] God's Grace Sufficient for Every Need And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9. {SD 119.1} [SD 119.2] If you have given yourself to God, to do His work, you have no need to be anxious for tomorrow. He whose servant you are, knows the end from the beginning. The events of tomorrow, which are hidden from your view, are open to the eyes of Him who is omnipotent. {SD 119.2} [SD 119.3] When we take into our hands the management of things with which we have to do, and depend upon our own wisdom for success, we are taking a burden which God has not given us, and are trying to bear it without His aid. We are taking upon ourselves the responsibility that belongs to God, and thus are really putting ourselves in His place. We may well have anxiety, and anticipate danger and loss; for it is certain to befall us. But when we really believe that God loves us, and means to do us good, we shall cease to worry about the future. We shall trust God as a child trusts a loving parent. Then our troubles and torments will disappear; for our will is swallowed up in the will of God. {SD 119.3} [SD 119.4] Christ has given us no promise of help in bearing today the burdens of tomorrow. He has said, "My grace is sufficient for thee"; but, like the manna given in the wilderness, His grace is bestowed daily, for the day's need. Like the hosts of Israel in their pilgrim life, we may find morning by morning the bread of heaven for the day's supply. {SD 119.4} [SD 119.5] One day alone is ours, and during this day we are to live for God. For this one day we are to place in the hand of Christ, in solemn service, all our purposes and plans, casting all our care upon Him, for He careth for us. "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil." 120 {SD 119.5} [SD 120.1] His Gifts are to Stablish and Strengthen Us But the Lord of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10. {SD 120.1} [SD 120.2] Blessed is the soul who can say, "I am guilty before God: but Jesus is my Advocate. I have transgressed His law. I cannot save myself; but I make the precious blood that was shed on Calvary all my plea. I am lost in Adam, but restored in Christ. God, who so loved the world as to give His only begotten Son to die, will not leave me to perish while repentant and in contrition of soul. He will not look upon me, for I am all unworthy; but He will look upon the face of His Anointed, He will look upon my Substitute and Surety, and listen to the plea of my Advocate, who died for my sin, that I might be made the righteousness of God in Him. By beholding Him I shall be changed into His image. I cannot change my own character, save by partaking of the grace of Him who is all goodness, righteousness, mercy, and truth. But by beholding Him, I shall catch His spirit, and be transformed into His likeness. . . ." The heart that is filled with the grace of Christ will be made manifest by its peace and joy; and where Christ abides, the character will become purified, elevated, ennobled, and glorified. {SD 120.2} [SD 120.3] The Creator of all worlds proposes to love those who believe in His only-begotten Son as their personal Saviour, even as He loves His Son. Even here and now His gracious favor is bestowed upon us to this marvelous extent. He has given to men the gift of the Light and Majesty of heaven, and with Him He has bestowed all the treasures of heaven. Much as He has promised us for the life to come, He also bestows princely gifts upon us in this life, and as subjects of His grace, He would have us enjoy everything that will ennoble, expand, and elevate our characters. {SD 120.3} [SD 120.4] The Lord has in readiness the most precious exhibitions of His grace to strengthen and encourage. 121 {SD 120.4} [SD 121.1] Let Us Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16. {SD 121.1} [SD 121.2] Jesus knows the needs of His children, and He loves to listen to their prayers. Let the children shut out the world and everything that would attract the thoughts from God, and let them feel that they are alone with God, that His eye looks into the inmost heart, and reads the desire of the soul, and that they may talk with God. In humble faith you may claim His promises, and feel that although you have nothing in yourself whereby you may claim the favor of God, because of the merits and righteousness of Christ, you may come boldly to the throne of grace, and find help in time of need. There is nothing that can make the soul so strong to resist the temptations of Satan in the great conflict of life, as to seek God in humility, laying before Him your soul in all its helplessness, expecting that He will be your helper and your defender. {SD 121.2} [SD 121.3] With the trusting faith of a little child, we are to come to our heavenly Father, telling Him of all our needs. He is always ready to pardon and help. The supply of divine wisdom is inexhaustible, and the Lord encourages us to draw largely from it. The longing that we should have for spiritual blessings is described in the words, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." We need a deeper soul-hunger for the rich gifts that heaven has to bestow. {SD 121.3} [SD 121.4] We are to hunger and thirst after righteousness. {SD 121.4} [SD 121.5] O that we might have a consuming desire to know God by an experimental knowledge, to come into the audience chamber of the Most High, reaching up the hand of faith, and casting our helpless souls upon the One mighty to save. His loving kindness is better than life. {SD 121.5} [SD 121.6] He desires to bestow on the children of men the riches of an eternal inheritance. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. 122 {SD 121.6} [SD 122.1] Rejoice in the Rich Treasures of Grace And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you. Deuteronomy 26:11. {SD 122.1} [SD 122.2] Thanksgiving and praise should be expressed to God for temporal blessings and for whatever comforts He bestows upon us. God would have every family that He is preparing to inhabit the eternal mansions above, give glory to Him for the rich treasures of His grace. Were children, in the home life, educated and trained to be grateful to the Giver of all good things, we would see an element of heavenly grace manifest in our families. Cheerfulness would be seen in the home life, and coming from such homes, the youth would bring a spirit of respect and reverence with them into the schoolroom, and into the church. There would be an attendance in the sanctuary where God meets with His people, a reverence for all the ordinances of His worship, and grateful praise and thanksgiving would be offered for all the gifts of His providence. . . . {SD 122.2} [SD 122.3] Every temporal blessing would be received with gratitude, and every spiritual blessing become doubly precious because the perception of each member of the household had become sanctified by the Word of truth. The Lord Jesus is very near to those who thus appreciate His gracious gifts, tracing all their good things back to the benevolent, loving, care-taking God, and recognizing Him as the great Fountain of all comfort and consolation, the inexhaustible Source of grace. {SD 122.3} [SD 122.4] If we would give more expression to our faith, rejoice more in the blessings that we know we have,--the great mercy and love of God,--we should have more faith and greater joy. No tongue can express, no finite mind can conceive, the blessing that results from appreciating the goodness and love of God. Even on earth we may have joy as a wellspring, never failing, because fed by the streams that flow from the throne of God. 123 {SD 122.4} [SD 123.1] We have Received of God's Fullness And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. John 1:16. {SD 123.1} [SD 123.2] Christ sought to save the world, not by conformity to it, but by revealing to the world the transforming power of the grace of God to mold and fashion the human character after the likeness of the character of Christ. {SD 123.2} [SD 123.3] Satan has represented God as selfish and oppressive, as claiming all, and giving nothing, as requiring the service of His creatures for His own glory, and making no sacrifice for their good. But the gift of Christ reveals the Father's heart. . . . It declares that while God's hatred of sin is as strong as death, His love for the sinner is stronger than death. Having undertaken our redemption, He will spare nothing, however dear, which is necessary to the completion of His work. No truth essential to our salvation is withheld, no miracle of mercy is neglected, no divine agency is left unemployed. Favor is heaped upon favor, gift upon gift. The whole treasury of heaven is open to those He seeks to save. Having collected the riches of the universe, and laid open the resources of infinite power, He gives them all into the hands of Christ, and says, All these are for man. Use these gifts to convince him that there is no love greater than Mine in earth or heaven. His greatest happiness will be found in loving Me. {SD 123.3} [SD 123.4] The Father appreciates every soul whom His Son has purchased by the gift of His life. Every provision has been made for us to receive divine power, which will enable us to overcome temptations. Through obedience to all God's requirements the soul is preserved unto eternal life. {SD 123.4} [SD 123.5] God has a heaven full of blessings that He wants to bestow on those who are earnestly seeking for that help which the Lord alone can give. 124 {SD 123.5} [SD 124.1] We are Changed from Glory to Glory But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18. {SD 124.1} [SD 124.2] When enlightened by the Spirit of God, the believer beholds the perfection of Jesus, and beholding this perfection, he rejoices with joy unspeakable. In self he sees sin and helplessness; in the Redeemer sinlessness and infinite power. The sacrifice that Christ made in order that He might impart to us His righteousness--this is a theme upon which we may dwell with deeper and still deeper enthusiasm. Self is nothing; Jesus is everything. . . . {SD 124.2} [SD 124.3] The transforming power of grace can make me a partaker of the divine nature. On Christ the glory of God has shone, and by looking upon Christ, contemplating His self-sacrifice, remembering that in Him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, the believer is drawn closer and closer to the Source of power. . . . {SD 124.3} [SD 124.4] How essential that we have the enlightenment of the Spirit of God; for thus only can we see the glory of Christ, and by beholding become changed from character to character in and through faith in Christ. . . . He has grace and pardon for every soul. As by faith we look to Jesus, our faith pierces the shadow, and we adore God for His wondrous love in giving us Jesus the Comforter. . . . {SD 124.4} [SD 124.5] The sinner may become a child of God, an heir of heaven. He may rise from the dust, and stand forth arrayed in garments of light. . . . At every step of advance, he sees new beauties in Christ, and becomes more like Him in character. {SD 124.5} [SD 124.6] The love that was manifested toward him in the death of Christ, awakens a response of thankful love, and in answer to sincere prayer, the believer is brought from grace to grace, from glory to glory, until by beholding Christ, he is changed into the same image. 125 {SD 124.6} [SD 125.1] Redemption Through the Riches of God's Grace In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence. Ephesians 1:7, 8. {SD 125.1} [SD 125.2] He ［Christ］ came . . . to elevate and ennoble our mental powers, so that our efforts in this life might not be misdirected and lost. . . {SD 125.2} [SD 125.3] The Lord Jesus came to strengthen every earnest seeker for truth, He came to reveal the Father. He allowed nothing to divert His mind from the great work of restoring the moral image of God in man. And we must see that the great and important work for us is to receive the divine likeness, to prepare a character for the future life. We must appropriate the heavenly truths to our special use in practical life. And we may carry with us all the treasure of knowledge that gives us a fitness for the life that measures with the life of God. {SD 125.3} [SD 125.4] The knowledge of God is as high as the heaven, as broad as the earth. . . . Only those who read the Scriptures as the voice of God speaking to them are the true learners. They tremble at the Word of God; for to them it is a living reality. They study, they search for the hidden treasure. They open the understanding and heart to receive, and they pray for heavenly grace, that they may obtain a preparation for the future, immortal life. As the heavenly torch is placed in his hand, man sees his own frailty, his infirmity, his hopelessness in looking to himself for righteousness. He sees that in himself there is nothing to recommend him to God. He prays for the Holy Spirit, the representative of Christ, to be his constant guide, to lead him into all truth. . . . All knowledge gained in this life of probation which will fit us to be companions of the saints in light is true education. It brings blessings to ourselves and others in this life, and will secure to us the future, immortal life, with all its imperishable riches. {SD 125.4} [SD 125.5] Christ has a treasure house full of precious gifts for every soul. 126 {SD 125.5} [SD 126.1] Blind Bartimaeus' Faith in God's Grace Rewarded And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. Mark 10:51. {SD 126.1} [SD 126.2] It is only when the sinner feels the need of a Saviour, that his heart goes after the One who can help him. When Jesus walked among men, it was the sick that wanted a physician. The poor, the afflicted and distressed, followed after Him, to receive the help and comfort which they could not find elsewhere. Blind Bartimeus is waiting by the wayside; he has waited long to meet Christ. {SD 126.2} [SD 126.3] Throngs of people who possess their sight are passing to and fro, but they have no desire to see Jesus. One look of faith would touch His heart of love, and bring them the blessings of His grace; but they know not the sickness and poverty of their souls, and they feel no need of Christ. Not so with the poor blind man. His only hope is in Jesus. As he waits and watches, he hears the tread of many feet, and he eagerly inquires, What means this noise of travel? The by-standers answer that "Jesus of Nazareth passeth by." With the eagerness of intense desire, he cries, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" They try to silence him, but he cries the more vehemently, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" This appeal is heard. His persevering faith is rewarded. Not only is physical sight restored, but the eyes of his understanding are opened. In Christ he sees his Redeemer, and the Sun of Righteousness shines into his soul. All who feel their need of Christ as did blind Bartimeus, and who will be as earnest and determined as he was, will, like him, receive the blessing which they crave. {SD 126.3} [SD 126.4] The afflicted, suffering ones who sought Christ as their helper, were charmed with the divine perfection, the beauty of holiness, that shone forth in His character. {SD 126.4} [SD 126.5] Those who receive Christ by faith will receive also power to become the sons of God. 127 {SD 126.5} [SD 127.1] From a Slave to Sin, to a Prince of God And he ［Christ］ said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. Genesis 32:28. {SD 127.1} [SD 127.2] Because of the deception practiced to secure his father's blessing, intended for Esau, Jacob had fled for his life, alarmed by his brother's deadly threats. After remaining for many years an exile, he had set out, at God's command, to return with his wives and children, his flocks and herds, to his native country. On reaching the borders of the land, he was filled with terror by the tidings of Esau's approach at the head of a band of warriors, doubtless bent upon revenge. . . . Having sent his family away, that they may not witness his distress, Jacob remains alone to intercede with God. {SD 127.2} [SD 127.3] Jacob, in the great crisis of his life, turned aside to pray. He was filled with one overmastering purpose,--to seek for transformation of character. But while he was pleading with God, an enemy, as he supposed, placed his hand upon him, and all night he wrestled for his life. But the purpose of his soul was not changed by peril of life itself. When his strength was nearly spent, the Angel put forth His divine power, and at His touch, Jacob knew Him with whom he had been contending. Wounded and helpless, he fell upon the Saviour's breast, pleading for a blessing. He would not be turned aside, nor cease his intercession, and Christ granted the petition of this helpless, penitent soul, according to His promise, "Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me. . . ." Jacob pleaded with determined spirit, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." This spirit of persistence was inspired by Him who wrestled with the patriarch. It was He who gave him the victory, and He changed his name from Jacob to Israel, saying, "As a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." That for which Jacob had vainly wrestled in his own strength, was won through self-surrender and steadfast faith. {SD 127.3} [SD 128.1] Chap. 5 - We Follow the Perfect Pattern He Depended Completely on Divine Power Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. John 5:19. {SD 128.1} [SD 128.2] Jesus is the perfect pattern, and it is the duty and privilege of every child and youth to copy the pattern. Let children bear in mind that the child Jesus had taken upon Himself human nature, and was in the likeness of sinful flesh, and was tempted of Satan as all children are tempted. He was able to resist the temptation of Satan through His dependence upon the divine power of His heavenly Father, as He was subject to His will, and obedient to all His commands. He kept His Father's statutes, precepts, and laws. He was continually seeking counsel of God, and was obedient to His will. {SD 128.2} [SD 128.3] It is the duty and privilege of every child to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. . . . It will please the Lord Jesus to have the children ask Him for every spiritual grace, to bring all their perplexities and trials to the Saviour; for He knows how to help the children and youth, because He was a child Himself, and was once subject to all the trials, disappointments, and perplexities to which children and youth are subject. God's promise is given as much to children and youth as to those of more mature age. Whenever God has given a promise, let the children and youth turn it into a petition, and beg the Lord to do those things for them in their experience, that He did for Jesus, His only begotten Son, when in human necessity He looked to God, asking for the things which He needed. Every blessing the Father has provided for those of more mature experience, has been provided for children and youth through Jesus Christ. 129 {SD 128.3} [SD 129.1] He Submitted to Parental Authority And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them. Luke 2:51. {SD 129.1} [SD 129.2] Jesus claimed His sonship to the Eternal. . . . His first visit to the temple had awakened new impulses. All earthly obligations were, for the time, lost sight of; but with the knowledge of His divine mission, and of His union with God, He did not resist the authority of His parents. At their request He returned with them as a faithful, obedient son, and aided them in their life of toil. He buried in His own heart the secret of His future mission, waiting submissively until the period of His public ministry should commence before announcing to the world that He was the Messiah. He submitted to parental restraint, for the period of eighteen years after He had acknowledged that He was the Son of God, and lived the simple, common life of a Galilean, working at the carpenter's trade. . . . For thirty years He submitted to parental restraint. . . . {SD 129.2} [SD 129.3] It is common for children, even of Christian parents, when not over twelve years old, to feel that they must be allowed to follow their own desires. And parents are ready to be led by their children, rather than to lead them. . . . For this reason many youth come up with habits of selfishness and idleness. They are vain, proud, and headstrong. {SD 129.3} [SD 129.4] When we look upon His patient self-denial, His shrinking from all notoriety, devoting Himself to His daily labor in a humble sphere, what a beautiful light is shed about His life! How clearly is pointed out the path in which children and youth should walk! . . . Jesus was no less the Son of God in His lowly home, in His submission to His parents, than when God spoke from His eternal throne, saying, "This is my beloved Son." {SD 129.4} [SD 129.5] The life of Christ assures a blessing forever upon a life of cheerful submission to parental restraint and a life of physical and mental industry. 130 {SD 129.5} [SD 130.1] He Was Obedient and Respectful Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. Hebrews 5:8. {SD 130.1} [SD 130.2] If you are seeking to reflect the life and character of Christ, you will be true and obedient to your parents. You will show your love for them by your willing obedience. {SD 130.2} [SD 130.3] No one can be truly good and great who has not learned to yield his will, first to his parents, and then to God, and to obey with alacrity. Those who learn to obey are the only ones who will be fitted to command. {SD 130.3} [SD 130.4] By learning the lessons of obedience, children are not only honoring their parents and lightening their burdens, but they are pleasing One higher in authority. "Honour thy father and thy mother" is a positive command. Children who treat their parents with disrespect, and disregard their wishes, not only dishonor them, but break the law of God. The earlier the will is made to yield to the will of the parents, and the more complete the submission, the less difficult it will be to yield to the requirements of God. And none can hope for the love and blessing of God who do not learn obedience to His commandments, and stand up firmly against temptation. {SD 130.4} [SD 130.5] His ［Christ's］ life was characterized with firmness, yet He was ever respectful and obedient. {SD 130.5} [SD 130.6] He was a perfect pattern for all youth. Ever He manifested deference and respect for age. The religion of Jesus will never lead any child to be rude and uncourteous. {SD 130.6} [SD 130.7] The infinite Eye can search the heart, and read every defect in the character. He does not estimate youth by their outward appearance, but from the goodness they possess at heart, which can only be gained by watchfulness and prayer. . . . He marks their deportment to their parents and the family circle. If they are respectful, kind, affectionate, and truly polite, . . . their characters are recorded in the books of Heaven as valuable. 131 {SD 130.7} [SD 131.1] He Was Industrious I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. John 9:4. {SD 131.1} [SD 131.2] The life of Christ demonstrates to all youth that a life of industry and obedience is favorable to the formation of good moral character, firm principles, strength of purpose, sound knowledge, and high spiritual attainments. Most of the youth of the present day cherish a love for exciting amusements, which is unfavorable for high attainments in mental culture, and for physical strength. The mind is not kept in a calm, healthful state for thought, but is, much of the time, under an excitement; in short, is intoxicated with the amusements it craves, which renders it incapable of close application, reflection, and study. {SD 131.2} [SD 131.3] The young who do not cherish a respect for their parents, and a love to make themselves useful, cannot enjoy real pleasure. . . . The love of vain amusements relaxes the tone of mind, and weakens the morals so that many youth have but little self-control and firm principle. {SD 131.3} [SD 131.4] In His industrious life there were no idle moments to invite temptation. No aimless hours opened the way for corrupting associations. So far as possible, He closed the door to the tempter. Neither gain nor pleasure, applause nor censure, could induce Him to consent to a wrong act. . . . {SD 131.4} [SD 131.5] He was not willing to be defective, even in the handling of tools. He was perfect as a workman, as He was perfect in character. By His own example He taught that it is our duty to be industrious, that our work should be performed with exactness and thoroughness, and that such labor is honorable. The exercise that teaches the hands to be useful and trains the young to bear their share of life's burdens gives physical strength, and develops every faculty. . . . God appointed work as a blessing, and only the diligent worker finds the true glory and joy of life. 132 {SD 131.5} [SD 132.1] His Simplicity Gave Him Favor And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. Luke 2:52. {SD 132.1} [SD 132.2] It was the simplicity of the life of Christ, and His freedom from pride and vanity, that gave Him favor with God and man. He did not seek to attract attention for distinction. {SD 132.2} [SD 132.3] The life of Christ was passed in simplicity and purity. . . . His wisdom was great, but it was child-like, and increased with His years. His childhood possessed peculiar gentleness, and marked loveliness. His character was full of beauty, and unsullied perfection. {SD 132.3} [SD 132.4] In the life of Christ we see the only safe pattern for all children and youth. When children are disposed to rebel against parental authority, they are condemned by the life of their Redeemer, who was Himself once a child, and obedient to His parents. In what marked contrast is the character of children now. The majority of children live for their own pleasure, for the purpose of display. Some try to make brilliant speeches, that they may attract notice. Some seem to think that their worth will be estimated by their appearance. They are very precise in their dress, and devote much time and means for display, that they may attract attention, while they do not find time for, and have an interest in, secret prayer. They neglect the inward adorning, the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which, the apostle tells us, is of great price in the sight of God. . . . {SD 132.4} [SD 132.5] Wealth and dress are so common that, while they may excite envy, they cannot command true respect and admiration. A cultivated mind, adorned with the grace of meekness and humility, a pure and upright heart, will be reflected in the countenance, and command love and respect. {SD 132.5} [SD 132.6] If the youth would become strong in mind, pure in morals, firm in spiritual power, let them follow the example of Jesus in His simplicity, in His submission to parental restraint. 133 {SD 132.6} [SD 133.1] In Baptism And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him, and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:16, 17. {SD 133.1} [SD 133.2] Jesus was our example in all things that pertain to life and godliness. He was baptized in Jordan, just as those who come to Him must be baptized. The heavenly angels were looking with intense interest upon the scene of the Saviour's baptism, and could the eyes of those who were looking on, have been opened, they would have seen the heavenly host surrounding the Son of God as He bowed on the banks of the Jordan. The Lord had promised to give John a sign whereby he might know who was the Messiah, and now as Jesus went up out of the water, the promised sign was given; for he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God, like a dove of burnished gold, hovered over the head of Christ, and a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." . . . Jesus, the world's Redeemer, has opened the way so that the most sinful, the most needy, the most oppressed and despised, may find access to the Father,--may have a home in the mansions which Jesus has gone to prepare for those who love Him. {SD 133.2} [SD 133.3] Those who have risen with Christ to walk in newness of life are the elect of God. They are holy unto the Lord, and are acknowledged by Him as His beloved. As such, they are under solemn covenant to distinguish themselves by showing humility of mind. They are to clothe themselves in garments of righteousness. They are separate from the world, from its spirit, its practises, and they are to reveal that they are learning of Him. . . . If they realize that they have died with Christ, if they keep their baptismal vow, the world will have no power to draw them aside to deny Christ. If they live the life of Christ in this world, they are partakers of the divine nature. 134 {SD 133.3} [SD 134.1] In the Study of the Scriptures And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:27. {SD 134.1} [SD 134.2] After Joseph and Mary had searched for Him ［Christ］ for three days, they found Him in the court of the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. He asked His questions with a grace that charmed these learned men. . . . His mother could not but mark His words, His spirit, His willing obedience to all her requirements. {SD 134.2} [SD 134.3] It is not correct to say, as many writers have said, that Christ was like all children. He was not like all children. Many children are misguided and mismanaged. But Joseph, and especially Mary, kept before them the remembrance of their child's divine Fatherhood. Jesus was instructed in accordance with the sacred character of His mission. His inclination to right was a constant gratification to His parents. {SD 134.3} [SD 134.4] His intimate acquaintance with the Scriptures shows how diligently His early years were given to the study of God's Word. {SD 134.4} [SD 134.5] Christ opened the Scriptures to His disciples, beginning at Moses and the prophets, and instructed them in all things concerning Himself, and also explained to them the prophecies. {SD 134.5} [SD 134.6] He pointed to the Scriptures as of unquestionable authority, and we should do the same. {SD 134.6} [SD 134.7] Every child may gain knowledge as Jesus did. As we try to become acquainted with our heavenly Father through His Word, angels will draw near, our minds will be strengthened, our characters will be elevated, and refined. {SD 134.7} [SD 134.8] Like Christ, we should be able to meet the enemy in time of temptation with, "It is written." 135 {SD 134.8} [SD 135.1] In the Study of Nature Speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee. Job 12:8. {SD 135.1} [SD 135.2] The childhood and youth of Christ were spent in humble circumstances, under conditions that were favorable to the development of a sound constitution. His life was passed mostly in the open air. He drank of the pure streams of water, and ate the fruit of the gardens. He passed up and down the steep mountain paths, and through the streets of Nazareth, as He went to and from His place of toil to His home. He enjoyed the varied notes of the birds as they caroled forth their praise to their Creator. He took delight in the beauty of the flowers that decked the fields. He noted with joy the glory of the heavens, the splendor of sun, moon, and stars, and looked upon the rising and setting sun with admiration. The book of nature was open before Him, and He enjoyed its tender lessons. The everlasting hills, the olive groves, were favorite places of resort where He went to commune with His Father. He was filled with divine wisdom, and through the study of nature, and by meditation upon the communion with God, His spiritual powers were strengthened. {SD 135.2} [SD 135.3] The Redeemer of the world passed up and down the hills and mountains, from the great plain to the mountain valley. He enjoyed nature's beautiful scenery. He was delighted with the fields glowing with the beautiful flowers, and in listening to the birds of the air, and uniting His voice with them in their happy songs of praise. {SD 135.3} [SD 135.4] In the life of Christ, His childhood and youth, there is a lesson for the youth of today. Christ is our example, and in youth we should contemplate God in nature,--study His character in the work of His hands. The mind is strengthened by becoming acquainted with God, by reading His attributes in the things which He has made. As we behold the beauty and grandeur in the works of nature, our affections go out after God; and . . . our souls are invigorated by coming in contact with the Infinite through His marvelous works. 136 {SD 135.4} [SD 136.1] In Communion With God And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. Matthew 14:23. {SD 136.1} [SD 136.2] The strength of Christ was in prayer. . . . Christ retired to the groves or mountains with the world and everything else shut out. He was alone with His Father. With intense earnestness, He poured out His supplications, and put forth all the strength of His soul in grasping the hand of the Infinite. When new and great trials were before Him, He would steal away to the solitude of the mountains, and pass the entire night in prayer to His heavenly Father. {SD 136.2} [SD 136.3] As Christ is our example in all things, if we imitate His example in earnest, importunate prayer to God that we may have strength in His name who never yielded to the temptations of Satan to resist the devices of the wily foe, we shall not be overcome by him. {SD 136.3} [SD 136.4] Amid the perils of these last days, the only safety of the youth lies in ever-increasing watchfulness and prayer. The youth who finds his joy in reading the Word of God, and in the hour of prayer, will be constantly refreshed by drafts from the fountain of life. He will attain a height of moral excellence and a breadth of thought of which others cannot conceive. Communion with God encourages good thoughts, noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth, and lofty purposes of action. Those who thus connect themselves with God are acknowledged by Him as His sons and daughters. They are constantly reaching higher and still higher, obtaining clearer views of God and of eternity, until the Lord makes them channels of light and wisdom to the world. . . . The strength acquired in prayer to God will prepare us for our daily duties. {SD 136.4} [SD 136.5] There is a mighty power in prayer. Our great adversary is constantly seeking to keep the troubled soul away from God. An appeal to Heaven by the humblest saint is more to be dreaded by Satan than the decrees of cabinets or the mandates of kings. 137 {SD 136.5} [SD 137.1] In Keeping His Father's Commandments If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. John 15:10. {SD 137.1} [SD 137.2] Christ was a representative before men and before angels, of the character of the God of heaven. He demonstrated the fact that when humanity depends wholly upon God, men may keep God's commandments and live, and His law be as the apple of the eye. {SD 137.2} [SD 137.3] The example of Christ is authoritative for every son and daughter of Adam. He represented the law of God in His life, giving to men an example of what obedience to every precept will accomplish for human nature. He is our example, and every one who is endowed with reasoning faculties is required to follow in His footsteps; for His life is a perfect pattern to all humanity. Christ is the finished standard of the character to which every one may attain. . . . {SD 137.3} [SD 137.4] How did the world's Redeemer walk?--Not in a way to please Himself simply, but to glorify God by working the works of God in uplifting fallen man who had been made in the image of God. By precept and example, He taught men the way of righteousness, representing the character of God, and giving to the world a perfect standard of moral excellency in humanity. The two grand precepts of the law are to regulate the conduct of all humanity. This was the lesson that Jesus taught by both precept and example. He said to the people, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and . . . thy neighbour as thyself." The Lord God of heaven requires of human intelligences supreme love and worship. {SD 137.4} [SD 137.5] Let the human agent compare his life with the life of Christ. . . . Let him imitate the example of Him who lived out the law of Jehovah, who said, "I have kept my Father's commandments." Those who follow Christ will be continually looking into the perfect law of liberty, and through the grace given them by Christ, will fashion the character according to the divine requirements. 138 {SD 137.5} [SD 138.1] In Being the Light of the World Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12. {SD 138.1} [SD 138.2] It was morning; the sun had just risen above the Mount of Olives, and its rays fell with dazzling brightness on the marble palaces, and lighted up the gold of the temple walls, when Jesus, pointing to it, said, "I am the light of the world." {SD 138.2} [SD 138.3] By one who listened to these words, they were long afterward re-echoed in that sublime passage, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men." {SD 138.3} [SD 138.4] Those who are sanctified through the truth, are as bright, shining lights, giving light to all that are in the house. Good works will be revealed in every true believer. The Lord can accept of nothing short of perfection of character, wholeness to God. Any half-hearted service will testify before the heavenly intelligences that you have failed to copy the Pattern. {SD 138.4} [SD 138.5] Christ's followers are to be more than a light in the midst of men. They are the light of the world. Jesus says to all who have named His name, You have given yourselves to Me, and I have given you to the world as My representatives. As the Father had sent Him into the world, so He declares, "have I also sent them into the world." . . . While our Saviour is the great source of illumination, forget not, O Christian, that He is revealed through humanity. God's blessings are bestowed through human instrumentality. . . . Angels of glory wait to communicate through you heaven's light and power to souls that are ready to perish. . . . If Christ is dwelling in the heart, it is impossible to conceal the light of His presence. {SD 138.5} [SD 138.6] When the Light of the world passes by, privileges appear in all hardships, order in confusion, the success and wisdom of God in that which has seemed to be failure. {SD 138.6} [SD 138.7] The gifts of light and life come to us together. 139 {SD 138.7} [SD 139.1] In Demonstrating God's Parental Attributes Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Psalm 103:13. {SD 139.1} [SD 139.2] In all the gracious deeds that Jesus did, He sought to impress upon men the parental, benevolent attributes of God. In all His lessons He was seeking to teach men the wonderful truth that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jesus would have us understand the love of the Father, and He seeks to draw us to Him by presenting His parental grace. He would have the whole field of our vision filled with the perfection of God's character. In His prayer for His disciples He says, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world." {SD 139.2} [SD 139.3] Jesus came into the world to illustrate the character of God in His own life, and He swept back the misrepresentations that Satan had originated, and revealed the glory of God. It was only by living among men that He could reveal the mercy, compassion, and love of His heavenly Father; for it was only by actions of benevolence that He could set forth the grace of God. The unbelief of men was deep seated, and yet they could not resist the testimony of His God-like example, and His deeds of love and truth. {SD 139.3} [SD 139.4] The bounties of God's providence speak to every soul, confirming Christ's testimony to the supreme goodness of His Father. The Lord would have His people realize that the blessings bestowed upon any object of creation are proportionate to the place that object occupies in the scale of creation. If even the wants of dumb animals are supplied, can we appreciate the blessings which God will bestow upon the beings formed in His image? {SD 139.4} [SD 139.5] God is love, and He cares for us. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." 140 {SD 139.5} [SD 140.1] In Physical Development And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. Luke 2:40. {SD 140.1} [SD 140.2] The physical constitution of Jesus, as well as His spiritual development, is brought before us in these words, "The child grew," and "increased in stature." In childhood and youth attention should be given to physical development. Parents should so train their children in good habits of eating, drinking, dressing, and exercise, that a good foundation will be laid for sound health in after life. The physical organism should have special care, that the powers of the body may not be dwarfed, but developed to their full extent. This places the children and youth in a favorable position, so that, with proper religious training, they may, like Christ, wax strong in spirit. . . . {SD 140.2} [SD 140.3] Many claim that it is necessary for the preservation of physical health to indulge in selfish amusement. It is true that change is required for the best development of the body, for mind and body are refreshed and invigorated by change; but this object is not gained by indulgence in foolish amusements, to the neglect of daily duties which the youth should be required to do. The active mind and hands of youth must have employment, and if they are not directed to tasks that are useful, that will develop them and bless others, they will find employment in that which will work injury to them in both body and mind. {SD 140.3} [SD 140.4] As Jesus worked in childhood and youth, mind and body were developed. He did not use His physical powers recklessly, but in such a way as to keep them in health, that He might do the best work in every line. {SD 140.4} [SD 140.5] His life of natural simplicity was favorable to the development of a good physical constitution, and a firm, unsullied character. {SD 140.5} [SD 140.6] Physically, as well as spiritually, He was an example of what God designed all humanity to be through obedience to His laws. 141 {SD 140.6} [SD 141.1] In Gaining Victory Over Appetite And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:3, 4. {SD 141.1} [SD 141.2] The great trial of Christ in the wilderness on the point of appetite was to leave man an example of self-denial. This long fast was to convict men of the sinfulness of things in which professed Christians indulge. The victory which Christ gained in the wilderness was to show man the sinfulness of the very things in which he takes such pleasure. The salvation of man was in the balance, and to be decided by the trial of Christ in the wilderness. If Christ was a victor on the point of appetite, then there was a chance for man to overcome. . . . {SD 141.2} [SD 141.3] Christians, who understand the mystery of godliness, who have a high and sacred sense of the atonement, who realize in the sufferings of Christ in the wilderness a victory gained for them . . . would be greatly strengthened by earnestly and frequently comparing their lives with the true standard, the life of Christ. . . . The amusements which lead to levity and forgetfulness of God, can find no sanction in the example of Christ, the world's Redeemer, the only safe pattern for man to copy if he would overcome as Christ overcame. . . . Man now has the advantage over Adam in his warfare with Satan; for he has Adam's experience in disobedience and his consequent fall to warn him to shun his example. Man also has Christ's example in overcoming appetite, and the manifold temptations of Satan, and in vanquishing the mighty foe upon every point, and coming off victor in every contest. {SD 141.3} [SD 141.4] The habits of eating and drinking are the most difficult to overcome because Satan binds you securely to his chariot car. {SD 141.4} [SD 141.5] All who give themselves to the service of Christ will follow the example of Christ, and will be perfect overcomers. 142 {SD 141.5} [SD 142.1] In Positive Self-Control He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. Isaiah 53:7. {SD 142.1} [SD 142.2] One class have come up without self-control; they have not bridled the temper or the tongue; and some of these claim to be Christ's followers, but they are not. Jesus has set them no such example. . . . Some are nervous, and if they begin to lose self-control in word or spirit under provocation, they are as much intoxicated with wrath as the inebriate is with liquor. They are unreasonable, and not easily persuaded or convinced. They are not sane; Satan for the time has full control. Every one of these exhibitions of wrath weakens the nervous system and the moral powers, and makes it difficult to restrain anger on another provocation. {SD 142.2} [SD 142.3] With this class there is only one remedy,--positive self-control under all circumstances. The effort to get into a favorable place, where self will not be annoyed, may succeed for a time; but Satan knows where to find these poor souls, and will assail them in their weak points again and again. They will be continually troubled so long as they think so much of self. . . . But there is hope for them. Let this life, so stormy with conflicts and worries, be brought into connection with Christ, and then self will no longer clamor for the supremacy. . . . They should humble themselves, saying frankly, "I have done wrong. Will you forgive me? For God has said we must not let the sun go down upon our wrath." This is the only safe path toward overcoming. Many . . . nurse their wrath, and are filled with revengeful, hateful feelings. . . . Resist these wrong feelings, and you will experience a great change in your association with your fellowmen. {SD 142.3} [SD 142.4] When self ceases to wrestle for the supremacy, and the heart is worked by the Holy Spirit, the soul lies perfectly passive; and then the image of God is mirrored upon the heart. 143 {SD 142.4} [SD 143.1] His Principles are to Be Our Principles For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. John 13:15. {SD 143.1} [SD 143.2] In this age we are pained to see that children and youth look upon themselves as too far advanced to submit themselves to the control of their parents. . . . They seem to imagine that to yield to parental authority would be an evidence of weakness, a sacrifice of their rightful independence. But instead of being capable of governing themselves, they are vacillating and weak in purpose. Their moral powers are feeble, and they have but little spiritual power. The reason why they are thus weak and easily led away by temptation, is that they do not imitate the life of Christ. . . . {SD 143.2} [SD 143.3] Instead of following in the footsteps of the divine Redeemer, they are filled with pride and self-esteem. They study inclination, and follow the bent of their unconsecrated minds. {SD 143.3} [SD 143.4] In a moment He ［Christ］ distinguished between right and wrong, and placed sin in the light of God's commands, holding up the law as a mirror which reflected light upon wrong. It was this keen discrimination between right and wrong that often provoked Christ's brothers to anger. Yet His appeals and entreaties, and the sorrow expressed in His countenance, revealed such a tender, earnest love for them that they were ashamed of having tempted Him to deviate from His strict sense of justice and loyalty. {SD 143.4} [SD 143.5] God will have a people zealous of good works, standing firm amid the pollutions of this degenerate age. There will be a people who hold so fast to the divine strength that they will be proof against every temptation. Evil communications in flaming handbills may seek to speak to their senses and corrupt their minds; yet they will be so united to God and angels that they will be as those who see not and hear not. . . . The youth may have principles so firm that the most powerful temptations of Satan will not draw them away from their allegiance. 144 {SD 143.5} [SD 144.1] When He Was Reviled, He Reviled Not Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, be threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. 1 Peter 2:23. {SD 144.1} [SD 144.2] How often we feel that we have been dealt with unjustly, that things have been said concerning us that were untrue, and that we have been set in a false light before others. When we are thus tried, we shall need to keep strict guard over our spirit and our words. We shall need to have the love of Christ, that we may not cherish an unforgiving spirit. Let us not think that unless those who have injured us confess their wrongs, we are justified in withholding from them our forgiveness. We should not accumulate our grievances, holding them to our hearts until the one we think guilty has humbled his heart by repentance and confession. . . . However sorely they may have wounded us, we are not to cherish our grievances and sympathize with ourselves over our injuries, but as we hope to be pardoned for our offenses against God, so must we pardon those who have done evil to us. . . . When we are reviled, how strong is the temptation to revile in return, but in doing this we show ourselves as bad as the reviler. When tempted to revile, send up a silent prayer that God will give you His grace, and keep the tongue in silence. . . . {SD 144.2} [SD 144.3] Jesus has given us an example that we should follow in His steps, and manifest compassion and love and good-will toward all. Let us cultivate a kind spirit, a spirit of forbearance, and tender, pitying love toward those, who, when under temptation, have done us grievous wrongs. If possible, let us heal these wounds, and close the door of temptation by removing every barrier the wrongdoer has erected between himself and us. . . . The Lord delights to bestow His blessings upon those who will honor Him, who will acknowledge His mercy, and show that they appreciate His love to them by manifesting the same gracious characteristic to those around them. 145 {SD 144.3} [SD 145.1] He Was Misunderstood and Often Stood Alone I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me. Isaiah 63:3. {SD 145.1} [SD 145.2] What a support Christ would have found in His earthly relatives if they had believed in Him as one from heaven, and had co-operated with Him in doing the work of God! Their unbelief cast a shadow over the earthly life of Jesus. It was part of the bitterness of that cup of woe which He drained for us. . . . With their short measuring line they could not fathom the mission which He came to fulfill, and therefore could not sympathize with Him in His trials. Their coarse, unappreciative words showed that they had no true perception of His character, and did not discern that the divine blended with the human. They often saw Him full of grief; but instead of comforting Him, their spirit and words only wounded His heart. . . . {SD 145.2} [SD 145.3] These things made His path a thorny one to travel. So pained was Christ by the misapprehension in His own home that it was a relief to Him to go where it did not exist. Often He could find relief only in being alone, and communing with His heavenly Father. {SD 145.3} [SD 145.4] Those who are called to suffer for Christ's sake, who have to endure misapprehension and distrust, even in their own home, may find comfort in the thought that Jesus has endured the same. He is moved with compassion for them. He bids them find companionship in Him, and relief where He found it, in communion with the Father. Those who accept Christ as their personal Saviour are not left as orphans to bear the trials of life alone. He receives them as members of the heavenly family; He bids them call His Father their Father. They are His "little ones," dear to the heart of God, bound to Him by the most tender and abiding ties. He has toward them an exceeding tenderness, as far surpassing what our father or mother has felt toward us in our helplessness as the divine is above the human. 146 {SD 145.4} [SD 146.1] He Did Not Interfere With Those in Power Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. John 18:36. {SD 146.1} [SD 146.2] Today in the religious world there are multitudes who, as they believe, are working for the establishment of the kingdom of Christ as an earthly and temporal dominion. They desire to make our Lord the ruler of the kingdoms of this world, the ruler in its courts and camps, its legislative halls, its palaces and market places. They expect Him to rule through legal enactments, enforced by human authority. Since Christ is not now here in person, they themselves will undertake to act in His stead. . . . The establishment of such a kingdom is what the Jews desired in the days of Christ. . . . But He said, "My kingdom is not of this world." He would not accept the earthly throne. {SD 146.2} [SD 146.3] The government under which Jesus lived was corrupt and oppressive; on every hand were crying abuses,--extortion, intolerance, and grinding cruelty. Yet the Saviour attempted no civil reforms. He attacked no national abuses, nor condemned the national enemies. He did not interfere with the authority or administration of those in power. He who was our example kept aloof from earthly governments. Not because He was indifferent to the woes of men, but because the remedy did not lie in merely human and external measures. To be efficient, the cure must reach men individually, and must regenerate the heart. {SD 146.3} [SD 146.4] Not by the decisions of courts or councils or legislative assemblies, not by the patronage of worldly great men, is the kingdom of Christ established, but by the implanting of Christ's nature in humanity through the work of the Holy Spirit. "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." 147 {SD 146.4} [SD 147.1] In Love for Others Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. Ephesians 5:1, 2. {SD 147.1} [SD 147.2] You are to follow God as dear children, to be obedient to all His requirements, walking in love as Christ also hath loved us. . . . Love was the element in which Christ moved and walked and worked. He came to embrace the world in the arms of His love. . . . {SD 147.2} [SD 147.3] We are to follow the example set by Christ, and make Him our pattern, until we shall have the same love for others as He has manifested for us. He seeks to impress us with this profound lesson of love. . . . If your hearts have been given to selfishness, let Christ imbue you with His love. He desires that we shall love Him fully, and encourages, yes, even commands, that we shall love others as He has given us an example. He has made love the badge of our discipleship. . . . This is the measurement to which you are to reach,-- "Love one another; as I have loved you." What height, what depth and breadth of love! This love is not simply to embrace a few favorites, it is to reach to the lowliest and humblest of God's creatures. Jesus says, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." . . . {SD 147.3} [SD 147.4] The love and sympathy which Jesus would have us give to others does not savor of sentimentalism, which is a snare to the soul; it is a love that is of heavenly extraction, which Jesus exemplifies by both precept and example. But instead of manifesting this love, how often we are alienated and estranged one from another. . . . The result is estrangement from God, a dwarfed experience, a blighting of Christian growth. . . . {SD 147.4} [SD 147.5] The love of Jesus is an active principle, uniting heart with heart in bonds of Christian fellowship. Every one who enters heaven will on earth have been perfected in love; for in heaven the Redeemer and the redeemed will be objects of our interest. 148 {SD 147.5} [SD 148.1] In Compassion And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. Matthew 14:14. {SD 148.1} [SD 148.2] Let me point you to the life of Christ, to His compassion, His humility and love, His inexpressible tenderness. You are to copy His example. God has given you life and all the rich blessings that make it enjoyable, and in return He has claims upon you for service, for gratitude, for love, for obedience to His law. These claims are of the first importance, and cannot be lightly disregarded; but He requires nothing of you that will not make you happier, even in this life. {SD 148.2} [SD 148.3] The Majesty of heaven identifies His interests with that of suffering humanity. Our associates and companions are in need of heartfelt kindness and tender sympathy. . . . It is impossible to grow up into Christ our living head, unless we practice the lesson He has given us of sympathy, compassion, and love. It is impossible to reflect the image of Christ unless this love which is of heavenly birth, is in the soul. No one will pass the portals of the city of God who does not reflect this attribute. {SD 148.3} [SD 148.4] One unsanctified act on the part of our Saviour, would have marred the pattern, and He could not have been a perfect example for us; but although He was tempted in all points like as we are, He was yet without one taint of sin. He proclaims His character by the mouth of the prophet saying, "I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight." All who profess the name of Christ should delight in these things, by conversation and conduct making manifest to the world that they are copying the Pattern. . . . Whoever believes in Christ must do the works of Christ. The Lord has been presented before them as one who exercises loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, and these are the fruits that are borne by the genuine Christian. 149 {SD 148.4} [SD 149.1] In Cheerfulness And now I exhort you to be of good cheer. Acts 27:22. {SD 149.1} [SD 149.2] Jesus lived in a peasant's home, and faithfully and cheerfully acted His part in bearing the burdens of the household. . . . Jesus carried into His labor cheerfulness and tact. It requires much patience and spirituality to bring Bible religion into the home life and into the workshop, to bear the strain of worldly business, and yet keep the eye single to the glory of God. This is where Christ was a helper. He was never so full of worldly care as to have no time or thought for heavenly things. Often He expressed the gladness of His heart by singing psalms and heavenly songs. Often the dwellers in Nazareth heard His voice raised in praise and thanksgiving to God. He held communion with heaven in song; and as His companions complained of weariness from labor, they were cheered by the sweet melody from His lips. His praise seemed to banish the evil angels, and, like incense, fill the place with fragrance. {SD 149.2} [SD 149.3] Do not frown and fret when any task is required of you, but cheerfully carry the little burdens. . . . They are nothing but plain, homely, every-day duties, and may appear to you very small and insignificant, but some one must do them. If you go about them with quick step, and a heart glad because you do something to lighten the cares of your parents, you will be a blessing in the home. You do not know how much good you can do by always wearing a cheerful, sunny face, and watching for opportunities to help. . . . Day by day you are building for eternity. Fashion your characters after the divine model. Weave into them all the kindness, thoughtful obedience, pains-taking, and love that you can. . . . Cultivate quick sympathy; always have a cheerful, happy face, and be ready to lend a helping hand to those who need your aid. . . . He ［God］ will make an accurate entry of every deed done to His glory. . . . And in the great day of final accounts you will receive a glorious reward. 150 {SD 149.3} [SD 150.1] In Soul Winning And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19. {SD 150.1} [SD 150.2] Jesus expects much of the youthful soldiers of His army, and let it be your determination that you will not disappoint your Captain and Leader. You are to wear His armor, to be marshaled under His banner, and become co-laborers with Him in conquering His enemies and extending His kingdom. . . . You cannot betray sacred trust without imperiling your soul. You are to be found loyal and true, obedient to every word of command, presenting to others the highest motive to action, and showing them the attractions of the service of Christ. You are to show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. {SD 150.2} [SD 150.3] Those who have experienced the love of Christ cannot be idlers in the Master's vineyard. They will see opportunities for helping others in their steps to Christ. Partaking of Christ's love, they will labor for the souls of others. Let every soul copy the Pattern, and become missionaries in the highest sense, winning souls to Jesus. {SD 150.3} [SD 150.4] In view of what Christ has done for us, and what He suffered for sinners, we should, out of pure, disinterested love for souls, imitate His example by sacrificing our own pleasure and convenience for their good. The joy set before Christ, which sustained Him in all His sufferings, was the salvation of poor sinners. This should be our joy, and the spur of our ambition in the cause of our Master. In so doing we please God, and manifest our love and devotion to Him as His servants. He first loved us, and withheld not from us His beloved Son, but gave Him from His bosom to die that we might live. Love, true love, for our fellow-men, evinces love to God. {SD 150.4} [SD 150.5] Those who are in vital contact with Christ will manifest it in their actions. . . . They will win souls to Christ, and bring sheaves to the heavenly garner. 151 {SD 150.5} [SD 151.1] In Doing Good and Blessing Others God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10:38. {SD 151.1} [SD 151.2] Christ wrought miracle after miracle when He was on this earth. In this work He showed what God can do for afflicted bodies and souls. . . . He was constantly ministering to others, improving every opportunity offered Him. Even in His childhood He spoke words of comfort and tenderness to young and old. . . . He was an example of what all children may strive to be. . . . In His words and actions He manifested tender sympathy for all. His companionship was a healing, soothing balm to the disheartened and depressed. {SD 151.2} [SD 151.3] He possessed patience which nothing could ruffle, and truthfulness which would not be turned aside. His willing hands and feet were ever ready to serve others, and lighten the burdens of His parents. {SD 151.3} [SD 151.4] Be careful to follow the example of Jesus. As the sun-flower is constantly turning its open blossom to the sun, so let your heart, your thoughts, ever turn to Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness. Do not make self a center, and your pleasures and your wishes first. Seek the good of others; study to be a blessing to them, and to glorify your Creator. {SD 151.4} [SD 151.5] All around us are heard the wails of a world's sorrow. On every hand are the needy and distressed. It is ours to aid in relieving and softening life's hardships and misery. The wants of the soul, only the love of Christ can satisfy. If Christ is abiding in us, our hearts will be full of divine sympathy. The sealed fountains of earnest, Christlike love will be unsealed. {SD 151.5} [SD 151.6] There are many from whom hope has departed. Bring back the sunshine to them. Many have lost their courage. . . . Pray for these souls. Bring them to Jesus. Tell them that there is a balm in Gilead and a Physician there. 152 {SD 151.6} [SD 152.1] In Recognizing God as the Giver of All Gifts Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Psalm 68:19. {SD 152.1} [SD 152.2] Under the Jewish economy, on the birth of children an offering was made to God, by His own appointment. Now we see parents taking special pains to present gifts to their children upon their birthdays; they make this an occasion of honoring the child, as though honor were due to the human being. . . . For life, health, food, and clothing, no less than for the hope of eternal life, we are indebted to the Giver of all mercies; and it is due to God to recognize His gifts, and to present our offerings of gratitude to our greatest benefactor. These birthday gifts are recognized in heaven. {SD 152.2} [SD 152.3] If Christian parents had accustomed their children to present offerings to God in acknowledgment of His great gift of salvation to men, how different would be the character of the young. Their minds would have been called away from themselves to the blessed Saviour. They would have been taught to feel that He loved them, and that He is the source of all blessing; that He is their hope of happiness and eternal life. {SD 152.3} [SD 152.4] If this kind of education had been given to our children, we should today see far less selfishness, far less envy and jealousy; we should have more manly young men and womanly young women. We should see the youth coming up with moral strength, with pure principles, with well-balanced minds and lovely characters, because the Model would be ever before them; they would be impressed with the importance of copying the excellence of Jesus, the Pattern. . . . God wants the youth and those of mature age to look to Him, to believe in Jesus Christ whom He has sent, and to have Him abiding in the heart; then a new life will quicken every faculty of the being. The divine Comforter will be with them, to strengthen them in their weakness, and guide them in their perplexity. . . . It will make plain to them the path of life. 153 {SD 152.4} [SD 153.1] In Forgiveness Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34. {SD 153.1} [SD 153.2] Christ is our example. He placed Himself at the head of the human family to accomplish a work the importance of which men do not comprehend because they do not realize the privileges and possibilities before them as members of the human family of God. . . . His mercy was not weakness, but a terrible power to punish sin. . . . yet a power to draw to it the love of humanity. Through Christ Justice is enabled to forgive without sacrificing one jot of its exalted holiness. {SD 153.2} [SD 153.3] Christ taught us to pray, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors," and added, "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive your trespasses." . . . {SD 153.3} [SD 153.4] Will you not, if any one has done you a wrong, and is too proud and stubborn to say to you, "I repent," go to the offender and say, "I love you for Christ's sake, and I forgive you the injury you have done me"? Jesus will witness and approved of this deed of love; and as you do to others, it shall be done again to you. {SD 153.4} [SD 153.5] We are to have a spirit of pity, of compassion toward those who have trespassed against us, whether or not they confess their faults. It they fail to repent and make confession, their sins will stand registered in the books above to confront them in the day of judgment; but if they say, "I repent," then . . . we are freely to forgive from the heart their trespasses against us. {SD 153.5} [SD 153.6] True happiness does not consist in the possession of wealth or position, but in the possession of a pure, clean heart, cleansed by obedience to the truth. . . . To every one is given the opportunity to carry out the principles of heaven. The forgiving of injuries, not the avenging of them, is an exhibition of that wisdom which is true goodness. Christlike love for the men through whom the Lord has wrought is a manifestation of real transformation of character. 154 {SD 153.6} [SD 154.1] We are to be Perfect as Christ is Perfect And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. Hebrews 5:9. {SD 154.1} [SD 154.2] Our Saviour took up the true relationship of a human being as the Son of God. We are sons and daughters of God. In order to know how to behave ourselves circumspectly, we must follow where Christ leads the way. For thirty years He lived the life of a perfect man, meeting the highest standard of perfection. {SD 154.2} [SD 154.3] Our work is to strive to attain in our sphere of action the perfection that Christ in His life on the earth attained in every phase of character. {SD 154.3} [SD 154.4] To go forward without stumbling, we must have the assurance that a hand all-powerful will hold us up, and an infinite pity be exercised toward us if we fall. God alone can at all times hear our cry for help. {SD 154.4} [SD 154.5] It is a solemn thought that the removal of one safeguard from the conscience, the failure to fulfill one good resolution, the formation of one wrong habit, may result not only in our own ruin, but in the ruin of those who have put confidence in us. Our only safety is to follow where the steps of the Master lead the way, to trust for protection implicitly to Him who says, "Follow me." Our constant prayer should be, "Hold up my goings in thy path, O Lord, that my footsteps slip not." {SD 154.5} [SD 154.6] Every faculty with which the Creator has endowed us should be cultivated to the highest degree of perfection, that we may be able to do the greatest amount of good of which we are capable. In order to purify and refine our characters, we need the grace given us of Christ, that will enable us to see and correct our deficiencies, and improve that which is excellent in our characters. {SD 154.6} [SD 154.7] The Son of God was faultless. We must aim at this perfection, and overcome as He overcame, if we would have a seat at His right hand. 155 {SD 154.7} [SD 155.1] We are to be Holy as Christ is Holy Be ye holy; for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:16. {SD 155.1} [SD 155.2] With our limited powers we are to be as holy in our sphere as God is holy in His sphere. {SD 155.2} [SD 155.3] God expects us to build characters in accordance with the Pattern set before us. We are to lay brick upon brick, adding grace to grace, finding our weak points and correcting them in accordance with the directions given. When a crack is seen in the walls of a mansion, we know that something about the building is wrong. In our character building, cracks are often seen. Unless these defects are remedied, the house will fall when the tempest of trial beats upon it. {SD 155.3} [SD 155.4] God gives us strength, reasoning power, time, in order that we may build characters on which He can place His stamp of approval. He desires each child of His to build a noble character, by the doing of pure, noble deeds, that in the end He may present a symmetrical structure, a fair temple, honored by man and God. {SD 155.4} [SD 155.5] In our character building we must build on Christ. He is the sure foundation--a foundation which can never be moved. The tempest of temptation and trial cannot move the building which is riveted to the Eternal Rock. He who would grow into a beautiful building for the Lord must cultivate every power of the being. It is only by the right use of the talents that the character can develop harmoniously. Thus we bring to the foundation that which is represented in the Word as gold, silver, precious stones--material that will stand the test of God's purifying fires. {SD 155.5} [SD 155.6] Holiness is . . . an entire surrender of the will to God; it is living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God; it is doing the will of our heavenly Father; it is trusting God in trial, in darkness as well as in light; it is walking by faith and not by sight; it is relying on God with unquestioning confidence, and resting in His love. 156 {SD 155.6} [SD 156.1] We are to Overcome as Christ Overcame These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33. {SD 156.1} [SD 156.2] Satan made stronger attacks upon Christ than he will ever make upon us. There was much at stake with him, whether Christ or himself should be conqueror. If Christ resisted his most powerful temptations, and Satan did not succeed in leading Him to sin, he knew that he must lose his power, and finally be punished with everlasting destruction. Therefore Satan worked with mighty power to lead Christ to do a wrong action, for then he would gain advantage over Him. . . . You can never be tempted in so determined and cruel manner as was our Saviour. Satan was upon His path every moment. {SD 156.2} [SD 156.3] Will man take hold of divine power, and with determination and perseverance resist Satan, as Christ has given him example in His conflict with the foe in the wilderness of temptation? God cannot save man against his will from the power of Satan's artifices. Man must work with his human power, aided by the divine power of Christ, to resist and to conquer at any cost to himself. In short, man must overcome as Christ overcame. And then, through the victory that it is his privilege to gain by the all-powerful name of Jesus, he may become an heir of God and joint-heir with Jesus Christ. This could not be the case if Christ alone did all the overcoming. Man must do his part; he must be victor on his own account, through the strength and grace that Christ gives him. Man must be a co-worker with Christ in the labor of overcoming, and then he will be partaker with Christ in His glory. {SD 156.3} [SD 156.4] The Saviour overcame to show man how he may overcome. All the temptations of Satan, Christ met with the Word of God. By trusting in God's promises, He received power to obey God's commandments, and the tempter could gain no advantage. 157 {SD 156.4} [SD 157.1] We Follow Christ in the Ordinance of Humility If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. John 13:14, 15. {SD 157.1} [SD 157.2] When the disciples entered the supper room, their hearts were full of resentful feelings. Judas pressed next to Christ on the left side; John was on the right. If there was a highest place, Judas was determined to have it, and that place was thought to be next to Christ. . . . {SD 157.2} [SD 157.3] Another cause of dissension had arisen. At a feast it was customary for a servant to wash the feet of the guests. . . . The pitcher, the basin, and the towel were there, in readiness for the feet washing; but no servant was present, and it was the disciples' part to perform it. . . . Jesus waited for a time to see what they would do. Then He, the divine Teacher, rose from the table. Laying aside the outer garment that would have impeded His movements, He took a towel, and girded Himself. . . . "After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet." . . . So Christ expressed His love for His disciples. {SD 157.3} [SD 157.4] The celebration of these ordinances is the fulfilling of the command, "If I, then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. . . ." What a place is this for hushing controversies, for forgiving those who have done us any injury. This is the time, if one has anything against his brother, to make it right, to settle every difficulty. Let there be mutual forgiveness. Let no strange flame be brought to the altar. Let no malice, no hatred, be cherished by those who meet round the communion table. {SD 157.4} [SD 157.5] Whenever this ordinance is rightly celebrated, the children of God are brought into a holy relationship, to help and bless each other. 158 {SD 157.5} [SD 158.1] We Follow Christ in the Communion Service After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 1 Corinthians 11:25. {SD 158.1} [SD 158.2] Christ was standing at the point of transition between two economies and their two great festivals. . . . As He ate the Passover with His disciples, He instituted in its place the service that was to be the memorial of His great sacrifice. The national festival of the Jews was to pass away forever. The service which Christ established was to be observed by His followers in all lands and through all ages. . . . Till He shall come the second time in power and glory, this ordinance is to be celebrated. {SD 158.2} [SD 158.3] It is at these, His own appointments, that Christ meets His people, and energizes them by His presence. . . . All who come with their faith fixed upon Him will be greatly blessed. All who neglect these seasons of divine privilege will suffer loss. Of them it may appropriately be said, "Ye are not all clean." . . . {SD 158.3} [SD 158.4] But the Communion service was not to be a season of sorrowing. This was not its purpose. . . . They are not to recall the differences between them and their brethren. The preparatory service has embraced all this. . . . Now they come to meet with Christ. They are not to stand in the shadow of the cross, but in its saving light. They are to open the soul to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. With hearts cleansed by Christ's most precious blood, in full consciousness of His presence, although unseen, they are to hear His words, "Peace I leave with you." . . . {SD 158.4} [SD 158.5] The Communion service points to Christ's second coming. It was designed to keep this hope vivid in the minds of the disciples. . . . In their tribulation they found comfort in the hope of their Lord's return. Unspeakably precious to them was the thought, "As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come." {SD 158.5} [SD 159.1] Chap. 6 - We Choose the Best Choose Today to Serve Christ Always And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15. {SD 159.1} [SD 159.2] We have been bought with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish. What a price is this, unparalleled, infinite! But though Christ has bought us, and invites us to come to Him, still the world holds out its attractions to us, and strives for the mastery. Shall love for God, or love for the world, triumph in the conflict? Satan and his evil angels are watching at every avenue leading to the human heart, seeking to force souls to accept evil suggestions. The enemy presents bribes to win us to the world, as he presented bribes to Christ in the wilderness of temptation. Unless we depend upon a power out of and above ourselves, the enemy will succeed in accomplishing our ruin. But in looking to Jesus, by studying His life and character, by earnestly desiring to be like Him, our minds will be balanced in the right direction, that we may overcome selfishness, and choose a course of righteousness. . . . {SD 159.2} [SD 159.3] I appeal to the youth: "Choose you this day whom ye will serve." There is a necessity for a decided choice; for Jesus said, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." . . . {SD 159.3} [SD 159.4] If your heart is filled with love to Christ, it will be demonstrated that He is stronger than the passions which have ruled you, whose indulgence have undermined noble impulses, and left the soul to the mercy of Satan's temptations. . . . When the heart of the sinner is touched, he yields his will to God's will. . . . He sees in Jesus matchless charms, and his heart is captivated. 160 {SD 159.4} [SD 160.1] Choose Christ as our Captain And he said . . . as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant? Joshua 5:14. {SD 160.1} [SD 160.2] When Joshua went forth in the morning before the taking of Jericho, there appeared before him a warrior fully equipped for battle. And Joshua asked, "Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?" and He answered, "As Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come." If the eyes of Joshua had been opened . . . and he could have endured the sight, he would have seen the angels of the Lord encamped about the children of Israel; for the trained army of heaven had come to fight for the people of God, and the Captain of the Lord's host was there to command. . . . It was not Israel, but the Captain of the Lord's host that took Jericho. But Israel had their part to act to show their faith in the Captain of their salvation. {SD 160.2} [SD 160.3] Battles are to be fought every day. A great warfare is going on over every soul, between the prince of darkness and the Prince of life. There is a great battle to be fought, . . . but you are not to do the main fighting here. As God's agent you are to yield yourselves to Him, that He may plan and direct and fight the battle for you, with your co-operation. The Prince of life is at the head of His work. He is to be with you in your daily battle with self, that you may be true to principle; that passion, when warring for the mastery, may be subdued by the grace of Christ; that you come off more than conqueror through Him that hath loved us. Jesus has been over the ground. He knows the power of every temptation. He knows just how to meet every emergency, and how to guide you through every path of danger. {SD 160.3} [SD 160.4] He who has given His precious life because He loved you, and wanted you to be happy, will be a Captain who will always be mindful of your interest. 161 {SD 160.4} [SD 161.1] Counsel of a True Friend Rejoices the Heart Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel. Proverbs 27:9. {SD 161.1} [SD 161.2] Things will go wrong with every one; sadness and discouragement press every soul; then a personal presence, a friend who will comfort and impart strength, will turn back the darts of the enemy that are aimed to destroy. Christian friends are not half as plentiful as they should be. In hours of temptation, in a crisis, what a value is a true friend! Satan at such times sends along his agents to cause the trembling limbs to stumble; but the true friends who will counsel, who will impart magnetic hopefulness, the calming faith that uplifts the soul,--oh, such help is worth more than precious pearls. {SD 161.2} [SD 161.3] The life of Samuel from early childhood had been a life of piety and devotion. He had been placed under the care of Eli in his youth, and the loveliness of his character drew forth the warm affection of the aged priest. He was kind, generous, diligent, obedient, and respectful. . . . It was a singular thing that between Eli, the chief magistrate of the nation, and the simple child so warm a friendship should exist. Samuel was helpful and affectionate, and no father ever loved his child more tenderly than did Eli this youth. . . . {SD 161.3} [SD 161.4] How touching to see youth and old age relying one upon the other, the youth looking up to the aged for counsel and wisdom, the aged looking to the youth for help and sympathy. This is as it should be. God would have the young possess such qualification of character that they shall find delight in the friendship of the old, that they may be united in the endearing bonds of affection to those who are approaching the borders of the grave. {SD 161.4} [SD 161.5] A strong, helpful grasp of the hand of a true friend is worth more than gold and silver. 162 {SD 161.5} [SD 162.1] Seek the Company of the Wise He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Proverbs 13:20. {SD 162.1} [SD 162.2] From the earliest years it is necessary to weave into the character principles of stern integrity, that the youth may reach the highest standard of manhood and womanhood.... The youth should seriously consider what shall be their purpose and life work, and lay the foundation in such a way that their habits shall be free from all taint of corruption. If they would stand in a position where they shall influence others, they must be self-reliant. . . . {SD 162.2} [SD 162.3] We may learn a lesson from the lily, and although surrounded with influences that would tend to corrupt the morals, and bring ruin upon the soul, we may refuse to be corrupted, and place ourselves where evil association shall not corrupt our hearts. Individually the youth should seek for association with those who are toiling upward with unfaltering steps. {SD 162.3} [SD 162.4] Examine your own hearts, judge your own course. Consider what associates you are choosing. Do you seek the company of the wise, or are you willing to choose worldly associates, companions who fear not God, and obey not the gospel? {SD 162.4} [SD 162.5] The only safe-guard for children and youth, is the love and fear of God. Let them choose for their companions those who give evidence that they will encourage good purposes, orderly habits, and uprightness of character. Let them choose for companions those who practise the Bible truth, and walk according to the light that shines upon their pathway. {SD 162.5} [SD 162.6] If you would have broad views, noble thoughts and aspirations, choose associations that will strengthen right principles. Let every thought and the purpose of every action bend to the securing of the future life, with eternal happiness. 163 {SD 162.6} [SD 163.1] We Choose Our Associates Carefully Put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them. Numbers 6:27. {SD 163.1} [SD 163.2] God's Word places great stress upon the influence of association, even upon men and women. How much greater is its power on the developing mind and character of children and youth. The company they keep, the principles they adopt, the habits they form, will decide the question of their usefulness here, and of their future, eternal interest. . . . {SD 163.2} [SD 163.3] Through contact with the irreligious, the pleasure-loving, and the corrupt, many, many youth lose the simplicity and purity, the faith in God, and the spirit of self-sacrifice that Christian fathers and mothers have cherished and guarded by careful instruction and earnest prayer. . . . {SD 163.3} [SD 163.4] As a rule, men and women who have broad ideas, unselfish purposes, noble aspirations, are those in whom these characteristics were developed by their associations in early years. In all His dealings with Israel, God urged upon them the importance of guarding the associations of their children. All the arrangements of civil, religious, and social life were made with a view to preserving the children from harmful companionship, and making them, from their earliest years, familiar with the precepts and principles of the law of God. The object-lesson given at the birth of the nation was of a nature deeply to impress all hearts. Before the last terrible judgment came upon the Egyptians in the death of the first-born, God commanded His people to gather their children into their own homes. The doorpost of every house was marked with blood, and within the protection assured by this token all were to abide. So today parents who love and fear God are to keep their children under "the bond of the covenant,"--within the protection of those sacred influences made possible through Christ's redeeming blood. 164 {SD 163.4} [SD 164.1] We Do Not Consent to Enticement of Sinners My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. . . . For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. Proverbs 1:10, 16. {SD 164.1} [SD 164.2] It is not safe for the professed follower of Christ to associate with the careless and reckless; for it is an easy matter to come to view things as they do, and to lose all sense of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Guard yourself on this one point in particular,-- do not be influenced and led astray by those you have reason to know, by their words and works, are not in connection with God. {SD 164.2} [SD 164.3] Hear the voice of God: "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not." Those who are controlled by the Spirit of God are to keep their perceptive faculties awake; for the time has come when their integrity and loyalty to God and to one another will be tested. Do not commit the least injustice in order to gain an advantage for yourselves. Do unto others, in small matters as well as in great, as you would that others should do unto you. God says, "Ye are my witnesses." You are to act in My place. Could the curtain be rolled back, you would see the heavenly universe looking with intense interest upon the one who is tempted. If you do not yield to the enemy, there is joy in heaven. When the first suggestion of wrong is heard, dart a prayer to heaven, and then firmly resist the temptation to tamper with the principles condemned in God's Word. The first time the temptation comes, meet it in such a decided manner that it will never be repeated. Turn from the one who has ventured to present wrong practises to you. Resolutely turn from the tempter, saying, I must separate from your influence; for I know you are not walking in the footsteps of our Saviour. {SD 164.3} [SD 164.4] Even though you may not feel able to speak a word to those who are working on wrong principles, leave them. Your withdrawal and silence may do more than words. . . . Have courage to do right. 165 {SD 164.4} [SD 165.1] We Choose a Life Companion Who Loves God Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Amos 3:3. {SD 165.1} [SD 165.2] The Lord has not changed. . . . He is true, merciful, compassionate, faithful in the performance of His Word, both in promises and threatenings. One of the greatest dangers that besets the people of God today, is that of association with the ungodly; especially in uniting themselves in marriage with unbelievers. With many, the love for the human eclipses the love for the divine. They take the first step in backsliding by venturing to disregard the Lord's express command; and complete apostasy is too often the result. It has ever proved a dangerous thing for men to carry out their own will in opposition to the requirements of God. Yet it is a hard lesson for men to learn that God means what He says. As a rule, those who choose for their friends and companions, persons who reject Christ and trample upon God's law, eventually become of the same mind and spirit. {SD 165.2} [SD 165.3] If we would rise to the highest moral excellence, and attain to the perfection of religious character, what discrimination should be used in the formation of friendships, and the choice of a companion for life. . . . {SD 165.3} [SD 165.4] Many who started out in life with as fair and promising a morning, in their limited sphere, as Solomon had in his exalted station, through one false and irrevocable step in the marriage relation, lose their souls, and draw others down to ruin with them. . . . Frivolous companions, who have no depth of principle, turn away the hearts of those who were once noble and true, to vanity, corrupting pleasures, and downright vice. {SD 165.4} [SD 165.5] We should ever feel a deep interest in the salvation of the impenitent, and should manifest toward them a spirit of kindness and courtesy; but we can safely choose for our friends only those who are the friends of God. 166 {SD 165.5} [SD 166.1] Not a Favored Few, But Many Friends A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17. {SD 166.1} [SD 166.2] Sympathy is good, wisely given, but it must be judiciously imparted, with a knowledge that the subject is deserving sympathy. What shall be said of receiving advice and counsel? Proverbs 25:9-12. "Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another: lest he that heareth it put thee to shame. . . . A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear." When we can associate together to help one another heavenward, when the conversation is upon divine and heavenly things, then it amounts to something to talk; but when the conversation centers upon self and upon earthly and unimportant matters, silence is golden. The obedient ear will receive reproof with humility, patience, and teachableness. Then only do our communications with each other prove beneficial, and fulfil all that God would have them. When both sides of the divine instruction are fulfilled, the wise reprover does his duty, and the obedient ear hears to a purpose and is benefited. {SD 166.2} [SD 166.3] Every association we form, however limited, exerts some influence upon us. The extent to which we yield to that influence will be determined by the degree of intimacy, the constancy of the intercourse, and our love and veneration for the one with whom we associate. {SD 166.3} [SD 166.4] Your good will, your unselfish acts, will not be to a favored few, but to all with whom you associate. Thus you will form friends and attachments that are dear and lasting; your own deeds will be reflected back on yourself. {SD 166.4} [SD 166.5] Through the social relations, Christianity comes in contact with the world. Every one who has received the divine illumination is to brighten the pathway of those who know not the Light of Life. 167 {SD 166.5} [SD 167.1] Jesus is a Friend That is Closer Than a Brother There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24. {SD 167.1} [SD 167.2] Disappointments you will have, but ever bear in mind that Jesus, the living, risen Saviour, is your Redeemer, your Restorer. He loves you, and it is better to share His love than to sit with princes and be separated from Him. . . . {SD 167.2} [SD 167.3] Come daily to Jesus, who loves you. Open your heart to Him freely. In Him there is no disappointment. You will never find a better counsellor, a safer guide, a more sure defense. {SD 167.3} [SD 167.4] Through all your trials . . . you have had a never-failing Friend, who has said, "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." {SD 167.4} [SD 167.5] But how often is the Lord neglected for the society of others, and for things of no value! . . . We dare not let His name languish on our lips, and His love and memory die out of our hearts. "Well," says the cold, formal professor, "this is making Christ too much like a human being;" but the Word of God warrants us to have these very ideas. It is the want of these practical, definite views of Christ, that hinders so many from having a genuine experience in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This is the reason that many are fearing and doubting and mourning. Their ideas of Christ and the plan of salvation are vague, dreary, and confused. . . . If ever there was a time when men needed the presence of Christ at their right hand, it is now, so that when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. {SD 167.5} [SD 167.6] Communion with Christ--how unspeakably precious! Such communion it is our privilege to enjoy, if we will seek it. {SD 167.6} [SD 167.7] The everlasting assurance shall be yours that you have a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother. 168 {SD 167.7} [SD 168.1] Happy Home Atmosphere Promotes Health Happy is that people, whose God is the Lord. Psalm 144:15. {SD 168.1} [SD 168.2] A home where love dwells and where it finds expression in looks, in words, in acts, is a place where angels delight to dwell. . . . {SD 168.2} [SD 168.3] Let the sunshine of love, cheer, and happy content enter your own hearts, and let its sweet influence pervade the home. . . . The atmosphere thus created will be to the children what air and sunshine are to the vegetable world, promoting health and vigor of mind and body. {SD 168.3} [SD 168.4] Educate the soul to cheerfulness, to thankfulness, and to the expression of gratitude to God for the great love wherewith He hath loved us. . . . Christian cheerfulness is the very beauty of holiness. {SD 168.4} [SD 168.5] While grief and anxiety cannot remedy a single evil, they can do great harm; but cheerfulness and hope, while they brighten the pathway of others, "are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh." {SD 168.5} [SD 168.6] The mother should cultivate a cheerful, contented, happy disposition. Every effort in this direction will be abundantly repaid in both the physical well-being and the moral character of her children. A cheerful spirit will promote the happiness of her family, and in a very great degree improve her own health. {SD 168.6} [SD 168.7] The healthfulness of youth requires exercise, cheerfulness, and a happy, pleasant atmosphere surrounding them, for the development of physical health and symmetrical character. {SD 168.7} [SD 168.8] As children of the light, God would have us cultivate a cheerful, happy spirit, that we may show forth the praises of Him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. 169 {SD 168.8} [SD 169.1] Labor Results in Health and Happiness The Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice. Deuteronomy 16:15. {SD 169.1} [SD 169.2] A faithful fulfillment of home duties, filling the position you can occupy to the best advantage, be it ever so simple and humble, is truly elevating. This divine influence is needed. In this there is peace and sacred joy. It possesses healing power. It will secretly and insensibly soothe the wounds of the soul, and even the sufferings of the body. Peace of mind, which comes from pure and holy motives and actions, will give free and vigorous spring to all the organs of the body. Inward peace and a conscience void of offense toward God, will quicken and invigorate the intellect, like dew distilled upon the tender plants. The will is then rightly directed and controlled, and is more decided and yet free from perverseness. The meditations are pleasing because they are sanctified. The serenity of mind which you may possess, will bless all with whom you associate. . . . The more you taste this heavenly peace and quietude of mind, the more it will increase. It is an animated, living pleasure which does not throw all the moral energies into a stupor, but awakens them to increased activity. Perfect peace is an attribute of Heaven which angels possess. {SD 169.2} [SD 169.3] Never will children and youth feel the peace of contentment until by the faithful performance of home duties they relieve the tired hands and weary heart and brain of the mother. . . . Those who neglect to bear part of the responsibilities of the home are the ones who are troubled with loneliness and discontent; for they have not learned the truth that those who are happy are happy because they share the daily routine of work. {SD 169.3} [SD 169.4] Well-directed labor is just what they require to make them strong, vigorous, cheerful, happy, and courageous to meet the various trials with which this life is beset. 170 {SD 169.4} [SD 170.1] Health and Happiness in the Out-of-Doors O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. Psalm 104:24. {SD 170.1} [SD 170.2] From out-of-door life, men, women and children will gain the desire to be pure and guileless. By the influence of the quickening, reviving, life-giving properties of nature's great medicinal resources, the functions of the body are strengthened, the intellect awakened, the imagination quickened, the spirits enlivened. The mind is prepared to appreciate the beauties of God's Word. {SD 170.2} [SD 170.3] The pure air has in it health and life. As it is breathed in, it has an invigorating effect on the whole system. {SD 170.3} [SD 170.4] In itself the beauty of nature leads the soul away from sin and worldly attractions, and toward purity, peace, and God. {SD 170.4} [SD 170.5] For this reason the cultivation of the soil is good work for children and youth. It brings them into direct contact with nature and nature's God. . . . To the nervous child or youth, . . . it will be especially valuable. There is health and happiness for him in the study of nature; and the impressions made will not fade out of his mind, for they will be associated with objects that are continually before his eyes. {SD 170.5} [SD 170.6] In the natural world, God has placed in the hands of the children of men the key to unlock the treasure-house of His word. The unseen is illustrated by the seen; divine wisdom, eternal truth, infinite grace, are understood by the things that God has made. . . . God has made this world fair because He delights in our happiness. {SD 170.6} [SD 170.7] In order for children and youth to have health, cheerfulness, vivacity, and well-developed muscles and brains, they should be much in the open air, and have well-regulated employment and amusement. {SD 170.7} [SD 170.8] True happiness is found, not in the indulgence of pride and luxury, but in communion with God through His created work. 171 {SD 170.8} [SD 171.1] By Preserving the Living Machinery Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2. {SD 171.1} [SD 171.2] The right use of one's self is the most valuable lesson that can be learned. We are not to do brain work, and stop there, or make physical exertion, and stop there; we are to make the best use of the various parts that compose the human machinery,--brain, bone, muscle, head, and heart. {SD 171.2} [SD 171.3] The right use of one's self includes the whole circle of obligations to one's self, to the world, and to God. Then use the physical powers proportionately with the mental powers. Every action derives its quality from the motive which prompts it, and if the motives are not high, and pure, and unselfish, the mind and character will never become well balanced. . . . {SD 171.3} [SD 171.4] You are the Lord's; for He created you. You are His by redemption; for He gave His life for you. . . . Preserve every portion of the living machinery, that you may use it for God. Preserve it for Him. Your health depends upon the right use of your physical organism. Do not misuse any portion of your God-given powers, physical, mental, or moral. All your habits are to be brought under the control of a mind that is itself under the control of God. {SD 171.4} [SD 171.5] If young men and women would grow up to the full stature of Christ Jesus, they must treat themselves intelligently. . . . Unhealthful habits of every order--late hours at night, late hours in bed in the morning, rapid eating--are to be overcome. Masticate your food thoroughly. Let there be no hurried eating. Have your room well ventilated day and night, and perform useful physical labor. . . . By properly using our powers to their fullest extent in the most useful employment, by keeping every organ in health, by so preserving every organ that mind, sinew, and muscle shall work harmoniously, we may do the most precious service for God. 172 {SD 171.5} [SD 172.1] Careful Habits Ensure Good Health I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord. Jeremiah 30:17. {SD 172.1} [SD 172.2] The mind does not wear out nor break down so often on account of diligent employment and hard study, as on account of eating improper food at improper times, and of careless inattention to the laws of health. . . . Irregular hours for eating and sleeping sap the brain forces. The apostle Paul declares that he who would be successful in reaching a high standard of godliness must be temperate in all things. Eating, drinking, and dressing all have a direct bearing upon our spiritual advancement. {SD 172.2} [SD 172.3] Health is a blessing which few appreciate. . . . Many eat at all hours, regardless of the laws of health. Then gloom covers the mind. How can men be honored with divine enlightenment when they are so reckless in their habits, so inattentive to the light which God has given in regard to these things. . . . Life is a holy trust, which God alone can enable us to keep, and to use to His glory. But He who formed the wonderful structure of the body will take special care to keep it in order if men do not work at cross-purposes with Him. {SD 172.3} [SD 172.4] Health, life, and happiness are the result of obedience to physical laws governing our bodies. If our will and way are in accordance with God's will and way; if we do the pleasure of our Creator, He will keep the human organism in good condition, and restore the moral, mental, and physical powers, in order that He may work through us to His glory. . . . If we co-operate with Him in this work, health and happiness, peace and usefulness, are the sure result. {SD 172.4} [SD 172.5] He did not die for us in order that we might become slaves to evil habits, but that we might become the sons and daughters of God, serving Him with every power of the being. {SD 172.5} [SD 172.6] My dear young friends, advance step by step, until all your habits shall be in harmony with the laws of life and health. 173 {SD 172.6} [SD 173.1] We Are to Be Clean Inwardly and Outwardly Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. Ezekiel 36:25. {SD 173.1} [SD 173.2] In order to be acceptable in God's sight, the leaders of the people were to give strict heed to the sanitary condition of the armies of Israel, even when they went forth to battle. Every soul, from the commander-in-chief to the lowest soldier in the army, was sacredly charged to preserve cleanliness in his person and surroundings; for the Israelites were chosen by God as His peculiar people. They were sacredly bound to be holy in body and spirit. They were not to be careless or neglectful of their personal duties. In every respect they were to preserve cleanliness. They were to allow nothing untidy or unwholesome in their surroundings, nothing which would taint the purity of the atmosphere. {SD 173.2} [SD 173.3] The Ten Commandments, spoken by Jehovah from Sinai, cannot live in the hearts of persons of disorderly, filthy habits. If ancient Israel could not so much as listen to the proclamation of that holy law, unless they had obeyed the injunction of Jehovah, and had cleansed their clothing, how can that sacred law be written upon the hearts of persons who are not cleanly in person, in clothing, or in their houses? It is impossible. {SD 173.3} [SD 173.4] Heaven is a clean and holy place. God is pure and holy. All who come into His presence should take heed to His directions, and have the body and the clothing in a pure, clean condition, thus showing respect to themselves and to Him. The heart must also be sanctified. Those who do this will not dishonor His sacred name by worshiping Him while their hearts are polluted and their apparel is untidy. God sees these things. He marks the heart-preparation, the thoughts, the cleanliness . . . of those who worship Him. {SD 173.4} [SD 173.5] Angels are impressed with the things which they behold in the outward surroundings of God's people. 174 {SD 173.5} [SD 174.1] Daniel Blessed for Choosing the Best And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. Daniel 1:15. {SD 174.1} [SD 174.2] The youth should stand in a position where their hearts may be wholly the Lord's; where they are honoring God with their strength. God will then honor them by giving them knowledge and wisdom. Thus did Daniel in the courts of Babylon, standing true to principle amid the corruptions of the heathen. "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank." {SD 174.2} [SD 174.3] Daniel and his companions knew not what would be the result of their decision; they knew not but that it would cost them their lives; but they determined to keep the straight path of strict temperance even when in the courts of licentious Babylon. {SD 174.3} [SD 174.4] By the example of Daniel and his fellows in Babylon, we see that it is impossible to reach the standard which that Lord would have His children reach, and practise an easy, accommodating kind of religion that leaves principle out, and is controlled by circumstances. Youth who would serve the God of heaven, cannot engage in worldly merriment, eat of enervating luxuries, or drink strong drink because it is set before them by the honored or wealthy men of the world, whom they fear to offend by refusing their favors. They may think that they have been especially honored, and that courtesy demands the acceptance of the favors proffered them; but loyalty to God must take the precedence, and fear to offend the Lord of heaven must control the Christian. The king of Babylon thought that he was bestowing great favors upon Daniel and his fellows; but they had respect unto God's commandments more than unto the favor of the king. . . . God honored Daniel, and He will honor every youth who takes the course that Daniel took in honoring God. 175 {SD 174.4} [SD 175.1] We Choose to Please God, Not Ourselves And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. John 8:29. {SD 175.1} [SD 175.2] Had He ［Christ］ chosen to do so, He could have passed His days in a world of His own creating, in ease and plenty, and claimed for Himself all the pleasures and enjoyment the world could give Him. But He did not consider His own convenience. He lived not to please Himself, but to do good and lavish His blessings upon others. {SD 175.2} [SD 175.3] There is no help for man, woman, or child, who will not hear and obey the voice of duty; for the voice of duty is the voice of God. The eyes, the ears, and the heart, will become unimpressible if men and women refuse to give heed to the divine counsel, and choose the way that is best pleasing to themselves. {SD 175.3} [SD 175.4] The man or woman that leaves the place that God has given him or her, in order to please inclination, and acts on his own devised plan meets with disappointment, because he has chosen his way instead of God's way. . . . {SD 175.4} [SD 175.5] Our heavenly Father is our Ruler, and we must submit to His discipline. We are members of His family. He has a right to our service. . . . We must not study to have our own way, but God's way and God's will. . . . Human beings suffer much because they step out of the path that God has chosen for them to follow. They walk in the sparks of the fire they themselves have kindled, and the sure result is affliction, unrest, and sorrow, which they might have avoided if they had submitted their will to God. . . . Whatever path God chooses for us, whatever way He ordains for our feet, that is the only path of safety. . . . With the eye of faith, with childlike submission as obedient children, we must look to God, to follow His guidance, and difficulties will clear away. The promise is, "I will instruct thee and teach thee." 176 {SD 175.5} [SD 176.1] We Do All in the Name of Jesus And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Colossians 3:17. {SD 176.1} [SD 176.2] The Lord requires that every human agent shall do his best; and those that do their best will have the greatest personal satisfaction, and will bring the greatest satisfaction to those who have an interest in them. The youth need to realize that they need a deep experience in the things of God. A mere surface work will be of no benefit to them. You need to bring the light of God's Word into your heart, that you may search it with a lighted candle. . . . {SD 176.2} [SD 176.3] When you associate together, you may be a help and a blessing one to another if you surround yourselves with an influence that is divine; but there are those who have grave defects which are gaining a deeper hold upon them, and which, if not overcome, will drive the Spirit of God out of the heart. . . . Bible religion is not one influence among many others, but its influence is supreme, pervading and controlling every other influence. Bible religion is to exercise control over life and conduct. It is not to be like a dash of color brushed here and there upon the canvas, but its influence is to pervade the whole life, as though the canvas were dipped into the color until every thread of the fabric was dyed a deep, fast, unfading hue. The Lord will give you understanding in all practical Bible truths as you bring them into your life practice. Principles of truth are to be carried out in your practical experience in every-day matters. {SD 176.3} [SD 176.4] Even in the smaller duties of common life, we are to make continual growth in grace, supplied with high and holy motives, powerful because they proceed from One who gave His life to furnish us with the incentive to be wholly successful in the formation of Christian character. {SD 176.4} [SD 176.5] Wherever the religion of Christ works, it will brighten and sweeten every detail of life with more than an earthly joy and a higher than earthly peace. 177 {SD 176.5} [SD 177.1] With Recreation That Results in Joy But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. Psalm 5:11. {SD 177.1} [SD 177.2] The enemy of righteousness has every kind of pleasure prepared for youth in all conditions of life; and they are not presented alone in crowded cities, but in every spot inhabited by human beings. Satan loves to secure the youth in his ranks as soldiers. The arch fiend well knows with what material he has to deal; and he has displayed his infernal wisdom in devising customs and pleasures for the youth which will separate their affections from Jesus Christ. The various amusements of society have been the ruin of thousands and tens of thousands who, had it not been for these attractions, would have been obedient children, respectful to their parents, upright, pure, and noble in their pursuits and in their character. {SD 177.2} [SD 177.3] Should Christ come among the assembly who were absorbed in their plays and frivolous amusements, would the solemn melody of His voice be heard in benediction, saying, "Peace be to this house"? How would the Saviour of the world enjoy these scenes of gaiety and folly? {SD 177.3} [SD 177.4] Pride and ambition are never satisfied, but those who are truly wise will find substantial and elevating pleasure in the sources of enjoyment that God placed within the reach of all. {SD 177.4} [SD 177.5] It is the privilege and duty of Christians to seek to refresh their spirits and invigorate their bodies by innocent recreation, with the purpose of using their physical and mental powers to the glory of God. Our recreations should not be scenes of senseless mirth, taking the form of the nonsensical. We can conduct them in such a manner as will benefit and elevate those with whom we associate, and better qualify us and them to more successfully attend to the duties devolving upon us as Christians. . . . The religion of Christ is cheering and elevating in its influence. 178 {SD 177.5} [SD 178.1] With Good Books That Ennoble the Mind Blessed is he that readeth. Revelation 1:3. {SD 178.1} [SD 178.2] We made it a practice to read instructive and interesting books, with the Bible, in the family circle, and our children were always happy as we thus entertained them. Thus we prevented a restless desire to be out in the street with young companions, and at the same time cultivated in them a taste for solid reading. . . . The volumes of "Spirit of Prophecy," ［THE CONFLICT OF THE AGES SERIES REPLACED THIS FOUR-VOLUME SET.］ should be in every family, and should be read aloud in the family circle. . . . The Testimonies contain instruction which meets the case of all, both parents and children. Should these be read aloud to the entire family, the children as well as the parents would be benefited by their counsels, warnings, and reproofs. . . . Let the time be devoted to the reading of the Scriptures and other interesting books that will impart knowledge and inculcate right principles. Let the best reader be selected to read aloud, while other members of the family are engaged in useful occupations. Thus these evenings at home may be made both pleasant and profitable. {SD 178.2} [SD 178.3] Children need proper reading, which will afford amusement and recreation, and not demoralize the mind or weary the body. {SD 178.3} [SD 178.4] Most children and young people will have reading matter; and if it is not selected for them, they will select it for themselves. They can find a ruinous quality of reading anywhere, and they soon learn to love it; but if pure and good reading is furnished them, they will cultivate a taste for that. {SD 178.4} [SD 178.5] By practising right-doing, a disgust will be created in the heart for that which is low, cheap, and disorderly. {SD 178.5} [SD 178.6] Pure healthful reading will be to the mind what healthful food is to the body. You will thus become stronger to resist temptation, to form right habits, and to act upon right principles. 179 {SD 178.6} [SD 179.1] With Good Music That Will Be a Blessing Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Psalm 100:2. {SD 179.1} [SD 179.2] Let there be singing in the home, of songs that are sweet and pure, and there will be fewer words of censure, and more of cheerfulness and hope and joy. . . . As a part of religious service, singing is as much an act of worship as is prayer. Indeed, many a song is prayer. {SD 179.2} [SD 179.3] I feel alarmed as I witness everywhere the frivolity of young men and young women who profess to believe the truth. . . . They have a keen ear for music, and Satan knows what organs to excite to animate, engross, and charm the mind, so that Christ is not desired. . . . Solemn responsibilities rest upon the young, which they lightly regard. The introduction of music into their homes, instead of inciting to holiness and spirituality, has been the means of diverting their minds from the truth. Frivolous songs and the popular sheet music of the day seem congenial to their taste. The instruments of music have taken time which should have been devoted to prayer. Music, when not abused, is a great blessing; but when put to a wrong use, it is a terrible curse. {SD 179.3} [SD 179.4] What if you have been educated and trained in the art of music, and yet have never been taught to sing the new song? What will all this training amount to, if you have not been properly trained to be members of the Lord's family, sons and daughters of God? {SD 179.4} [SD 179.5] No one who has an indwelling Saviour will dishonor Him before others by producing strains from a musical instrument which call the mind from God and Heaven to light and trifling things. {SD 179.5} [SD 179.6] Music was made to serve a holy purpose, to lift the thoughts to that which is pure, noble, and elevating, and to awaken in the soul devotion and gratitude to God. {SD 179.6} [SD 179.7] As the Lord's army of workers here below sing their songs of praise, the choir above join with them in thanksgiving, ascribing praise to God and to His Son. 180 {SD 179.7} [SD 180.1] With Holiness in All Conversation But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. 1 Peter 1:15. {SD 180.1} [SD 180.2] Where the heart is purified and refined, and made fit for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the tongue will be sanctified to the glory of God. . . . You can surround your souls with an atmosphere that will be like breezes from the heavenly Eden. Open your heart to the Lord Jesus. Guard your tongue. Let not your tongue run at random in jesting and joking. These are signs that your heart needs to be cleansed from its defilement. . . . {SD 180.2} [SD 180.3] Our words index the state of our heart; and whether men talk much or little, their words express the character of their thoughts. A man's character may be quite accurately estimated by the nature of his conversation. Sound, truthful words have the right ring in them. {SD 180.3} [SD 180.4] Educate yourself to carry a pleasant countenance, and bring all the sweetness and melody possible into your voice. {SD 180.4} [SD 180.5] The voice and tongue are gifts from God, and if rightly used, they are a power for God. Words mean very much. They may express love, devotion, praise, melody to God, or hatred and revenge. Words reveal the sentiments of the heart. They may be a savor of life unto life or of death unto death. The tongue is a world of blessing, or a world of iniquity. {SD 180.5} [SD 180.6] Some are seen to come forth from their daily communion with God clothed with the meekness of Christ. Their words are not like a desolating hail, crushing everything before it; they come forth sweetly from their lips. They scatter seeds of love and kindness all along their path, and that all unconsciously, because Christ lives in their heart. Their influence is felt more than it is seen. {SD 180.6} [SD 180.7] Kind, tender, compassionate words will flow from sanctified hearts and lips. 181 {SD 180.7} [SD 181.1] With a Happy Sabbath Day of Worship and Rest Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, . . . ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. Leviticus 23:3. {SD 181.1} [SD 181.2] Whatever of ours God claims from us, He returns again, enriched, transfigured, with His own glory. . . . {SD 181.2} [SD 181.3] The Sabbath and the family were alike instituted in Eden, and in God's purpose they are indissolubly linked together. On this day more than on any other, it is possible for us to live the life of Eden. It was God's plan for the members of the family to be associated in work and study, in worship and recreation, the father as priest of his household, and both father and mother as teachers and companions of their children. But the results of sin, having changed the conditions of life, to a great degree prevent this association. Often the father hardly sees the faces of his children throughout the week. He is almost wholly deprived of opportunity for companionship or instruction. But God's love has set a limit to the demands of toil. Over the Sabbath He places His merciful hand. In His own day He preserves for the family opportunity for communion with Him, with nature, and with one another. {SD 181.3} [SD 181.4] Since the Sabbath is the memorial of creative power, it is the day above all others when we should acquaint ourselves with God through His works.... Happy the father and mother who can teach their children God's written Word with illustrations from the open pages of the book of nature; who can gather under the green trees, in the fresh, pure air, to study the Word and to sing the praise of the Father above. {SD 181.4} [SD 181.5] By such associations parents may bind their children to their hearts, and thus to God, by ties that can never be broken. {SD 181.5} [SD 181.6] The Sabbath should be made so interesting to our families that its weekly return will be hailed with joy. 182 {SD 181.6} [SD 182.1] To Accept the Light God Sends O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Psalm 43:3. {SD 182.1} [SD 182.2] The Lord Jesus came to our world full of mercy, life, and light, ready to save those who should come unto Him. But He can save no one against his will. God does not force the conscience; He does not torture the body that He may compel men to compliance with His law. All this work is after the order of Satan. . . . {SD 182.2} [SD 182.3] The Lord has made it apparent that He proffers to the sinner the privilege of cooperating with God. He gives light, and furnishes evidence of the truth. He makes plain what are His requirements, and it is left with the sinner as to whether he will accept the truth, and receive grace and power by which he may comply with every condition, and find rest in giving willing service to Jesus Christ, who has paid the price of his redemption. If the sinner hesitates, and fails to appreciate the light that has reached his intellect and stirred the emotions of his soul, and refuses to render obedience to God, the light grows dim, has less and less force, and finally vanishes from his view. Those who fail to appreciate the first rays of light, will not heed more decided evidences of the truth. If the tender appeals of God fail to meet with a response in the heart of the sinner, the first impressions made upon his mind lose their significance, and he is finally left in darkness. The invitation is full of love. The light is as bright when he finally refuses it, as when it first dawned upon his soul; but through rejection of light, his soul becomes full of darkness, and does not realize what is the peril of disregarding the light. Christ says to such a soul, "Yet a little while is the light with you." {SD 182.3} [SD 182.4] Today make your calling and election sure. Peter gives a copy of the best life insurance policy in the world. He says: "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you ... according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness." 183 {SD 182.4} [SD 183.1] Divine Wisdom For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. Proverbs 8:11. {SD 183.1} [SD 183.2] If Adam and Eve had never touched the forbidden tree, the Lord would have imparted to them knowledge,--knowledge upon which rested no curse of sin, knowledge that would have brought them everlasting joy. The only knowledge they gained by their disobedience was a knowledge of sin and its results.... {SD 183.2} [SD 183.3] Age after age, the curiosity of men has led them to seek for the tree of knowledge; and often they think they are plucking fruit most essential, when, like Solomon's research, they find it altogether vanity and nothingness in comparison with that science of true holiness which will open to them the gates of the city of God. The human ambition has been seeking for that kind of knowledge that will bring to them glory and self-exaltation and supremacy. Thus Adam and Eve were worked upon by Satan until God's restraint was snapped asunder, and their education under the teacher of lies began in order that they might have the knowledge which God had refused them. {SD 183.3} [SD 183.4] True wisdom is a treasure as lasting as eternity. Many of the world's so-called wise men are wise only in their own estimation. Content with the acquisition of worldly wisdom, they never enter the garden of God, to become acquainted with the treasures of knowledge contained in His holy Word. Supposing themselves to be wise, they are ignorant concerning the wisdom which all must have who gain eternal life.... The unlearned man, if he knows God and Jesus Christ, has a more enduring wisdom than has the most learned man who despises the instruction of God. {SD 183.4} [SD 183.5] Divine wisdom is to be a lamp to your feet.... Everything that can be shaken will be shaken; but rooted and grounded in the truth, you will abide with those things that cannot be shaken. 184 {SD 183.5} [SD 184.1] True Beauty And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. Psalm 90:17. {SD 184.1} [SD 184.2] There is a natural tendency with all to be sentimental rather than practical. In view of this fact, it is important that parents, in the education of their children, should direct and train their minds to love truth, duty, and self-denial, and to possess noble independence, to choose to be right, if the majority choose to be wrong. . . . {SD 184.2} [SD 184.3] If they preserve to themselves sound constitutions and amiable tempers, they will possess true beauty that they can wear with a divine grace. And they will have no need to be adorned with artificials, for these are always expressive of an absence of the inward adorning of true moral worth. A beautiful character is of value in the sight of God. Such beauty will attract, but not mislead. Such charms are fast colors; they never fade. {SD 184.3} [SD 184.4] The pure religion of Jesus requires of its followers the simplicity of natural beauty and the polish of natural refinement and elevated purity, rather than the artificial and false. {SD 184.4} [SD 184.5] There is an ornament that will never perish, that will promote the happiness of all around us in this life, and will shine with undimmed luster in the immortal future. It is the adorning of a meek and lowly spirit. . . . Of how little value are gold or pearls or costly array in comparison with the loveliness of Christ. Natural loveliness consists in symmetry, or the harmonious proportion of parts, each with the other; but spiritual loveliness consists in the harmony of likeness of our souls to Jesus. This will make its possessor more precious than fine gold, even the golden wedge of Ophir. The grace of Christ is indeed a priceless adornment. It elevates and ennobles its possessor and reflects beams of glory upon others, attracting them also to the Source of light and blessing. 185 {SD 184.5} [SD 185.1] Honesty Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. 2 Corinthians 8:21. {SD 185.1} [SD 185.2] In all business transactions, we are to let the light shine decidedly. There is to be no sharp practice. Everything is to be done with the strictest integrity. Better consent to lose something financially than to gain a few shillings by sharp practice. We shall lose nothing in the end by fair dealing. We are to live the law of God in our world, and perfect a character after the divine similitude. All business, with those in the faith and those not in the faith, is to be transacted on square, righteous principles. Everything is to be seen in the light of God's law, everything done without fraud, without duplicity, without one tinge of guile. {SD 185.2} [SD 185.3] For a Babylonish robe and a paltry treasure of gold and silver, Achan consented to sell himself to evil, to bring upon his soul the curse of God, to forfeit his title to a rich possession in Canaan, and lose all prospect of the future, immortal inheritance in the earth made new. A fearful price indeed he paid for his ill-gotten gains! {SD 185.3} [SD 185.4] Deal honestly and righteously in this present evil world. Some will be honest when they see that honesty will not endanger their worldly interest; but all who act from this principle will have their names blotted out of the book of life. {SD 185.4} [SD 185.5] Strict honesty must be cultivated. We can go through the world but once; we cannot come back to rectify any mistakes; therefore every move made should be with godly fear and careful consideration. . . . {SD 185.5} [SD 185.6] When God makes up His jewels, the true, the frank, the honest, will be His chosen ones, His treasures. Angels are preparing crowns for such; and light from the throne of God will be reflected in its splendor from these star-gemmed diadems. 186 {SD 185.6} [SD 186.1] Discretion Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee. Proverbs 2:11. {SD 186.1} [SD 186.2] By your choice words and a consistent course of action, by your propriety, your earnest piety, make a telling confession of your faith, determined that Christ shall occupy the throne in the soul temple; and lay your talents without reserve at His feet to be employed in His service. . . . Make it the law of your life from which no temptation or side interest shall cause you to turn, to honor God. {SD 186.2} [SD 186.3] In this fast age, reeking with corruption, you are not safe unless you stand guarded. Virtue and modesty are rare. I appeal to you as followers of Christ, making an exalted profession, to cherish the precious, priceless gem of modesty. This will guard virtue. {SD 186.3} [SD 186.4] Holiness of heart will never lead to impure actions. . . . The truth of heavenly origin never degrades the receiver . . .; on the contrary, it sanctifies the believer, refines his taste, elevates and ennobles him, and brings him into a close connection with Jesus. It leads him to regard the apostle Paul's injunction to abstain from even the appearance of evil, lest his "good should be evil spoken of." {SD 186.4} [SD 186.5] This is a subject to which we must give heed. We must guard against the sins of this degenerate age. We must stand aloof from everything that savors of undue familiarity. God condemns it. It is forbidden ground, upon which it is unsafe to set the feet. Every word and action should tend to elevate, refine, and ennoble the character. {SD 186.5} [SD 186.6] My good name is capital of far more value to me than gold or silver. Let me preserve it untarnished. If men assail that name, it shall not be because I have given them occasion to do so, but for the same reason that they spoke of evil of Christ,--because they hated the purity and holiness of His character; for it was a constant rebuke to them. 187 {SD 186.6} [SD 187.1] Joseph Chose Life's Best, Samson Did Not For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Galatians 6:8. {SD 187.1} [SD 187.2] Few temptations are more dangerous or more fatal to young men than the temptation to sensuality and none if yielded to will prove so decidedly ruinous to soul and body for time and eternity. The welfare of his entire future is suspended upon the decision of a moment. Joseph calmly casts his eyes to heaven for help, slips off his loose outer garment, leaving it in the hand of his tempter and while his eye is lighted with determined resolve in the place of unholy passion, he exclaims, "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" The victory is gained; he flees from the enchanter; he is saved. {SD 187.2} [SD 187.3] Samson in his peril had the same source of strength as had Joseph. He could choose the right or the wrong as he pleased. But instead of taking hold of the strength of God, he permitted the wild passions of his nature to have full sway. The reasoning powers were perverted, the morals corrupted. God had called Samson to a position of great responsibility, honor, and usefulness; but he must first learn to govern by first learning to obey the laws of God. ... Samson, under ... temptations, which he had brought upon himself, gave loose rein to passion. The path which he entered upon he found to end in shame, disaster, and death. What a contrast to the history of Joseph! {SD 187.3} [SD 187.4] Amidst the snares to which all are exposed, they need strong and trustworthy defenses on which to rely. . . . The shield of grace can preserve all unconquered by the temptations of the enemy, though surrounded with the most corrupting influences. By firm principle, and unwavering trust in God, their virtue and nobleness of character can shine, and, although surrounded with evil, no taint need be left upon their virtue and integrity. 188 {SD 187.4} [SD 188.1] The Better Inheritance An inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1:4. {SD 188.1} [SD 188.2] Our petitions to God should not proceed from hearts that are filled with selfish aspirations. God exhorts us to choose those gifts that will redound to His glory. He would have us choose the heavenly instead of the earthly. He throws open before us the possibilities and advantages of a heavenly commerce. He gives encouragement to our loftiest aims, security to our choicest treasure. When the worldly possession is swept away, the believer will rejoice in his heavenly treasure, the riches that cannot be lost in any earthly disaster. {SD 188.2} [SD 188.3] How sad it is that men turn from the immortal inheritance, and live for the gratification of pride, for selfishness and display, and through submission to the rule of Satan, lose the blessing which they might have both in this life and in the life to come. They might enter into the palaces of heaven, and associate on terms of freedom and equality with Christ and heavenly angels, and with the princes of God, and yet, incredible as it may seem, they turn from heavenly attractions. . . . {SD 188.3} [SD 188.4] Satan is contending for the souls of men. . . . He would not have them catch a glimpse of the future honor, the eternal glories, laid up for those who shall be inhabitants of heaven, or have a taste of the experience that gives a foretaste of the happiness of heaven. . . . {SD 188.4} [SD 188.5] Those who accept Christ as their Saviour have the promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come. . . . The lowliest disciple of Christ may become an inhabitant of heaven, an heir of God to an inheritance incorruptible, that fadeth not away. O that every one might make choice of the heavenly gift, become an heir of God to that inheritance whose title is secure from any destroyer, world without end! O, choose not the world! {SD 188.5} [SD 189.1] Chap. 7 - We Face the Future With Courage To Confess Christ Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 1 John 4:15. {SD 189.1} [SD 189.2] The confession of which John here speaks, is not the result of a nominal faith, but is the result of an abiding faith in the living Saviour,--the result of believing that the blessings of salvation are brought within our reach through the sufferings and death of Christ, who was raised from the dead, and ever liveth to make intercession for us. We should feel assured that Jesus is our Saviour, and that life would not be enjoyable, nor afford us peace or hope, if He had not loved us and given Himself for us. {SD 189.2} [SD 189.3] Our claim to Christ's righteousness is without a flaw, if we meet the conditions upon which it is promised. God has bestowed upon us all heaven in one rich gift, and whatever the gift includes is ours, if we accept Christ as our personal Saviour. . . . Speak of Jesus, educate the tongue to speak of His mercy, to tell of His power, showing forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. {SD 189.3} [SD 189.4] Christian youth, you are a spectacle unto the world, to angels, and to men. Be brave in God. Put on the whole armor of God, and let unbelievers about you see that your life is not spoiled because you stand loyal and true to all the commandments of God. You can be, and God requires you to be, a decided witness for Him. {SD 189.4} [SD 189.5] We need to dwell on the words of courage that Christ spoke to His disciples toward the close of His earthly ministry. . . . Though a cruel death was just before Him, Christ's words to His followers were full of hope. He desired to bring all the comfort possible to their hearts. Let us be strong in Him. 190 {SD 189.5} [SD 190.1] To Study the Scriptures For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4. {SD 190.1} [SD 190.2] This Holy Book has withstood the assaults of Satan, who has united with evil men to make everything of divine character shrouded in clouds and darkness. But the Lord has preserved this Holy Book by His own miraculous power in its present shape,--a chart or guidebook to the human family to show them the way to heaven. . . . This Word . . . is the guidebook to the inhabitants of a fallen world, bequeathed to them, that by studying and obeying the directions, not one soul would lose its way. {SD 190.2} [SD 190.3] There never was a time when it was so important that followers of Christ should study the Bible as now. Deceptive influences are upon all sides, and it is essential that you counsel with Jesus, your best friend. . . . David declares, "Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee." How many are betrayed into sin, because they have not, through prayerful study of the Word of God, realized the sinfulness of sin, and found out how they may steadfastly resist it. When temptation comes upon them, they seem to be off guard, and ignorant of the devices of the enemy. We are living in perilous times, and as we draw near the close of earth's history, there will be no safety for those who do not become familiar with the Word of God. . . . Everything that can be shaken, will be shaken. . . . The children of God have reached the most critical part of their pilgrimage; for the nets and pitfalls of the enemy are on every side. And yet with the guidance of the Lord, with that which is plainly revealed in His Word, we may walk securely and not stumble. . . . A voice from heaven is addressing us in its pages. {SD 190.3} [SD 190.4] Obedience to God's Word is our only safeguard against the evils that are sweeping the world to destruction. 191 {SD 190.4} [SD 191.1] To Trust Him The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25. {SD 191.1} [SD 191.2] The Lord desires you to be of good courage. Brace up. . . . Satan is working on every hand to destroy faith, and to make people unhappy. {SD 191.2} [SD 191.3] If you are not experienced in discerning the devices of Satan, your only safety is in prayer. Lay open all the secrets of the heart to the search of the infinite eye, and plead with God to make you pure and strong, and to arm you completely for the great conflicts of life. Faith grows by conflicts with doubts; virtue gathers strength by the resistance of temptation. {SD 191.3} [SD 191.4] All blessings are bestowed upon those who have a vital connection with Jesus Christ. Jesus calls them to Himself not simply to refresh us with His grace and presence for a few hours, and then to send us forth from His light to walk apart from Him in sadness and gloom. No, no. He tells us that we must abide with Him and He with us. Wherever His work is to be done, He is present, tender, loving, and compassionate. He has prepared for you and me an abiding dwelling place in Himself. He is our refuge. Our experience should broaden and deepen. Jesus has opened up all the divine fullness of His inexpressible love. . . . Talk courage, talk faith, talk hope. My brother and sister in the Lord, be of good courage. O, how little we know what is before us! We will give ourselves entirely to Jesus, to be wholly His, and then say, "Not my will, but thy will, O God, be done." . . . You have the tender love and compassion of your Saviour. Look to Him always. Trust in Him continually, and doubt not His love. He knows all our weakness and that which we need. He will give us grace sufficient for our day. Only look to Jesus continually, and be of good courage. {SD 191.4} [SD 191.5] In genuine faith there is a buoyancy, a steadfast principle, which neither time nor toil can weaken. 192 {SD 191.5} [SD 192.1] To Walk in His Way The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. Proverbs 10:29. {SD 192.1} [SD 192.2] If from the beginning we had walked in the counsel of God, thousands more would have been converted to the present truth. But many have made crooked paths for their feet. My brethren, make straight paths, lest the lame be turned out of the way. Let no one follow a crooked path that some one else has made, for thus you would not only go astray yourself, but would make this crooked path plainer for some one else to follow. Determine that as for yourself, you will walk in the path of obedience. Know for a certainty that you are standing under the broad shield of Omnipotence. Realize that the characteristics of Jehovah must be revealed in your life, and that in you a work must be accomplished that will mold your character after the divine similitude. Yield yourself to the guidance of Him who is the Head over all. {SD 192.2} [SD 192.3] We are doing our work for the judgment. Let us be learners of Jesus. We need His guidance every moment. At every step we should inquire, "Is this the way of the Lord?" not, "Is this the way of the man who is over me?" We are to be concerned only as to whether we are walking in the way of the Lord. {SD 192.3} [SD 192.4] God will honor and uphold every true-hearted, earnest soul who is seeking to walk before Him in the perfection of Christ's grace. He will never leave nor forsake one humble, trembling soul. Shall we believe that He will work in our hearts? that if we allow Him to do so, He will make us pure and holy, by His rich grace qualifying us to be laborers together with Him? Can we with keen, sanctified perception appreciate the strength of His promises, and appropriate them, not because we are worthy, but because by living faith we claim the righteousness of Christ? {SD 192.4} [SD 192.5] There is nothing so great and powerful as God's love for those who are His children. 193 {SD 192.5} [SD 193.1] To Enjoy Perfect Love There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18. {SD 193.1} [SD 193.2] This is an important statement; for there are many who desire to love and serve God, and yet when afflictions comes upon them, they do not discern the love of God in it, but the hand of the enemy. They mourn and murmur and complain; but this is not the fruit of love to God in the soul. If we have perfect love, we shall know that God is not seeking to injure us, but that in the midst of trials, and griefs, and pains, He is seeking to make us perfect, and to test the quality of our faith. When we cease to worry about the future, and begin to believe that God loves us, and means to do us good, we shall trust Him as a child trusts a loving parent. Then our troubles and torments will disappear, and our will will be swallowed up in the will of God. {SD 193.2} [SD 193.3] Through an abiding Christ you will become Christlike in character. The Lord desires you to stand by His side, as a kind, patient, humble son of God. The Lord designs that the laborers in His service shall represent His love. . . . {SD 193.3} [SD 193.4] Our relations with one another should be pleasant. When we do right, the testimony of our own spirit and the testimony of the Spirit of God bear witness that the human mind is under the control of the divine mind. . . . His Word furnishes evidence from which we may draw the conclusion that we are indeed His sons and daughters. . . . True love for God carries with it true, reverential trust. And he who loves God will love his brother also. {SD 193.4} [SD 193.5] "Now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three,"--faith, which takes hold of Omnipotence and refuses to be baffled; hope, which turns the future triumphs of the good and the true into present encouragement and joy; and love, which consecrates all to God and for God. 194 {SD 193.5} [SD 194.1] To Live in Harmony With His Law Be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:7. {SD 194.1} [SD 194.2] God calls for men,--for those who in His sight will be true. Reforms must be brought about in the churches. There is now great need of reinstating in the hearts of men and women an old-time reverence for the ten commandments. Through obedience to these commandments, humanity is to be sanctified, that the results of skepticism shall not be strengthened, but that the foundation of our faith shall be made manifest, and all the precepts of God's holy law enforced. The realization of individual responsibility is to be awakened. Men are to remember that in order to be regarded as men by the Lord, their course of action must be just, pure, and true. {SD 194.2} [SD 194.3] Men and women may shun the reproach they are called upon to bear for Christ's sake, they may do the works of the children of transgressors, but as surely as they do this, they will receive the reward of the evildoer. They may climb to places of distinction, they may stand high in the literary world, and with proud superiority they may resist the truth of heavenly origin; but in the end they will lose all. {SD 194.3} [SD 194.4] Our happiness and salvation depend upon eating the bread of life; that is, obeying the words and doing the works of Christ, advancing righteousness and restraining unrighteousness. Nothing can give such self-reliance, such courage, such an increase of talents and ability, as a true estimate of the requirements of God's law. . . . Love for Jesus Christ leads us to obey God's commandments, which are a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, securing for us the illuminating, purifying, blissful presence of both the Father and the Son. He who is obedient can commune with God even as did Enoch. 195 {SD 194.4} [SD 195.1] To Keep the Sabbath And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. Exodus 20:20. {SD 195.1} [SD 195.2] It requires moral courage to take a position to keep the commandments of the Lord. An opposer of the truth once said that it was only weak-minded people . . . who would turn away from the churches to keep the seventh day as the Sabbath. But a minister who had embraced the truth replied, "If you think it takes weak-minded persons, just try it." It takes moral courage, firmness, decision, perseverance and very much prayer to step out on the unpopular side. . . . {SD 195.2} [SD 195.3] Standing under the broad shield of Omnipotence, we do not feel that we are in the minority. God is a majority. . . . We are to consider that Christ has set us to be a light amid the moral darkness of the world. We are not to misinterpret the character of God, we are not to be fretful, to speak out what we think, to blame and criticize and censure others; but we are to let the Holy Spirit fashion the character after the similitude of Christ. {SD 195.3} [SD 195.4] Now let us see what Jesus will do for us if we let Him. In His prayer for His disciples He said, "And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves." Is it possible to have joy in obeying Christ? It is the only real joy that any soul can have. {SD 195.4} [SD 195.5] Will the Saviour ever turn away to leave you to struggle alone? No, never. . . . Poverty is coming upon this world, and there will be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation. There will be wars and rumors of wars, and the faces of men will gather paleness. You may have to suffer distress; you may go hungry sometimes; but God will not forsake you in your suffering. He will test your faith. . . . We are here to manifest Christ to the world, to represent Him and His power to mankind. 196 {SD 195.5} [SD 196.1] God Gives Spirit of Power and Love For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7. {SD 196.1} [SD 196.2] We are now in a time when we are to stand steadfast for the truth. We are to cherish love for souls, but never, never are we to surrender the least vital point of truth, for it is by maintaining truth, pure, unadulterated truth, that we can at this time bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ our Prince. The Word is the bread of life, and in the Word Christ's disciples are represented as eating and drinking the flesh and the blood of Christ,--making His Word a part of their lives. No lie is of the truth. Truth will stand the test in the time of false theories, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end. . . . {SD 196.2} [SD 196.3] Let us exercise faith in God, and keep close to the side of Christ in following His Word. The Lord will teach His people if they will be taught. We can stand where we can hear the instruction of Christ. We have a living God and a living Christ. Whole legions of devils are watching their opportunities to get hold of human minds, but if we keep close to the Word, we shall not be overcome. "Wherefore," said Paul to Timothy, "I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." {SD 196.3} [SD 196.4] We need to have a living faith in Jesus Christ. We need to exercise faith, that when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Lord will lift up a standard for us against him. A heart true to God is often in prayer. Do not let one wave of discouragement come over you. We must give our thoughts to the contemplation of the character and the works of God, teaching Christ's words. Be of good courage. Let your courage and your constant reliance upon Jesus Christ inspire in others belief and increased faith and hope. 197 {SD 196.4} [SD 197.1] Sense of God's Presence Banishes Fear Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9. {SD 197.1} [SD 197.2] Only the sense of God's presence can banish the fear that, for the timid child, would make life a burden. Let him fix in his memory the promise, "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." Let him read that wonderful story of Elisha in the mountain city, and, between him and the hosts of armed foemen, a mighty encircling band of heavenly angels. Let him read how to Peter, in prison and condemned to death, God's angel appeared; how, past the armed guards, the massive doors and great iron gateway with their bolts and bars, the angel led God's servant forth in safety. Let him read of that scene on the sea, when to the tempest-tossed soldiers and seamen, worn with labor and watching and long fasting, Paul the prisoner, on his way to trial and execution, spoke those grand words of courage and hope: "Be of good cheer; for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you. . . . For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar; and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee." In the faith of this promise Paul assured his companions, "There shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you." So it came to pass. Because there was in that ship one man through whom God could work, the whole ship-load of heathen soldiers and sailors was preserved. . . . {SD 197.2} [SD 197.3] Let the self-distrustful, whose lack of self-reliance leads them to shrink from care and responsibility, be taught reliance upon God. Thus many a one who otherwise would be but a cipher in the world, perhaps only a helpless burden, will be able to say with the apostle Paul, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." 198 {SD 197.3} [SD 198.1] God's Goodness and Mercy Inspire Courage Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Psalm 23:6. {SD 198.1} [SD 198.2] Christ has given us no assurance that to attain to perfection of character is an easy matter. It is a conflict, a battle and a march, day by day. It is through much tribulation that we enter the kingdom of heaven. In order to share with Christ in His glory we must share in His suffering. . . . He has overcome for us. Shall we, then, be timid and cowardly because of the trials that we meet as we advance? . . . {SD 198.2} [SD 198.3] When we have a deeper appreciation of the mercy and loving-kindness of God, we shall praise Him, instead of complaining. We shall talk of the loving watchcare of the Lord, of the tender compassion of the Good Shepherd. The language of the heart will not be selfish murmuring and repining. Praise, like a clear, flowing stream, will come from God's truly believing ones. They will say, "Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." . . . {SD 198.3} [SD 198.4] Why not awake the voice of spiritual song in the days of our pilgrimage? . . . We need to study God's Word, to meditate and pray. Then we shall have spiritual eyesight to discern the inner courts of the celestial temple. We shall catch the notes of thanksgiving sung by the heavenly choir around the throne. When Zion shall arise and shine, her light will be most penetrating, and songs of praise and thanksgiving will be heard in the assembly of the saints. Little disappointments and difficulties will be lost sight of. {SD 198.4} [SD 198.5] The Lord is our helper. . . .No one ever trusted God in vain. He never disappoints those who put their dependence on Him. If we would only do the work that the Lord would have us do, walking in the footsteps of Jesus, our hearts would become sacred harps, every chord of which would send forth praise and thanksgiving to the One sent by God to take away the sin of the world. 199 {SD 198.5} [SD 199.1] Praise to God Brings Courage And when he ［Jehoshaphat］ had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 Chronicles 20:21. {SD 199.1} [SD 199.2] "And...he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army.". . . They praised God for the victory, and four days thereafter the army returned to Jerusalem, laden with the spoils of their enemies, singing praise for the victory won. {SD 199.2} [SD 199.3] Do you not think that if more of this were done now, our hope and courage and faith would be revived? Would not the hands of the soldiers who are standing in defense of the truth be strengthened? If there were much more praising the Lord, and far less doleful recitation of discouragement, many more victories would be gained. {SD 199.3} [SD 199.4] God is the eternal, uncreated Fountain of all good. All who trust in Him will find Him to be this. To those who serve Him, looking to Him as their heavenly Father, He gives the assurance that He will fulfil His promises. His joy will be in their hearts, and their joy will be full. {SD 199.4} [SD 199.5] It is our privilege to open our hearts, and let the sunshine of Christ's presence in. My brother, my sister, face the light. Come into actual, personal contact with Christ, that you may exert an influence that is uplifting and reviving. Let your faith be strong and pure and steadfast. Let gratitude to God fill your hearts. When you rise in the morning, kneel at your bedside, and ask God to give you strength to fulfil the duties of the day, and to meet its temptations. Ask Him to help you to bring into your work Christ's sweetness of character. Ask Him to help you to speak words that will inspire those around you with hope and courage, and draw you nearer to the Saviour. 200 {SD 199.5} [SD 200.1] Walking in the Light Brings Courage For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light. Ephesians 5:8. {SD 200.1} [SD 200.2] "Walk in the light." To walk in the light means to resolve, to exercise thought, to exert will-power, in an earnest endeavor to represent Christ in sweetness of character. It means to put away all gloom. You are not to rest satisfied simply in saying, "I am a child of God." Are you beholding Jesus, and, by beholding, becoming changed into His likeness? To walk in the light means advancement and progress in spiritual attainments. Paul declared, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but . . . forgetting those things which are behind," constantly beholding the Pattern, I reach "forth unto those things which are before." To walk in the light means to "walk uprightly," to walk "in the way of the Lord," to "walk by faith," to "walk in the Spirit," to "walk in the truth," to "walk in love," to "walk in the newness of life." It is "perfecting holiness in the fear of God." {SD 200.2} [SD 200.3] What a terrible thing it is to darken the pathway of others by bringing shadow and gloom upon ourselves! Let each one take heed to himself. Charge not upon others your defections of character. . . . Talk light; walk in the light. "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.". . . Gather to your souls the courage that can come only from the Light of the world. {SD 200.3} [SD 200.4] When the light of heaven shines upon the human agent, his countenance will express the joy of the Lord within. It is the absence of Christ from the soul that makes people sad and of a doubtful mind. It is the want of Christ that makes the countenance sad, and the life is a pilgrimage of sighs. Rejoicing is the very keynote of the Word of God for all who receive Him. Why? Because they have the Light of life. Light brings gladness and joy, and that joy is expressed in the life and the character. 201 {SD 200.4} [SD 201.1] Gather Courage from the Coldness of Others And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matthew 24:12, 13. {SD 201.1} [SD 201.2] "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." The very atmosphere is polluted with sin. Soon God's people will be tested by fiery trials, and the great proportion of those who now appear to be genuine and true will prove to be base metal. Instead of being strengthened and confirmed by opposition, threats, and abuse, they will cowardly take the side of the opposers. The promise is: "Them that honour me I will honour.". . . {SD 201.2} [SD 201.3] Already the judgments of God are abroad in the land, as seen in storms, in floods, in tempests, in earthquakes, in peril by land and by sea. The great I AM is speaking to those who make void His law. When God's wrath is poured out upon the earth, who will then be able to stand? Now is the time for God's people to show themselves true to principle. When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, when His law is most despised, then should our zeal be the warmest and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. To stand in the defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few--this will be our test. At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason. . . . {SD 201.3} [SD 201.4] The Captain of our salvation will strengthen His people for the conflict in which they must engage. . . . {SD 201.4} [SD 201.5] Now is the time when we should closely connect with God, that we may be hid when the fierceness of His wrath is poured upon the sons of men. {SD 201.5} [SD 201.6] All who will gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their defections, and loyalty from their treason, will triumph with the third angel's message. 202 {SD 201.6} [SD 202.1] Be Strong, for God is With Us Be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2:4. {SD 202.1} [SD 202.2] Our Lord is cognizant of the conflict of His people in these last days with the satanic agencies combined with evil men who neglect and refuse their great salvation. With the greatest simplicity and candor, our Saviour, the mighty General of the armies of heaven, does not conceal the stern conflict which they will experience. He points out the dangers, He shows us the plan of the battle, and the hard and hazardous work to be done, and then lifts His voice before entering the conflict to count the cost while at the same time He encourages all to take up the weapons of their warfare and expect the heavenly host to compose the armies to war in defense of truth and righteousness. Men's weakness shall find supernatural strength and help in every stern conflict to do the deeds of Omnipotence, and perseverance in faith and perfect trust in God will ensure success. {SD 202.2} [SD 202.3] While the past confederacy of evil is arrayed against them He bids them to be brave and strong and fight valiantly for they have a heaven to win, and they have more than an angel in their ranks, the mighty General of armies leads on the armies of heaven. As on the occasion of the taking of Jericho, not one of the armies of Israel could boast of exercising their finite strength to overthrow the walls of the city, but the Captain of the Lord's host planned the battle in the greatest simplicity, that the Lord alone should receive the glory and man should not be exalted. God has promised us all power; for the promise is unto you and your children, and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call. {SD 202.3} [SD 202.4] Faith is the living power that presses through every barrier, overrides all obstacles, and plants its banner in the heart of the enemy's camp. 203 {SD 202.4} [SD 203.1] Courage and Power are Needed Today And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. Exodus 9:16. {SD 203.1} [SD 203.2] Christian life is more than many take it to be. It does not consist wholly in gentleness, patience, meekness, and kindliness. These graces are essential; but there is need also of courage, force, energy, and perseverance. The path that Christ marks out is a narrow, self-denying path. To enter that path and press on through difficulties and discouragements, requires men who are more than weaklings. {SD 203.2} [SD 203.3] Men of stamina are wanted, men who will not wait to have their way smoothed, and every obstacle removed, men who will inspire with fresh zeal and flagging efforts to dispirited workers, men whose hearts are warm with Christian love, and whose hands are strong to do their Master's work. {SD 203.3} [SD 203.4] Some who engage in missionary service are weak, nerveless, spiritless, easily discouraged. They lack push. They have not those positive traits of character that give power to do something,--the spirit and energy that kindle enthusiasm. Those who would win success must be courageous and hopeful. They should cultivate not only the passive but the active virtues. While they are to give the soft answer that turns away wrath, they must possess the courage of a hero to resist evil. With the charity that endures all things, they need the force of character that will make their influence a positive power. {SD 203.4} [SD 203.5] Some have no firmness of character. . . .This weakness, indecision, and inefficiency should be overcome. . . .Men of power are those who have been opposed, baffled, and thwarted. By calling their energies into action, the obstacles they meet prove to them positive blessings. They gain self-reliance. Conflict and perplexity call for the exercise of trust in God, and for that firmness which develops power. 204 {SD 203.5} [SD 204.1] God Calls Youth Because They Are Strong I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 1 John 2:14. {SD 204.1} [SD 204.2] These words of approval and instruction are addressed to every young man who has put on the whole armor of righteousness. Young and strong, they may do giant strokes for God, if they will make God their only trust. The older ones who are addressed as "fathers," have a decided work to do in holding up the standard: but they feel the pressure of the burdens of life, and it is fitting that the younger ones should be encouraged to qualify themselves for duty by obtaining an experience in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, so that as the standard falls from the fathers, the strong young men may grasp it, and bear it aloft. . . . {SD 204.2} [SD 204.3] There are many young men in this age who will search the Scriptures as for hidden treasures, and having found jewels of truth, will open up the treasures of the word to the minds of others. . . . "Ye are strong" comprehends more than mere physical strength. It means that the mind has been trained to think, and has been kept clear and strong by the practice of strictly temperate habits. It means that the young men have engaged with earnestness, and have overcome the enemy, connecting the religion of Jesus Christ with every-day life, and bringing Christ into their every-day duties and enjoyments. It means that they have become partakers of the divine nature. {SD 204.3} [SD 204.4] Youth who have given themselves to the service of God, are in a position to fight manfully the battles of the Lord. Let the youth take Christ as their pattern, and they will do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God. They will then be strong. {SD 204.4} [SD 204.5] Character will be tested. . . .Day by day and year by year we shall conquer self and develop a noble heroism. 205 {SD 204.5} [SD 205.1] Courage of Obedience Demonstrated And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. Genesis 22:12. {SD 205.1} [SD 205.2] Abraham, . . . in obedience to the divine command, . . . pursues his journey with Isaac by his side. He sees before him the mountain which God had told him He would signalize as the one upon which he was to sacrifice. He removes the wood from the shoulder of his servant and lays it upon Isaac, the one to be offered. He girds up his soul with firmness and agonizing sternness, ready for the work which God requires him to do. With a breaking heart and unnerved hand, he takes the fire, while Isaac inquires: Father, here is the fire and the wood; but where is the offering? But, oh, Abraham cannot tell him now! Father and son build the altar, and the terrible moment comes for Abraham to make known to Isaac that which had agonized his soul all that long journey, that Isaac himself is the victim. Isaac is not a lad; he is a full-grown young man. He could have refused to submit to his father's design had he chosen to do so. He does not accuse his father of insanity, nor does he even seek to change his purpose. He submits. He believes in the love of his father and that he would not make this terrible sacrifice of his only son if God had not bidden him to do so. {SD 205.2} [SD 205.3] Isaac is bound by the trembling, loving hands of his pitying father because God has said it. The son submits to the sacrifice because he believes in the integrity of his father. But when everything is ready, when the faith of the father and the submission of the son are fully tested, the angel of God stays the uplifted hand of Abraham that is about to slay his son and tells him that it is enough. {SD 205.3} [SD 205.4] In order to obey God willingly under all circumstances, great courage is needful. {SD 205.4} [SD 205.5] We can know Christ only by loving and obeying Him. The Lord calls for valiant men, who will not fail or be discouraged. 206 {SD 205.5} [SD 206.1] Elijah Refused to Be Discouraged And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. 1 Kings 18:44. {SD 206.1} [SD 206.2] Important lessons are presented to us in the experience of Elijah. When upon Mt. Carmel he offered the prayer for rain, his faith was tested, but he persevered in making known his request unto God. Six times he prayed earnestly, and yet there was no sign that his petition was granted, but with a strong faith he urged his plea to the throne of grace. Had he given up in discouragement at the sixth time, his prayer would not have been answered. . . . We have a God whose ear is not closed to our petitions; and if we prove His word, He will honor our faith. He wants us to have all our interests interwoven with His interests, and then He can safely bless us; for we shall not then take glory to self when the blessing is ours, but shall render all the praise to God. God does not always answer our prayers the first time we call upon Him; for should He do this, we might take it for granted that we had a right to all the blessings and favors He bestowed upon us. {SD 206.2} [SD 206.3] The servant watched while Elijah prayed. . . . As he searched his heart, he seemed to be less and less, both in his own estimation and in the sight of God. It seemed to him that he was nothing, and that God was everything; and when he reached the point of renouncing self, while he clung to the Saviour as his only strength and righteousness, the answer came. {SD 206.3} [SD 206.4] However courageous and successful a man may be in the performance of a special work, unless he looks constantly to God when circumstances arise to test his faith he will lose his courage. Even after God has given him marked tokens of His power, after he has been strengthened to do God's work, he will fail unless he trusts implicitly in Omnipotence. 207 {SD 206.4} [SD 207.1] We Need More Calebs and Joshuas And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. Numbers 13:30. {SD 207.1} [SD 207.2] The third angel is flying in the midst of heaven, heralding the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This represents the work which is to be done in these last days. The message loses none of its power in its onward flight. John sees the work increasing in power till the whole earth is filled with the glory of God. The message, "Fear God and keep his commandments; for the hour of his judgment is come," is to go with a loud voice. With intensified zeal and energy human beings are to carry forward the work of the Lord. In the home, in the school, and in the church men, women, and youth are to be prepared to give the message to the world. . . . Now, just now, we need Calebs and Joshuas. We need strong, devoted, self-sacrificing young men and young women, who will press to the front. {SD 207.2} [SD 207.3] Today we need men of thorough fidelity, men who follow the Lord fully, men who are not disposed to be silent when they ought to speak, who are as true as steel to principle, who do not seek to make a pretentious show, but who walk humbly with God, patient, kind, obliging, courteous men, who understand that the science of prayer is to exercise faith and show works that will tell to the glory of God and the good of His people. . . . To follow Jesus requires wholehearted conversion at the start, and a repetition of this conversion every day. {SD 207.3} [SD 207.4] It was Caleb's faith in God that gave him courage, that kept him from the fear of man, and enabled him to stand boldly and unflinchingly in the defense of the right. Through reliance on the same power, the mighty General of the armies of heaven, every true soldier of the cross may receive strength and courage to overcome the obstacles that seem insurmountable. 208 {SD 207.4} [SD 208.1] Two Brave Young Men Rout Philistines And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few. 1 Samuel 14:6. {SD 208.1} [SD 208.2] In Jonathan, the son of Saul, the Lord saw a man of pure integrity,--one to whom He could draw nigh, and upon whose heart He could move. . . . {SD 208.2} [SD 208.3] These two men gave evidence that they were moving under the influence and command of a more than human general. To outward appearance, their venture was rash, and contrary to all military rules. But the action of Jonathan was not done in human rashness. He depended not on what he and his armor-bearer themselves could do; he was the instrument that God used in behalf of His people Israel. They made their plans, and rested their cause in the hands of God. If the armies of the Philistines challenged them, they would advance. If they said, Come, they would go forward. . . . Jonathan and his armor-bearer had asked a sign of the Lord; and the challenge had come, the sign was given. These two men placed their hope in God, and went forward. It was no easy passage for the brave adventurers. They had hard climbing to reach the top. . . . {SD 208.3} [SD 208.4] It would have been an easy matter for the Philistines to kill these two brave, daring men; but it did not enter into their minds that these two solitary men had come up with any hostile intent. The wondering men above looked on, too surprised to take in their possible object. They regarded these men as deserters, and permitted them to come without harm. . . . "And they fell before Jonathan; and his armour-bearer slew after him." . . . This daring work sent a panic through the camp. There lay the dead bodies of twenty men, and to the sight of the enemy there seemed hundreds of men prepared for war. The armies of heaven were revealed to the opposing host of the Philistines. 209 {SD 208.4} [SD 209.1] We Need More Men Like Moses And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. Exodus 32:1. {SD 209.1} [SD 209.2] In the absence of Moses, the judicial authority had been delegated to Aaron, and a vast crowd gathered about his tent, with the demand, "Make us gods, which shall go before us. . . . " Such a crisis demanded a man of firmness, decision, and unflinching courage; one who held the honor of God above popular favor, personal safety, or life itself. . . . Aaron feebly remonstrated with the people, but his wavering and timidity at the critical moment only rendered them the more determined. The tumult increased. . . . Aaron feared for his own safety; and instead of nobly standing up for the honor of God, he yielded to the demands of the multitude. His first act was to direct that the golden earrings be collected from all the people and brought to him, hoping that pride would lead them to refuse such a sacrifice. But they willingly yielded up their ornaments; and from these he made a molten calf, in imitation of the gods of Egypt. {SD 209.2} [SD 209.3] We repeat the sin of Aaron, pacifying, when the eyesight should be clear to discern evil and state it plainly, even if it places us in an unpleasant position, because our motives may be misapprehended. We must not suffer wrong upon a brother or any soul with whom we are connected. This neglect to stand up firmly for truth was the sin of Aaron. Had he spoken the truth plainly, that golden calf would never have been made. {SD 209.3} [SD 209.4] There are still pliant Aarons, who . . . will yield to the desires of the unconsecrated, and thus encourage them in sin. {SD 209.4} [SD 209.5] Those who are honored with a divine commission, are not to be weak, . . . or to shun disagreeable duties, but to perform God's work with unswerving fidelity. 210 {SD 209.5} [SD 210.1] Too Much Is at Stake to Waver Now Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. James 1:6. {SD 210.1} [SD 210.2] Some men have no firmness of character. They are like a ball of putty and can be pressed into any conceivable shape. . . . This weakness, indecision, and inefficiency must be overcome. There is an indomitableness about true Christian character which cannot be molded or subdued by adverse circumstances. Men must have moral backbone, an integrity which cannot be flattered, bribed, or terrified. {SD 210.2} [SD 210.3] We have a powerful enemy. . . . When men give themselves over to be the slaves of Satan, he does not manifest the enmity toward them which he does to those who bear the name of Christ, and give themselves to the service of God. He hates them with a deadly hatred. He knows that he can grieve Jesus by bringing them under the power of his deceptions, by injuring them, by weakening their faith. . . . Satan will permit those to have a degree of rest who are bound as slaves to his chariot, for they are his willing captives; but his enmity is aroused when the message of mercy reaches his bond slaves, and they seek to wrench themselves away from his power, that they may follow the true Shepherd. . . . The conflict between the soul and Satan begins when the captive begins to tug at the chain, and longs to be free. . . . {SD 210.3} [SD 210.4] Those who really desire to be taught of God, and to walk in His way, have the sure promise that if they feel their lack of wisdom and ask of God, He will give liberally, and upbraid not. The apostle says, "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." . . . Believe; believe that God will do just what He has promised. Keep your prayers ascending, and watch, work, and wait. Fight the good fight of faith. {SD 210.4} [SD 210.5] As long as we sail with the current of the world we need neither canvas nor oar. It is when we turn squarely about to stem the current that our labors begin. 211 {SD 210.5} [SD 211.1] To Stand Firm in Spite of Ridicule and Scorn Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Psalm 1:1. {SD 211.1} [SD 211.2] The ungodly are those who do not love and obey the commandments of God, but go contrary to them. This is the class of counselors you are warned to shun,--the class which Satan uses to lead youth astray. Their counsel, their suggestions, are of a character to make light of sin, to ridicule righteousness. . . . They are represented as standing in the way of sinners, always leading them out of the straight path of duty and obedience to God's commandments into paths of disobedience. If it were not for those persons who do wrong and tempt others to do wrong, many sinners might have chosen the path of duty, the life of purity and godliness. {SD 211.2} [SD 211.3] The fear of ridicule leads many a youth to yield to temptation and to walk in the way of the ungodly. {SD 211.3} [SD 211.4] Jesus would not place Himself in peril to please the devil. But how many today can stand a dare? {SD 211.4} [SD 211.5] Allow no taunts, no threats, no sneering remarks, to induce you to violate your conscience in the least particular, and thus open a door whereby Satan can come in and control the mind. . . . {SD 211.5} [SD 211.6] You must be an interested student of the Bible. . . . His Word is a sure guide; if it is carefully studied, there is no danger of falling under the power of temptations that surround the youth, and crowd in upon them. {SD 211.6} [SD 211.7] Some may ridicule you for being so strict; they may call you self-righteous; but be careful to start right, and then keep quietly on. The history of Daniel, if all was written, would open chapters before you that would show you the temptations he had to meet, of ridicule, envy, and hatred; but . . . he rose superior to ridicule; and so will every one who is an overcomer. 212 {SD 211.7} [SD 212.1] To Take a Decided Stand for Temperance And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. 1 Corinthians 9:25. {SD 212.1} [SD 212.2] In the family circle and in the church we should place Christian temperance on an elevated platform. It should be a living, working element, reforming habits, dispositions, and characters. Intemperance lies at the foundation of all the evil in our world. {SD 212.2} [SD 212.3] The children need to be given lessons that will nurture in them courage to resist evil. . . . Parents should exercise great care in regard to the food placed before their children. Drunkards are only too often made by lessons of intemperance learned in the home. Let the children be given food that will build up mind and body, but keep away from them the highly seasoned dishes that would arouse a desire for still stronger stimulants. {SD 212.3} [SD 212.4] The use of tobacco and strong drink has a great deal to do with the increase of disease and crime. Tobacco is a slow, insidious, but most malignant poison, and its use is working untold harm. . . . {SD 212.4} [SD 212.5] No argument is needed to show the evils of the use of intoxicating drink. The bleared, besotted wrecks of humanity,--souls for whom Christ died, and over whom angels weep,--are everywhere. They are a blot on our boasted civilization. . . . {SD 212.5} [SD 212.6] Those who in ancient times ran for a prize realized the importance of temperate habits, and how much more should we, who are running a race for a heavenly crown. We should put forth every effort to overcome evil. {SD 212.6} [SD 212.7] At all times and on all occasions it requires moral courage to adhere to the principles of strict temperance. {SD 212.7} [SD 212.8] Remember that you are daily weaving for yourself a web of habits. . . . The better you observe the laws of health, the more clearly can you discern temptations, and resist them, and the more clearly can you discern the value of eternal things. 213 {SD 212.8} [SD 213.1] To Stand for Principle Despite Opposition And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? Nehemiah 6:3. {SD 213.1} [SD 213.2] God has men in reserve, prepared to meet the demand, that His work may be preserved from all contaminating influences. God will be honored and glorified. When the divine Spirit impresses the mind of the man appointed by God as fit for the work, he responds, saying, "Here am I; send me." . . . Nehemiah showed himself to be a man whom God could use to put down false principles and to restore heaven-born principles; and God honored him. The Lord will use in His work men who are as true as steel to principle, who will not be swayed by the sophistries of those who have lost their spiritual eyesight. {SD 213.2} [SD 213.3] Nehemiah was chosen by God because he was willing to cooperate with the Lord as a restorer. Falsehood and intrigue were used to pervert his integrity, but he would not be bribed. He refused to be corrupted by the devices of unprincipled men, who had been hired to do an evil work. He would not allow them to intimidate him into following a cowardly course. When he saw wrong principles being acted upon, he did not stand by as an onlooker, and by his silence give consent. He did not leave the people to conclude that he was standing on the wrong side. He took a firm, unyielding stand for the right. He would not lend one jot of influence to the perversion of the principles that God has established. {SD 213.3} [SD 213.4] We shall meet with opposition of every description, as did the builders of the walls of Jerusalem; but if we watch and pray, and work as they did, God will fight our battles for us, and give us precious victories. . . . We should move forward with unwavering confidence, believing that God will give to His truth great and precious victories. . . . Relying upon Jesus, we shall carry a convincing power with us that we have the truth. 214 {SD 213.4} [SD 214.1] To Call Sin by its Right Name And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. Joshua 7:19. {SD 214.1} [SD 214.2] The history of Achan teaches the solemn lesson that for one man's sin the displeasure of God will rest upon a people or a nation till the transgression is searched out and punished. Sin is corrupting in its nature. One man infected with its deadly leprosy may communicate the taint to thousands. . . . Many dare not condemn iniquity, lest they shall thereby sacrifice position or popularity. And by some it is considered uncharitable to rebuke sin. The servant of God . . . is under the most solemn obligation to present the Word of God, without fear or favor. He must call sin by its right name. . . . {SD 214.2} [SD 214.3] The love of God will never lead to the belittling of sin; it will never cover or excuse an unconfessed wrong. Achan learned too late that God's law, like its Author, is unchanging. It has to do with all our acts and thoughts and feelings. It follows us, and reaches every secret spring of action. By indulgence in sin, men are led to lightly regard the law of God. Many conceal their transgressions from their fellow men, and flatter themselves that God will not be strict to mark iniquity. But His law is the great standard of right, and with it every act of life must be compared in that day when God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil. Purity of heart will lead to purity of life. All excuses for sin are vain. Who can plead for the sinner when God testifies against him? {SD 214.3} [SD 214.4] The greatest want of the world is the want of men,--men who will not be bought or sold; men who in their inmost souls are true and honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall. 215 {SD 214.4} [SD 215.1] To Lift the Standard High Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. Isaiah 62:10. {SD 215.1} [SD 215.2] Perplexities will increase; but let us, as believers in God, encourage one another. Let us not lower the standard, but keep it lifted high, looking to Him who is the Author and the Finisher of our faith. {SD 215.2} [SD 215.3] We all need greater Christian courage, that we may uplift the standard on which is inscribed the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. We are to make no compromise with the leaders of rebellion. . . . We must have a firm determination to do the Lord's will at all times and in all places. {SD 215.3} [SD 215.4] Let the truth for this time be cordially received and become the basis of character, and it will produce steadfastness of purpose, which the allurements of pleasure, the fickleness of custom, the contempt of the world-loving and the heart's own clamors of self-indulgence are powerless to influence. . . . We have marked illustrations of the sustaining power of firm, religious principle. Even the fear of death could not make the fainting David drink of the water of Bethlehem, to obtain which, valiant men had risked their lives. The gaping lions' den could not keep Daniel from his daily prayers, nor could the fiery furnace induce Shadrach and his companions to fall down before the idol which Nebuchadnezzar set up. Young men who have firm principles will eschew pleasure, defy pain, and brave even the lions' den and the heated fiery furnace rather than be found untrue to God. {SD 215.4} [SD 215.5] Let it be written upon the conscience as with a pen of iron upon the rock, that real success, whether for this life or for the life to come, can be secured only by faithful adherence to the eternal principles of right. 216 {SD 215.5} [SD 216.1] To Face Death With the Courage of Daniel I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter. Daniel 2:23. {SD 216.1} [SD 216.2] Our God is, and He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Daniel sought the Lord when the decree went forth to slay all the wise men of the kingdom of Babylon because they could not relate or interpret a dream which had gone from the king's mind. Nebuchadnezzar demanded not only the interpretation of the dream, but the relation of the dream itself. . . . They declared that the request of the king was something unreasonable, and the test beyond that which had ever been required of any man. The king became furious, and acted like all men who have great power and uncontrollable passions. He decided that every one of them should be put to death, and as Daniel and his fellows were numbered with the wise men, they also were to share this fate. . . . {SD 216.2} [SD 216.3] Daniel came before the king, and pleaded for time to bring this matter before the supreme court of the universe, from whose decision there could be no appeal. When his request was granted, Daniel laid the whole matter before his companions, who were united with him in worshiping the true God. The matter was fully considered, and on their bended knees they pleaded that God would give them the power and wisdom that would alone avail them in their great necessity. . . . {SD 216.3} [SD 216.4] "Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven." . . . I would impress upon the youth that Daniel's God is their God, and whatever difficulty may arise, let them do as did Daniel, "desire mercies of the God of heaven." {SD 216.4} [SD 216.5] God will not fail His church in the hour of her greatest peril. He has promised deliverance. 217 {SD 216.5} [SD 217.1] The Courageous Among God's Jewels And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Malachi 3:17. {SD 217.1} [SD 217.2] Great is the work of the Lord. Men are choosing sides. Even those supposed to be heathen will choose the side of Christ, while those who become offended, as did the disciples, will go away and walk no more with Him. . . . {SD 217.2} [SD 217.3] What effect will the attempt of men to make void the law of God have upon the righteous? Will they be intimidated because of the universal scorn that is put upon the holy law of God? Will the true believers in the, "Thus saith the Lord," become wavering and ashamed because the whole world seems to despise His righteous law? Will they be carried away by the prevalence of evil?--No; to those who have consecrated themselves to God to serve Him, the law of God becomes more precious when the contrast is shown between the obedient and the transgressor. In proportion as the attributes of Satan are developed in the despisers and transgressors of the law of God, to the faithful adherent the holy precept will become more dear and valuable. He will declare, "They have made void thy law. Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold." It is the ones who have been faithful stewards of the grace of God whose love of God's commandments grows with the contempt which all around them would put upon them. {SD 217.3} [SD 217.4] Wicked men and the church harmonize in this hatred of the law of God, and then the crisis comes. . . . But while they are murmuring and complaining, and falsely accusing, and doing Satan's work most zealously, another class is brought to our notice: "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name." 218 {SD 217.4} [SD 218.1] God is With His Children Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west. I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth. Isaiah 43:5, 6. {SD 218.1} [SD 218.2] We must do our work with cheerfulness and hopefulness. We are in no case to become discouraged. Let us keep our eyes off the disagreeable parts of our experience, and let our words be full of good cheer. We can surround ourselves with a sunny atmosphere, or with an atmosphere charged with gloom. Let us educate ourselves to talk courage. Let us learn lessons from the example of Christ. Not even His terrible humiliation at the hands of the Jews and the Roman soldiers,--His mock trial and the cruel treatment that He received,--caused Him to become discouraged. {SD 218.2} [SD 218.3] Hold the beginning of your confidence firm unto the end. The light of God's truth is not to be dimmed. It is to shine amidst the darkness of error that enshrouds our world. The Word of God is to be opened to those in the high places of the earth, as well as to those in the more lowly. The church of Christ is God's agency for the proclamation of truth; she is empowered by Him to do a special work; and if she is loyal to God, obedient to His commandments, there will dwell within her the excellence of divine power. If she will honor the Lord God of Israel, there is no power that can stand against her. If she will be true to her allegiance, the forces of the enemy will be no more able to overpower her than is the chaff to resist the whirlwind. {SD 218.3} [SD 218.4] There is before the church the dawn of a bright, glorious day, if she will put on the robe of Christ's righteousness, withdrawing from all allegiance to the world. . . . From Christ is flowing the living stream of salvation. . . . When in faith we take hold of His strength, He will change, wonderfully change, the most hopeless, discouraging outlook. He will do this for the glory of His name. 219 {SD 218.4} [SD 219.1] Renewal of Strength They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31. {SD 219.1} [SD 219.2] In order to fight successfully, a soldier must have courage and strength. Of ourselves, we are weak and feeble. But we have the promise, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." {SD 219.2} [SD 219.3] Obstacles to the advancement of the work of God will appear; but fear not. To the omnipotence of the King of kings, our covenant-keeping God unites the gentleness and care of a tender shepherd. Nothing can stand in His way. His power is absolute, and it is the pledge of the sure fulfillment of His promises to His people. He can remove all obstructions to the advancement of His work. He has means for the removal of every difficulty, that those who serve Him and respect the means He employs may be delivered. His goodness and love are infinite, and His covenant is unalterable. {SD 219.3} [SD 219.4] The plans of the enemies of His work may seem to be firm and well established, but He can overthrow the strongest of these plans, and in His own time and way He will do this, when He sees that our faith has been sufficiently tested and that we are drawing near to Him and making Him our counselor. {SD 219.4} [SD 219.5] In the darkest days, when appearances seem so forbidding, fear not. Have faith in God. He is working out His will, doing all things well in behalf of His people. The strength of those who love and serve Him will be renewed day by day. His understanding will be placed at their service, that they may not err in the carrying out of His purposes. {SD 219.5} [SD 219.6] There is to be no despondency in God's service. Our faith is to endure the pressure brought to bear upon it. God is able and willing to bestow upon His servants all the strength they need. He will more than fulfill the highest expectations of those who put their trust in Him. {SD 219.6} [SD 220.1] Chap. 8 - We Glory in the Cross of Christ We See Christ on the Cross And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. Mark 15:25. {SD 220.1} [SD 220.2] The spotless Son of God hung upon the cross, His flesh lacerated with stripes; those hands so often reached out in blessing, nailed to the wooden bars; those feet so tireless on ministries of love, spiked to the tree; that royal head pierced by the crown of thorns; those quivering lips shaped to the cry of woe. And all that He endured--the blood drops that flowed from His head, His hands, His feet, the agony that racked His frame, and the unutterable anguish that filled His soul at the hiding of His Father's face--speaks to each child of humanity, declaring, It is for thee that the Son of God consents to bear this burden of guilt; for thee He spoils the domain of death, and opens the gates of Paradise. He ... offers Himself upon the cross as a sacrifice, and this from love to thee. He, the Sin-Bearer, endures the wrath of divine justice, and for thy sake becomes sin itself. {SD 220.2} [SD 220.3] In silence the beholders watched for the end of the fearful scene. The sun shone forth; but the cross was still enveloped in darkness. Priests and rulers looked toward Jerusalem; and lo, the dense cloud had settled over the city, and the plains of Judea. The Sun of Righteousness, the Light of the world, was withdrawing His beams from the once favored city of Jerusalem. The fierce lightnings of God's wrath were directed against the fated city. {SD 220.3} [SD 220.4] Suddenly the gloom lifted from the cross, and in clear, trumpetlike tones, that seemed to resound throughout creation, Jesus cried, "It is finished." "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." A light encircled the cross, and the face of the Saviour shone with a glory like the sun. He then bowed His head upon His breast, and died. 221 {SD 220.4} [SD 221.1] All Men are Drawn to the Uplifted Saviour And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. John 12:32. {SD 221.1} [SD 221.2] Never before was there such a general knowledge of Jesus as when He hung upon the cross. He was lifted up from the earth, to draw all to Him. Into the hearts of many who beheld that crucifixion scene, and who heard Christ's words, was the light of truth to shine. With John they would proclaim, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." There were those who never rested until, searching the Scriptures and comparing passage with passage, they saw the meaning of Christ's mission. They saw that free forgiveness was provided by Him whose tender mercy embraced the whole world. They read the prophecies regarding Christ, and the promises so free and full, pointing to a fountain opened for Judah and Jerusalem. {SD 221.2} [SD 221.3] The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light which streams from the cross of Calvary, and in connection with the wondrous, central truth of the Saviour's atonement. Those who study the Redeemer's wonderful sacrifice grow in grace and knowledge. {SD 221.3} [SD 221.4] I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption,--the Son of God uplifted on the cross of Calvary. This is to be the theme of every discourse. {SD 221.4} [SD 221.5] Jesus is inviting and drawing by His Holy Spirit the hearts of young and old to Himself. . . . When Christ crucified is preached, the power of the gospel is demonstrated by the influence it exerts over the believer. In place of remaining dead in trespasses and sins, he is awakened. {SD 221.5} [SD 221.6] Lift up the Man of Calvary higher and still higher; there is power in the exaltation of the cross of Christ. 222 {SD 221.6} [SD 222.1] All Who Look to the Cross will Live And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. Numbers 21:9. {SD 222.1} [SD 222.2] The Lord Jesus had protected the children of Israel from the venomous serpents in the wilderness, but this part of their history they did not know. Angels from heaven had accompanied them, and in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night Christ had been their protection through all their journeying. But they became selfish and discontented, and in order that they might not forget His great care over them, the Lord gave them a bitter lesson. He permitted them to be bitten by the fiery serpents, yet in His great mercy He did not leave them to perish. Moses was bidden to lift the brazen serpent on the pole, and make the proclamation that whosoever should look upon it should live. And all who looked, did live. They recovered health at once. . . . What a strange symbol of Christ was that likeness of the serpents which stung them. This symbol was lifted on a pole, and they were to look to it, and be healed. So Jesus was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. He came as the sin-bearer. . . . {SD 222.2} [SD 222.3] The same healing, life-giving message is now sounding. It points to the uplifted Saviour upon the shameful tree. Those who have been bitten by that old serpent, the devil, are bidden to look and live. . . . Look alone to Jesus as your righteousness and your sacrifice. As you are justified by faith, the deadly sting of the serpent will be healed. {SD 222.3} [SD 222.4] Without the cross, man could have no union with the Father. On it depends our every hope. From it shines the light of the Saviour's love; and when at the foot of the cross the sinner looks up to the One who died to save him, he may rejoice with fulness of joy; for his sins are pardoned. Kneeling in faith at the cross, he has reached the highest place to which man can attain. 223 {SD 222.4} [SD 223.1] Cross of Christ to Be Erected in Our Homes Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. John 8:28. {SD 223.1} [SD 223.2] Christ should be uplifted by those whom He has redeemed by dying on the cross a death of shame. He who has felt the power of the grace of Christ has a story to tell. He seeks to put in operation methods of work which will diffuse the gospel of Christ. Humanity, drawing its efficiency from the great source of wisdom, is made the instrumentality, the working agency, through which the gospel exercises its transforming power on mind and heart. . . . {SD 223.2} [SD 223.3] All our powers are to be used for Christ. This is the debt we each owe to God. In forming a relationship with Christ the renewed man is but coming back to his appointed relationship with God. . . . His duties lie round him, nigh and afar off. His first duty is to his children and his nearest relatives. Nothing can excuse him from neglecting the inner circle for the larger circle outside. . . . {SD 223.3} [SD 223.4] Some households have a little church in the home. Mutual love binds heart to heart, and the unity that exists among the members of the family preaches the most effectual sermon that could be preached on practical godliness. As parents faithfully do their duty in the family, restraining, correcting, advising, counseling, guiding,--the father as a priest of the household, the mother as a home missionary,--they are filling the sphere God would have them fill. By faithfully doing their duty in the home, they are multiplying agencies for doing good outside the home. They are becoming better fitted to labor in the church. By training their little flock discreetly, binding their children to themselves and to God, fathers and mothers become laborers together with God. The cross is erected in their home. The members of the family become members of the royal family above, children of the heavenly King. 224 {SD 223.4} [SD 224.1] We are Redeemed by Christ's Precious Blood Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, . . . but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1:18, 19. {SD 224.1} [SD 224.2] Every soul is precious, because it has been purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. {SD 224.2} [SD 224.3] Satan may whisper, "You are too great a sinner for Christ to save." While you acknowledge that you are indeed sinful and unworthy, you may meet the tempter with the cry, "By virtue of the atonement, I claim Christ as my Saviour. I trust not to my own merits, but to the precious blood of Jesus, which cleanses me." {SD 224.3} [SD 224.4] You cannot save yourself from the tempter's power, but he trembles and flees when the merits of that precious blood are urged. {SD 224.4} [SD 224.5] The Lord loves you; He is dearer to you than any earthly tie, than any earthly object. Consider how preciously near you may keep to One who is your strength and efficiency. Live not in the shadow of the cross, but on the sunny side of the cross, where the Sun of righteousness may shine into your heart. {SD 224.5} [SD 224.6] We are to have free access to the atoning blood of Christ. This we must regard as the most precious privilege, the greatest blessing, ever granted to sinful man. And how little is made of this great gift! How deep, how wide and continuous is this stream. To every soul thirsting after holiness there is repose, there is rest, there is the quickening influence of the Holy Spirit, and then the holy, happy, peaceful walk and precious communion with Christ. Then, O then, can we intelligently say with John, "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world." Talk it, pray it. Let it be the theme of sacred song,--to be washed, to be cleansed; the believing soul claims that love, and by its virtues stands before the throne of God pardoned, justified, sanctified. . . . Its cleansing virtue gives strength and vigor to faith, power to prayer, and happiness in cheerful obedience. 225 {SD 224.6} [SD 225.1] We are Cleansed by Christ's Blood The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7. {SD 225.1} [SD 225.2] Some speak of the Jewish age as a Christless period, without mercy or grace. To such are applicable the words of Christ to the Sadducees, "Ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God." The period of the Jewish economy was one of wonderful manifestations of divine power. So glorious was the revealing of His presence that it could not be borne by mortal man. Moses, who was so highly favored of God, exclaimed, "I do exceedingly fear and quake." But God strengthened him to endure this excellent glory, and to bring from the mount a reflection of it upon his face so that the people could not look steadfastly upon it. . . . {SD 225.2} [SD 225.3] The very system of sacrifices was devised by Christ, and given to Adam as typifying a Saviour to come, who would bear the sins of the world, and die for its redemption. Through Moses, Christ gave definite directions to the children of Israel in regard to the sacrificial offerings. . . . Only clean and precious animals, those which would best symbolize Christ, were accepted as offerings to God. . . . {SD 225.3} [SD 225.4] The Israelites were forbidden to eat the fat or the blood. . . . This law not only related to beasts for sacrifice, but to all cattle which were used for food. This law was to impress upon them the important fact that if there had been no sin there would have been no shedding of blood. . . . {SD 225.4} [SD 225.5] The blood of the Son of God was symbolized by the blood of the slain victim, and God would have clear and definite ideas preserved between the sacred and the common. Blood was sacred, inasmuch as through the shedding of the blood of the Son of God alone could there be atonement for sin. Blood was also used to cleanse the sanctuary from the sins of the people, thus typifying the blood of Christ which alone can cleanse from sin. 226 {SD 225.5} [SD 226.1] Atonement Through Christ's Blood We also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Romans 5:11. {SD 226.1} [SD 226.2] Thank God that He who spilled His blood for us, lives to plead it, lives to make intercession for every soul who receives Him. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. . . . We need to keep ever before us the efficacy of the blood of Jesus. That life-cleansing, life-sustaining blood, appropriated by living faith, is our hope. We need to grow in appreciation of its inestimable value, for it speaks for us only as we by faith claim its virtue, keeping the conscience clean and at peace with God. This is represented as the pardoning blood, inseparably connected with the resurrection and life of our Redeemer, illustrated by the ever-flowing stream that proceeds from the throne of God, the water of the river of life. {SD 226.2} [SD 226.3] The wonderful symbol of the living bird dipped in the blood of the bird slain and then set free to its joyous life ［Leviticus 14:4-8］, is to us the symbol of the atonement. There were death and life blended, presenting to the searcher for truth and hidden treasure, the union of the pardoning blood with the resurrection and life of our Redeemer. The bird slain was over living water; that flowing stream was a symbol of the ever flowing, ever cleansing efficacy of the blood of Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. . . . {SD 226.3} [SD 226.4] We are to have free access to the atoning blood of Christ. This we must regard as the most precious privilege, the greatest blessing, ever granted to sinful man. . . . How deep, how wide and continuous is this stream! To every soul thirsting after holiness there is repose, there is rest, there is the quickening influence of the Holy Spirit, and then the holy, happy, peaceful walk and precious communion with Christ. 227 {SD 226.4} [SD 227.1] We are Justified by Christ's Blood God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Romans 5:8, 9. {SD 227.1} [SD 227.2] Christ has made reconciliation for sin, and has borne all its ignominy, reproach, and punishment; and yet while bearing sin, He has brought in everlasting righteousness, so that the believer is spotless before God. . . . {SD 227.2} [SD 227.3] But there are many who claim to be children of God who are resting their hopes upon other dependencies, rather than on the blood of Christ alone. When urged to rest their faith wholly upon Christ as a complete Saviour, many reveal the fact that they have faith in something that they think they can do. They say, "I have a great deal to do before I can be fit to come to Christ." Another says, "When I have done to the uttermost all that I can do, then the Lord Jesus will come to my help." They imagine that they have a great deal to do themselves to save their own souls, and that Jesus will come in and piece out that part which is lacking, and give the finishing stroke to their salvation. These poor souls will not be strong in God until they accept Christ as a complete Saviour. They can add nothing to their salvation. {SD 227.3} [SD 227.4] The Israelites were required to sprinkle the door-posts with the blood of a slain lamb, in order that when the angel of death passed through the land, they might escape destruction. But if instead of doing this simple act of faith and obedience, they had barricaded the door, and taken every precaution to keep the destroying angel out, their pains would have been in vain. . . . When the blood was seen upon the door-post, it was enough. The salvation of the house was assured. So it is in the work of salvation; it is the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanseth from all sin. {SD 227.4} [SD 227.5] Through the merits of His blood, you may overcome every spiritual foe, and remedy every defect of character. 228 {SD 227.5} [SD 228.1] Sons of God Through Christ's Blood Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. Hebrews 10:19, 20. {SD 228.1} [SD 228.2] Christ was nailed to the cross between the third and sixth hour, that is between nine and twelve o'clock. In the afternoon He died. This was the hour of the evening sacrifice. Then the veil of the temple, that which hid God's glory from the view of the congregation of Israel, was rent in twain from top to bottom. {SD 228.2} [SD 228.3] Through Christ the hidden glory of the holy of holies was to stand revealed. He had suffered death for every man, and by this offering, the sons of men were to become the sons of God. With open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, believers in Christ were to be changed into the same image, from glory to glory. The mercy seat, upon which the glory of God rested in the holiest of all, is opened to all who accept Christ as the propitiation for sin, and through its medium, they are brought into fellowship with God. The veil is rent, the partition walls broken down, the handwriting of ordinances cancelled. By virtue of His blood the enmity is abolished. {SD 228.3} [SD 228.4] The simple story of the cross of Christ, His suffering and dying for the world, His resurrection and ascension, His mediation in the sinner's behalf before the Father, subdues and breaks the hard and sinful heart, and brings the sinner to repentance. The Holy Spirit sets the matter before him in a new light, and the sinner realizes that sin must be a tremendous evil to cost such a sacrifice to atone for it. . . . How grievous must sin be that no less a remedy than the death of the Son of God could save man from the consequences of his guilt. Why was this done in behalf of man?-- It was because God loved him, and was not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, believe in Jesus as a personal Saviour, and have life eternal. 229 {SD 228.4} [SD 229.1] We Are Reconciled to God by Christ's Death For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Romans 5:10. {SD 229.1} [SD 229.2] The cross is invested with a power that language cannot express. Christ's sacrifice in behalf of the human race puts to shame our meager efforts and methods to meet and uplift humanity, to help sinful men and women to find Jesus. {SD 229.2} [SD 229.3] The work of the sons and daughters of God must be of a different character than has yet been manifested by a large number. If they love Jesus, they will have enlarged ideas of the love that has been expressed for fallen man, which required the provision of so expensive an offering to save the human race. Our Saviour asks the cooperation of every son and daughter of Adam who has become a son or daughter of God. . . . Our Saviour declares that He brought from heaven as a donation eternal life. He was to be lifted up upon the cross of Calvary to draw all men unto Him. How then shall we treat the purchased inheritance of Christ? Tenderness, appreciation, kindness, sympathy, and love should be shown to them. Then we may work to help and bless one another. In this work we have more than human brotherhood. We have the exalted companionship of heavenly angels. They cooperate with us in the work of enlightening high and low. {SD 229.3} [SD 229.4] Having engaged in the work, the amazing work of our redemption, Christ determined in council with His Father to spare nothing, however costly, to withhold nothing however highly it might be estimated, that would rescue the poor sinner. He would give all heaven to this work of salvation, of restoring the moral image of God in man. . . . To be a child of God is to be one with Christ in God, and to put forth our hands in earnest, self-sacrificing love to strengthen and bless the souls that are perishing in their sins. 230 {SD 229.4} [SD 230.1] Christ Has Delivered Us from Eternal Death Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. 2 Corinthians 1:10. {SD 230.1} [SD 230.2] Our Saviour came to this world to endure in human nature all the temptations wherewith man is beset. In His life He measured the power of the wily foe to deceive, to allure, and to destroy. As the Redeemer of the race, He warns humanity against seeking after those things that will lead away from the narrow path. He has cast up a glorious highway for those who are traveling toward the heavenly mansions that He has gone to prepare for all who will prepare themselves to become members of the royal family. . . . {SD 230.2} [SD 230.3] With His life Christ has purchased every human being. He died a cruel death to save human beings from eternal death. He gave His sinless life to obtain for the sinner a life that measures with the life of God. Through His death, He provided a way whereby man may break with Satan, return to his allegiance to God, and through faith in the Redeemer obtain pardon. . . . {SD 230.3} [SD 230.4] He who has all power in heaven and earth will restore every repenting, believing soul. To as many as receive Him He gives power to become the sons of God. He has a deep interest in every soul, for He paid the price of His own life that no one should be eternally lost. {SD 230.4} [SD 230.5] Christ's servants can and should be able to meet and overcome every temptation. They should say, "I am not my own; I have been bought with a price. By the infinite sacrifice Christ has made for me, He has put it out of my power to give Him more than He demands. All is His. He has purchased me, body, soul, and spirit. He calls for all my time, all my capabilities." {SD 230.5} [SD 230.6] Those who receive Him and believe in Him become the spiritual children of God. They are adopted into the royal family, and as they seek to do the will of God, they become conformed into His image. 231 {SD 230.6} [SD 231.1] We Are to Glory Only in the Cross God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Galatians 6:14. {SD 231.1} [SD 231.2] The cross of Christ,--how many believe it to be what it is? How many bring it into their studies, and know its true significance? There could not be a Christian in our world without the cross of Christ. . . . Turn from the examples of the world, cease to extol the professedly great men; turn the mind from the glory of everything save the cross of Christ. Said Paul, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Let all, from the highest to the lowest, understand what it means to glory in the cross of Christ. That cross is to be bravely and manfully borne. Christ declares, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." And to all who will lift it, and bear it after Christ, the cross is a pledge of the crown of glory that can never fade away. . . . {SD 231.2} [SD 231.3] This is the highest science that we can learn,--the science of salvation. The cross of Calvary, rightly regarded, is true philosophy, pure and undefiled religion. It is eternal life to all who believe. By painstaking effort, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, it should be impressed upon the minds . . . that the cross of Christ is just as efficacious now as in Paul's day, and should be as perfectly understood by them as it was by the great apostle. . . . {SD 231.3} [SD 231.4] Know that the only thing in which you can safely glory is that which will open to you the gates of the city of God. Learn from the Word of God how to form characters fitted for the country you are seeking. Know that Christ is to be set forth among you, and that all that was lost in Adam the cross of Christ fully restores to every believing soul. 232 {SD 231.4} [SD 232.1] We Are Not to Glory in Men The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men. 1 Corinthians 3:20, 21. {SD 232.1} [SD 232.2] We are living in an age of licentiousness, and men and youth are bold in sin. Unless our youth are sacredly guarded, unless they are fortified with firm principles, unless greater care is manifested in choosing their associates and the literature which feeds the mind, they will be exposed to a society whose morals are as corrupt as were the morals of the inhabitants of Sodom. . . . Our youth will meet temptations on every hand, and they must be so educated that they will depend upon higher power, higher teaching, than can be given by mortals. There are despisers of our Lord everywhere, who habitually throw contempt upon Christianity. . . . Those who have not moral power cannot stand in defense of the truth; they have not courage to say: "Unless such conversation ceases, I cannot remain in your presence. Jesus, the world's Redeemer is my Saviour; in Him is centered my hope of eternal life." But this is the very way in which to silence them. If you argue with them, they will have arguments with which to meet you, and nothing you may say will touch them; but if you live for Christ, if you are firm in your allegiance to the God of heaven, you may do for them that which argument will fail to do. . . . {SD 232.2} [SD 232.3] There is no sadder spectacle than that of those who have been purchased by the blood of Christ, who have been intrusted with talents wherewith they may glorify God, turning to jest the messages graciously sent to them in the gospel, denying the divinity of Christ, and trusting to their own finite reasoning, and to arguments that have no foundation. When tested with affliction, when brought face to face with death, all these fallacies they have cherished will be melted away like frost before the sun. . . . The Christian hope is as an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast. 233 {SD 232.3} [SD 233.1] We Are Not to Glory in Worldly Wisdom Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. Jeremiah 9:23. {SD 233.1} [SD 233.2] Men are not to rejoice in their wisdom, their strength, or their riches, but in the fact that they have a knowledge of Christ. This knowledge is the most excellent, the most precious, that we can possess. It is the pledge of everlasting life. For "this is life eternal, that we might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot grasp it, power cannot command it; but to all who will accept it God's glorious grace is freely given. But men may feel their need, and, renouncing all self-dependence, accept salvation as a gift. Those who enter heaven will not scale its walls by their own righteousness, nor will its gates be opened to them for costly offerings of gold or silver; but they will gain an entrance to the many mansions of the Father's house through the merits of the cross of Christ. . . . {SD 233.2} [SD 233.3] The self-righteous feel no need of Christ. And when those who profess His name extol their own wisdom and goodness, they give evidence that they are not acquainted with Him. As soon as Christ is revealed to the soul, the sinner feels that his only hope is in the Lamb of God as the propitiation for sin. As Christ begins to open His love before him watch the effect, and see what it is. Many claim this experience who are strangers to the love of Christ. But if it leads one to look with humility upon himself, . . . if he gives evidence that the heavenly reward is of more value to him than his worldly possessions, we may know that beams of life from Christ are shining upon his soul. {SD 233.3} [SD 233.4] Out of Christ, human wisdom in all its forms is foolishness; for those who trust in their own wisdom, have lost eternity out of their reckoning. . . . To all who believe in Jesus as able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by Him, the gospel is the power and wisdom of God. 234 {SD 233.4} [SD 234.1] We Are Not to Glory in Riches Let not the rich man glory in his riches. Jeremiah 9:23. {SD 234.1} [SD 234.2] The rich man is not to glory in his riches. If we fix our affections on worldly things, we fail to exalt Christ. Satan would keep our minds absorbed with the things of this life, that we may lose sight of the higher life; but we cannot afford to yield to his devices. Christ is the source of all temporal, as well as all spiritual blessings. If he has given us riches, it is not that we may claim them as our own. "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. . . ." Paul counted all things but loss that he might win Christ. But when the Saviour calls for our possessions and our service, there are many who see they cannot obey God and carry their earthly treasures with them, and they decide to stay by their treasures. . . . {SD 234.2} [SD 234.3] How can those who expect to stand around Christ's throne, and to be clothed with His righteousness, distrust God, and fear that He will leave them to come to want? Where is their faith? Our heavenly Father feeds the ravens, and will He not much more feed us? . . . If we had a right view of Christ, we would permit nothing to interpose between ourselves and Him. . . . Those who study to see how near they can live to the world and yet gain heaven, will come just near enough to be shut out from heaven. We must accept the suffering part of religion if we would sit down with the Suffering One upon His throne. {SD 234.3} [SD 234.4] While it is lawful for us to acquire means, the money that we possess should be regarded as ours only in trust, not to be squandered, but spent in the Lord's service. It should be our determined purpose to obey the orders of our Captain, and thus lay up for ourselves heavenly riches. Then, when everything in this world perishes, we shall have a treasure in the heavens, which faileth not. 235 {SD 234.4} [SD 235.1] We Are Not to Glory in Ourselves But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord. Jeremiah 9:24. {SD 235.1} [SD 235.2] All boasting of merit in ourselves is out of place. {SD 235.2} [SD 235.3] The command is not, Let him that glorieth glory in himself, but in God. . . . There is, then, no ground for men to take glory to themselves. For every blessing which they enjoy, for every good quality which they possess, they are indebted to the grace of Christ. None should exalt themselves as possessing wisdom or righteousness. . . . {SD 235.3} [SD 235.4] Those who have the deepest experience in the things of God, are the farthest removed from pride or self-exaltation. They have the humblest thought of self, and the most exalted conceptions of the glory and excellence of Christ. . . . When we have our eyes fixed upon heaven, and have clear views of the character of Christ, we shall exalt the Lord God in our hearts. {SD 235.4} [SD 235.5] As one becomes acquainted with the history of the Redeemer, he discovers in himself serious defects; his unlikeness to Christ is so great that he sees the necessity for radical changes in his life. Still he studies with a desire to become like his great Exemplar. He catches the looks, the spirit, of his beloved Master. By beholding . . . he becomes changed into the same image. {SD 235.5} [SD 235.6] It is not by looking away from Him that we imitate the life of Jesus, but by talking of Him, by dwelling upon His perfections, by seeking to refine the taste and elevate the character, by trying, through faith and love, and by earnest, persevering effort, to approach the perfect Pattern. By having a knowledge of Christ,-- His words, His habits, and His lessons of instruction,--we borrow the virtues of the character we have so closely studied, and become imbued with the spirit we have so much admired. Jesus becomes to us "the chiefest among ten thousand," the One "altogether lovely." 236 {SD 235.6} [SD 236.1] Glory Not in Talent and Influence If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth; that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. 1 Peter 4:11. {SD 236.1} [SD 236.2] Christ is our pattern, and those who follow Christ will not walk in darkness; for they will not seek their own pleasure. To glorify God will be the continual aim of their life. . . . But how many who have been entrusted with talents of means and influence have lost sight of the pattern, and followed the standard of the world. . . . Men and women who have been blessed with an abundance of money, with houses and with lands, generally train their children to a life of idleness and selfish indulgence. Thus they are made useless for this life, and unfit for the future, immortal life. . . . The youth of today are educated to believe that it is the money that makes the man. {SD 236.2} [SD 236.3] Our power is not in our talents of education or means, neither is it in our popularity; it is in self-sacrifice, our willing obedience to Jesus Christ. Those who truly surrender all to Him, will carry a weight of influence, and will carry others along with them, because they walk in the light. Brain power will be inefficient, purse power of little account with God; but heart power, thorough godliness, humble fidelity, will bear a weight of influence that will be irresistible. {SD 236.3} [SD 236.4] Shall we not consecrate ourselves to God without reserve? Christ, the King of glory, gave Himself a ransom for us. Can we withhold anything from Him? Shall we think our poor, unworthy selves too precious, our time or property too valuable, to give to Jesus?--No, no; the deepest homage of our hearts, the most skillful service of our hands, our talents of ability and of means,--all are but too poor an offering to bring to Him who was slain and has "redeemed us to God by his blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." 237 {SD 236.4} [SD 237.1] We Glory in the Resurrection of Christ I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. John 11:25, 26. {SD 237.1} [SD 237.2] After the crucifixion of Christ, the priests and rulers did not feel the sense of victory which they had expected. They did not rejoice at their success in silencing the voice of the Great Teacher. They were afraid. Already His death was calling attention to His life and character. The priests were convicted that their attempts at revenge had failed; and they dreaded a dead Christ more, far more, than they had ever feared a living Christ. . . . {SD 237.2} [SD 237.3] The light of heaven encircled the tomb, and the whole heaven was lighted by the glory of the angel. The angel approached the grave, and rolling away the stone as if it had been a pebble, he sat upon it. Then his voice was heard, Son of God, come forth; Thy Father calls Thee; and Jesus came forth from the grave with the step of a mighty conqueror. There was a burst of triumph, for the heavenly family were waiting to receive Him; and the mighty angel, followed by the army of heaven, bowed in adoration before Him as He, the Monarch of heaven, proclaimed over the rent tomb of Joseph, "I am the resurrection, and the life." {SD 237.3} [SD 237.4] All created beings live by the will and power of God. They are recipients of the life of the Son of God. However able and talented, however large their capacities, they are replenished with life from the Source of all life. He is the spring, the fountain, of life. . . . The life which He had laid down in humanity, He again took up and gave to humanity. "I am come," He says, "that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." . . . {SD 237.4} [SD 237.5] Christ became one with humanity, that humanity might become one in Spirit and life with Him. By virtue of this union in obedience to the Word of God, His life becomes their life. He says to the penitent, "I am the resurrection, and the life." 238 {SD 237.5} [SD 238.1] We Thank God for His Unspeakable Gift Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15. {SD 238.1} [SD 238.2] What a terrible record the human race will have to meet in the last day, since the vast majority of men have refused the priceless offering,--rejected the richest gift that God could bestow upon the world. It is through the inestimable gift of Christ that all our blessings come. Life, health, friends, reason, happiness, are ours through the merit of Christ. O that the young and the old might realize that all comes to them through the virtue of Christ's life and death, and acknowledge the ownership of God. {SD 238.2} [SD 238.3] The apostle writes, "Ye are not your own." Even when we were under the control of a cruel master, even when the prince of darkness ruled our spirits, the Lord Jesus Christ paid the ransom price of His own blood for us. . . . Render to Him willing heart service, and no longer rob God of that which is His own. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." . . . {SD 238.3} [SD 238.4] Through His holy Word, through His providences, and through messages sent to you by His servants, Jesus is daily saying to you, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Jesus has given His precious life for you, that you may become a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Then give yourself to Him as a pledge of grateful love. Were it not for the love freely given us of Christ, we should now be in hopeless despair, in spiritual midnight. Thank God every day that He gave us Jesus. {SD 238.4} [SD 238.5] The thought that Christ died to obtain for us the gift of everlasting life, is enough to call forth from our hearts the most sincere and fervent gratitude, and from our lips the most enthusiastic praise. 239 {SD 238.5} [SD 239.1] Christ Is Our Only Access to the Father Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25. {SD 239.1} [SD 239.2] How is God reconciled to man?--By the work and merit of Jesus Christ, who . . . put aside everything that would interpose between man and God's pardoning love. The law that man has transgressed is not changed to meet the sinner in his fallen condition, but is made manifest as the transcript of Jehovah's character,--the exponent of His holy will,--and is exalted and magnified in the life and character of Jesus Christ. Yet a way of salvation is provided; for the spotless Lamb of God is revealed as the One who taketh away the sin of the world. Jesus stands in the sinner's place, and takes the guilt of the transgressor upon Himself. Looking upon the sinner's Substitute and Surety, the Lord Jehovah can be just, and yet be the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. To him who accepts Christ as his righteousness, as his only hope, pardon is pronounced; for God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. The justice, truth, and holiness of Christ, which are approved by the law of God, form a channel through which mercy may be communicated to the repenting, believing sinner. {SD 239.2} [SD 239.3] Those who do not believe in Christ are not reconciled to God; but those who have faith in Him are hid with Christ in God. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." {SD 239.3} [SD 239.4] He became the sin-bearer and died on the cross to secure salvation for every sinner who repents and returns to his loyalty to God. Only through Christ can we obtain access to the Father. {SD 239.4} [SD 239.5] Jesus says, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Christ takes upon Him the sins of the transgressor, and imputes to him His righteousness, and by His transforming grace makes him capable of associating with angels and communing with God. 240 {SD 239.5} [SD 240.1] The Cross and the Law Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein. Hosea 14:9. {SD 240.1} [SD 240.2] The cross speaks to the hosts of heaven, to worlds unfallen, and to the fallen world, the value which God has placed upon men, and of His great love wherewith He has loved us. It testifies to the world, to angels, and to men, the immutability of the divine law. {SD 240.2} [SD 240.3] The death of Christ was to be the convincing, everlasting argument that the law of God is as unchangeable as His throne. . . . The fact that His own Son, the Surety for man, was not spared, is an argument that will stand to all eternity before saint and sinner, before the universe of God, to testify that He will not excuse the transgressor of His law. Every offense against God's law, however minute, is set down in the reckoning, and when the sword of justice is taken in hand, it will do the work for impenitent transgressors that was done to the divine Sufferer. {SD 240.3} [SD 240.4] Through the imputed righteousness of Christ, the sinner may feel that he is pardoned, and may know that the law no more condemns him, because he is in harmony with all its precepts. It is his privilege to count himself innocent when he reads and thinks of the retribution that will fall upon the unbelieving and sinful. By faith he lays hold of the righteousness of Christ. . . . Knowing himself to be a sinner, a transgressor of the holy law of God, he looks to the perfect obedience of Christ, to His death upon Calvary for the sins of the world; and he has the assurance that he is justified by faith in the merit and sacrifice of Christ. He realizes that the law was obeyed in his behalf by the Son of God, and that the penalty of transgression cannot fall upon the believing sinner. The active obedience of Christ clothes the believing sinner with the righteousness that meets the demands of the law. 241 {SD 240.4} [SD 241.1] The Cross Helps Us Understand Nature For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands. Psalm 92:4. {SD 241.1} [SD 241.2] Today man cannot of himself read aright the teaching of nature. Unless guided by divine wisdom, he exalts nature and the laws of nature above nature's God. This is why mere human ideas in regard to science so often contradict the teaching of God's word. But for those who receive the light of the life of Christ, nature is again illuminated. In the light shining from the cross, we can rightly interpret nature's teaching. {SD 241.2} [SD 241.3] In the plan of redemption there are mysteries that the human mind cannot fathom,--things which human wisdom cannot explain, --but nature can teach us much concerning the mystery of godliness. Then let the minds of the young, as far as possible, learn from nature's book. Every shrub, every tree bearing fruit, all vegetation, is given for our benefit. The mysteries of the kingdom of God are to be read in the growth of the seed. . . . God designed that nature should be to man a lesson-book to guide him from the path of disobedience back to God. There is need of a close study of nature under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Lord is giving object-lessons, He is making holy truths familiar to the human mind, through the most simple things of nature. {SD 241.3} [SD 241.4] Every ray of sunshine, every morsel of food, or drop of water, is a gift of redeeming love, and pleads with the sinner to be reconciled to God. {SD 241.4} [SD 241.5] The sun and the moon were made by Him; there is not a star that beautifies the heavens which He did not make. There is not an article of food upon our tables that He has not provided for our sustenance. The stamp and superscription of God is upon it all. Everything is included in and abundantly supplied to man, through the one unspeakable Gift, the only begotten Son of God. 242 {SD 241.5} [SD 242.1] For Us Christ Endured the Cross And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:8. {SD 242.1} [SD 242.2] For the joy that was set before Him, Christ endured the cross, despising the shame, and is forever set down at the right hand of God. He died on the cross as a sacrifice for the world, and through this sacrifice comes the greatest blessing that God could bestow,-- the gift of the Holy Spirit. This blessing is for all who will receive Christ. {SD 242.2} [SD 242.3] The fallen world is the battle-field for the greatest conflict the heavenly universe and earthly powers have ever witnessed. It was appointed as the theater on which would be fought out the grand struggle between good and evil, between heaven and hell. Every human being acts a part in this conflict. No one can stand on neutral ground. Men must either accept or reject the world's Redeemer. All are witnesses, either for or against Christ. Christ calls upon those who stand under His banner to engage in the conflict with Him as faithful soldiers, that they may inherit the crown of life. They have been adopted as sons and daughters of God. Christ has left them His assured promise that great will be the reward in the kingdom of heaven of those who partake of His humiliation and suffering for the truth's sake. {SD 242.3} [SD 242.4] The cross of Calvary challenges, and will finally vanquish, every earthly and hellish power. In the cross all influence centers, and from it all influence goes forth. It is the great center of attraction, for on it Christ gave up His life for the human race. This sacrifice was offered for the purpose of restoring man to his original perfection; yea, more. It was offered to give him an entire transformation of character, making him more than a conqueror. Those who in the strength of Christ overcome the great enemy of God and man, will occupy a position in the heavenly courts above angels who have never fallen. 243 {SD 242.4} [SD 243.1] Mercy and Justice Met at the Cross Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Psalm 85:10. {SD 243.1} [SD 243.2] Justice and Mercy stood apart, in opposition to each other, separated by a wide gulf. The Lord our Redeemer clothed His divinity with humanity, and wrought out in behalf of man a character that was without spot or blemish. He planted His cross midway between heaven and earth, and made it the object of attraction which reached both ways, drawing both Justice and Mercy across the gulf. . . . There it saw One equal with God bearing the penalty for all injustice and sin. With perfect satisfaction Justice bowed in reverence at the cross, saying, It is enough. {SD 243.2} [SD 243.3] By the offering made in our behalf we are placed on vantage-ground. The sinner, drawn by the power of Christ from the confederacy of sin, approaches the uplifted cross, and prostrates himself before it. Then there is a new creature in Christ Jesus. The sinner is cleansed and purified. A new heart is given to him. Holiness finds that it has nothing more to require. The work of redemption involved consequences of which it is difficult for man to have any conception. There was to be imparted to the human being striving for conformity to the divine image an outlay of heaven's treasures, an excellency of power, which would place him higher than the angels who had not fallen. The battle has been fought, the victory won. The controversy between sin and righteousness exalted the Lord of heaven, and established before the saved human family, before the unfallen worlds, before all the host of evil workers, from the greatest to the least, God's holiness, mercy, goodness, and wisdom. {SD 243.3} [SD 243.4] Christ on the cross was the medium whereby mercy and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each other. {SD 243.4} [SD 243.5] The greatness of this gift was to furnish men with a theme of thanksgiving and praise that would last through time and through eternity. 244 {SD 243.5} [SD 244.1] The Cross Unmasks Satan's Government And having spoiled principalities and powers, he ［Christ］ made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Colossians 2:15. {SD 244.1} [SD 244.2] At the cross of Calvary, love and selfishness stood face to face. Here was their crowning manifestation. Christ had lived only to comfort and bless, and in putting Him to death, Satan manifested the malignity of his hatred against God. He made it evident that the real purpose of his rebellion was to dethrone God, and to destroy Him through whom the love of God was shown. {SD 244.2} [SD 244.3] By the life and the death of Christ, the thoughts of men also are brought to view. From the manger to the cross, the life of Jesus was a call to self-surrender, and to fellowship in suffering. It unveiled the purposes of men. Jesus came with the truth of heaven, and all who were listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit were drawn to Him. The worshipers of self belonged to Satan's kingdom. In their attitude toward Christ, all would show on which side they stood. And thus everyone passes judgment on himself. {SD 244.3} [SD 244.4] In the day of final judgment, every lost soul will understand the nature of his own rejection of truth. The cross will be presented, and its real bearing will be seen by every mind that has been blinded by transgression. Before the vision of Calvary with its mysterious Victim, sinners will stand condemned. Every lying excuse will be swept away. Human apostasy will appear in its heinous character. Men will see what their choice has been. . . . When the thoughts of all hearts shall be revealed, both the loyal and the rebellious will unite in declaring, "Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? . . . for thy judgments are made manifest." {SD 244.4} [SD 244.5] Though earth was struck off from the continent of Heaven and alienated from its communion, Jesus has connected it again with the sphere of glory. 245 {SD 244.5} [SD 245.1] We Must Take Up Our Cross Daily If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23. {SD 245.1} [SD 245.2] It is the power of the cross alone that can separate man from the strong confederacy of sin. Christ gave Himself for the saving of the sinner. Those whose sins are forgiven, who love Jesus, will be united with Him. They will bear the yoke of Christ. This yoke is not to hamper them, not to make their religious life one of unsatisfying toil. No; the yoke of Christ is to be the very means by which the Christian life is to become one of pleasure and joy. The Christian is to be joyful in contemplation of that which the Lord has done in giving His only begotten Son to die for the world, "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." {SD 245.2} [SD 245.3] Those who stand under the blood-stained banner of Prince Immanuel, should be faithful soldiers in Christ's army. They should never be disloyal, never be untrue. Many of the young will volunteer to stand with Jesus, the Prince of life. But if they would continue to stand with Him, they must constantly look unto Jesus, their Captain, for His orders. They cannot be soldiers of Christ and yet engage with the confederacy of Satan, and help along his side, for then they would be enemies of Christ. They would betray sacred trusts. {SD 245.3} [SD 245.4] The cross . . . is to be lifted and borne without a murmur or complaint. In the act of raising it, you will find that it raises you. You will find it alive with mercy, compassion, and pitying love. {SD 245.4} [SD 245.5] Through bearing the cross your experience may be such that you can say, "'I know that my Redeemer liveth,' and because He lives, I shall live also." What an assurance is this! 246 {SD 245.5} [SD 246.1] We Take Up the Cross and Deny Self I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20. {SD 246.1} [SD 246.2] Christ was crucified for fallen man. But to many who call themselves Christians this event is nothing. In practise they deny the cross of Christ. . . . They admit that Christ died on the cross, but because there is a crucifixion for them to experience, they will not receive the lessons that lead to self-denial and self-sacrifice. They are Christians in name only. The central point of their faith is not a crucified and risen Saviour, who brings to all that receive Him the privilege of being sons and daughters of God. {SD 246.2} [SD 246.3] Give up the pleasures of sin in exchange for heaven and eternal life. What are the few days of selfish gratification that contain not one genuine drop of happiness, to the eternity of bliss that awaits the faithful soul? Keep not Christ's love from your soul. Look to the cross of Calvary if you want a tangible proof of His love. Heaven is looking upon you with intense interest, to see what you will do. The angels are amazed when you turn with indifference from the blessings that are proffered you. If you refuse to respond to the drawing love of Christ, you will finally grow rebellious and defiant. {SD 246.3} [SD 246.4] Paul realized that his sufficiency was not in himself, but in the presence of the Holy Spirit, whose gracious influence filled his heart, bringing every thought into subjection to Christ. . . . In the apostle's teachings, Christ was the central figure. "I live," he declared, "yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." Self was hidden; Christ was revealed and exalted. {SD 246.4} [SD 246.5] Those who deny self to do others good, and who devote themselves and all they have to Christ's service, will realize the happiness which the selfish man seeks for in vain. 247 {SD 246.5} [SD 247.1] We Take Up Our Cross and Follow Christ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27. {SD 247.1} [SD 247.2] How precious is the knowledge that we have a faithful Friend, One who will impart to us a noble, elevated character, which will fit us for the companionship of the heavenly angels in the courts above! His guardianship is over all His children. They have a peace that the world can neither give nor take away. The loss of earthly treasures does not make them hopeless or homeless. . . . {SD 247.2} [SD 247.3] Christ beholds the world, full of activity in seeking for earthly treasures. He sees many eagerly trying first one thing and then another in their efforts to obtain the coveted earthly treasure which they think will satisfy their selfish greed, while in their eager pursuit they pass by the only path that leads to the true riches. {SD 247.3} [SD 247.4] As One having authority Christ speaks to such ones, inviting them to follow Him. He offers to lead them to the riches that are as enduring as eternity. He points them to the narrow path of self-denial and sacrifice. Those who press on in this path, surmounting every obstacle, will reach the land of glory. In lifting the cross they find that the cross lifts them, and they will at last gain the imperishable treasure. {SD 247.4} [SD 247.5] Many think to find security in earthly riches. But Christ seeks to remove from their eye the mote that obscures the vision, and thus enable them to behold the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. They are mistaking phantoms for realities, and have lost sight of the glories of the eternal world. Christ calls upon them to extend their view beyond the present, and add eternity to their vision. {SD 247.5} [SD 247.6] We are to lift the cross, and follow the steps of Christ. Those who lift the cross will find that as they do this, the cross lifts them, giving them fortitude and courage, and pointing them to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world. 248 {SD 247.6} [SD 248.1] If We Shun the Cross, We Lose Eternal Life He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:38. {SD 248.1} [SD 248.2] There can be only two classes. . . . And all who place themselves on the side of the disloyal are standing under Satan's black banner, and are charged with rejecting and despitefully using Christ. They are charged with deliberately crucifying the Lord of life and glory. {SD 248.2} [SD 248.3] He who shuns the cross shuns the reward promised to the faithful. {SD 248.3} [SD 248.4] Look to Calvary until your heart melts at the amazing love of the Son of God. He left nothing undone that fallen man might be elevated and purified. And shall we not confess Him? Will the religion of Christ degrade its receiver?--No; it will be no degradation to follow in the footsteps of the Man of Calvary. Day by day let us sit at the feet of Jesus, and learn of Him, that in our conversation, our conduct, our dress, and in all our affairs, we may reveal the fact that Jesus is ruling and reigning over us. God calls upon us to walk in a path that has been cast up for the ransomed of the Lord; we are not to walk in the world. We are to surrender all to God, and confess Christ before men. . . . {SD 248.4} [SD 248.5] "He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." Day by day we are to deny self, to lift the cross and follow in the footsteps of the Master. . . . {SD 248.5} [SD 248.6] I am glad that the day of probation is not closed. Let us in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth fall on the Rock and be broken. By meekness, by love, by a holy conversation, by a compassionate spirit, confess Christ to others. O that we might come into a position where He might reveal His glory as it was revealed in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the people. {SD 248.6} [SD 248.7] The cross of Calvary is to us the pledge of everlasting life. 249 {SD 248.7} [SD 249.1] The Cross that Simon Bore And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. Matthew 27:32. {SD 249.1} [SD 249.2] The Saviour's burden was too heavy for Him in His weak and suffering condition. Since the Passover supper with His disciples, He had taken neither food nor drink. He had agonized in the garden of Gethsemane in conflict with satanic agencies. . . . All through the disgraceful farce of a trial He had borne Himself with firmness and dignity. But when after the second scourging the cross was laid upon Him, human nature could bear no more. He fell fainting beneath the burden. {SD 249.2} [SD 249.3] The crowd that followed the Saviour saw His weak and staggering steps, but they manifested no compassion. . . . His persecutors saw that it was impossible for Him to carry His burden farther. They were puzzled to find any one who would bear the humiliating load. The Jews themselves could not do this. . . . {SD 249.3} [SD 249.4] At this time a stranger, Simon a Cyrenian, coming in from the country, meets the throng. He hears the taunts and ribaldry of the crowd; he hears the words contemptuously repeated, Make way for the King of the Jews! He stops in astonishment at the scene; and as he expressed his compassion, they seize him and place the cross upon his shoulders. {SD 249.4} [SD 249.5] Simon had heard of Jesus. His sons were believers in the Saviour, but he himself was not a disciple. The bearing of the cross to Calvary was a blessing to Simon, and he was ever after grateful for this providence. It led him to take upon himself the cross of Christ from choice, and ever cheerfully stand beneath its burden. {SD 249.5} [SD 249.6] The cross he ［Simon］ was forced to bear became the means of his conversion. His sympathies were deeply stirred in favor of Jesus; and the events of Calvary, and the words uttered by the Saviour, caused him to acknowledge that He was the Son of God. 250 {SD 249.6} [SD 250.1] Dying Thief Accepts Christ as His Saviour And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. Luke 23:42. {SD 250.1} [SD 250.2] To the last of His work Christ is a sin-pardoner. At deepest midnight, as the Star of Bethlehem was about to sink into oblivion, lo there shines amid the moral darkness with distinct brightness the faith of a dying sinner as he lays hold upon a dying Saviour. {SD 250.2} [SD 250.3] Such faith may be represented by the eleventh hour laborers who receive as much reward as do those who have labored for many hours. The thief asked in faith, in penitence, in contrition. He asked in earnestness, as if he fully realized that Jesus could save him if He would. And the hope in his voice was mingled with anguish as he realized, that if He did not, he would be lost, eternally lost. He cast his helpless, dying soul and body on Jesus Christ. {SD 250.3} [SD 250.4] He had heard Pilate declare, "I find no fault in him." John 19:4. He had marked His godlike bearing, and His pitying forgiveness of His tormentors. . . . Among the passers-by he hears many defending Jesus. He hears them repeat His words, and tell of His works. The conviction comes . . . to him that this is the Christ. . . . When condemned for his crime, the thief had become hopeless and despairing; but strange, tender thoughts now spring up. He calls to mind all he has heard of Jesus. . . . He has heard the words of those who believed in Jesus and followed Him weeping. . . . The Holy Spirit illuminates his mind, and little by little the chain of evidence is joined together. In Jesus, bruised, mocked, and hanging upon the cross, he sees the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. Hope is mingled with anguish in his voice as the helpless, dying soul casts himself upon a dying Saviour. . . . Quickly the answer came. Soft and melodious the tone, full of love, compassion, and power the words: Verily I say unto thee today, Thou shalt be with Me in Paradise. . . . To the penitent thief came the perfect peace of acceptance with God. {SD 250.4} [SD 251.1] Chap. 9 - We are Laborers Together with God Privilege of Working with God For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 1 Corinthians 3:9. {SD 251.1} [SD 251.2] If you could only realize that the God of heaven takes those who have been rebels against His government, and says to them, You may be laborers together with Me, you would this day consecrate yourselves wholly to Him. . . . Is it not wonderful that we can receive the rich current of grace from the Deity, and work in harmony with Him? What does the Deity want with us--poor, weak, and feeble as we are? What can He do with us?--Everything, if we are willing to surrender all. {SD 251.2} [SD 251.3] When God called me in my very childhood to work for Him, I used to think, What can I do? God says, Do My bidding. This is all that any of us need do. I want to tell you what each of you, from the oldest to the youngest, can do: You can co-operate with God, . . . and with one another. . . . You will not study how to please yourself. You will realize that you are responsible for the influence you exert. . . . {SD 251.3} [SD 251.4] "We are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry." Think of it! He is seeking to work the mind, just as you work the land. He is trying to sow seed that will bear fruit to His glory. "Ye are God's building." But He does not build without any care for you. {SD 251.4} [SD 251.5] If we surrender our lives to His service, we can never be placed in a position for which God has not made provision. {SD 251.5} [SD 251.6] Jesus has opened up all the divine fullness of His inexpressible love, and He declares to you, "Ye are laborers together with God." 252 {SD 251.6} [SD 252.1] True Missionary Effort Begins in the Home And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Luke 1:6. {SD 252.1} [SD 252.2] In forming a relationship with Christ, the renewed man is but coming back to his appointed relationship with God. . . . His first duty is to his children and his nearest relatives. Nothing can excuse him from neglecting the inner circle for the larger circle outside. In the day of final reckoning fathers and mothers . . . will be asked what they did and said to secure the salvation of the souls they took upon themselves the responsibility of bringing into the world. Did they neglect their lambs, leaving them to the care of strangers? . . . A great good done for others will not cancel the debt you owe to God to care for your children. The spiritual welfare of your family comes first. {SD 252.2} [SD 252.3] In rightly training and molding the minds of her children, mothers are entrusted with the greatest mission ever given to mortals. {SD 252.3} [SD 252.4] Whenever you take up the duty that lies nearest you, then God will bless you, and hear your prayers. There are too many doing outside missionary work, while their own households are left destitute of any such efforts,--going to ruin through neglect. . . . The first missionary work is to see that love, light, and joy come into the home circle. Let us not be looking for some great temperance or missionary work to do until we have first done the duties at home. Every morning we should think, What kind act can I do today? What tender word can I speak? Kind words at home are blessed sunshine. The husband needs them, the wife needs them, the children need them. . . . It ought to be the desire of every heart to make as much heaven below as possible. {SD 252.4} [SD 252.5] A soul saved in your own family circle or in your own neighborhood, by your patient, painstaking labor, will bring as much honor to the name of Christ, and will shine as brightly in your crown as if you had found that soul in China or India. 253 {SD 252.5} [SD 253.1] Faithfulness in Little Things He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. Luke 16:10. {SD 253.1} [SD 253.2] Much time is lost in longing to do some great thing, some wonderful work, while the duties lying close at hand, the performance of which would make the life fragrant, are lost sight of. The life that is Christlike in the home will be Christlike in the church. It is the neglect of the smaller duties in an effort to reach after a great work, that spoils the life of many a one. {SD 253.2} [SD 253.3] Many admire the broad, deep river which moves majestically in its onward course to the ocean. It is worthy of admiration; for it is doing its appointed work. But what of the thousand rivulets from the mountain side, which help to swell this noble stream? It is true that they are small and narrow; but they are indispensable, for without them the river could not exist. They are unitedly doing their appointed work in fertilizing the earth; their path through fields and meadows can be traced by the living green that lines their banks. Thus they are carrying out God's plan, and adding to the prosperity of the world. The mighty river has worn for itself a channel through the everlasting hills; but in its place the brook is as necessary as the river. . . . {SD 253.3} [SD 253.4] Each individual member is responsible for the prosperity of the church. The world is full of work for the Master. Every day brings its burden of care and responsibility; and if just one neglects the work assigned him, some sacred interest suffers. {SD 253.4} [SD 253.5] It is the conscientious attention to what the world calls little things that makes the great beauty and success of life. Little deeds of charity, little words of kindness, little acts of self-denial, a wise improvement of little opportunities, a diligent cultivation of little talents, make great men in God's sight. {SD 253.5} [SD 253.6] Thoughtful courtesies, that, commencing in our families, extend outside the family circle, help make up the sum of life's happiness. 254 {SD 253.6} [SD 254.1] Home Duties Well Done And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. Colossians 3:23. {SD 254.1} [SD 254.2] God has given you life and all the rich blessings that make it enjoyable, and in return He has claims upon you for service, for gratitude, for love, for obedience to His law. . . . He requires you to control passion, to restrain selfish thoughts and actions, and to leave fretful words unspoken. Would Jesus require this self-control, if it were not for your real happiness to practice it? No; He wishes you to cultivate such traits of character as will bring peace to your own hearts, and enable you to brighten other hearts and lives with the sunshine of love, joy, and cheerful contentment. {SD 254.2} [SD 254.3] If you are truly converted, if you are children of Jesus, you will honor your parents; you will not only do what they tell you, but will watch for opportunities to help them. In doing this you are working for Jesus. He considers all these care-taking, thoughtful deeds as done to Himself. This is the most important kind of missionary work; and those who are faithful in these little every-day duties are gaining a valuable experience. . . . By employing your time in some useful work, you will be closing a door against Satan's temptations. Remember that Jesus lived not to please Himself, and you must be like Him. Make this matter one of religious principle, and ask Jesus to help you. By exercising your mind in this direction, you will be preparing to become burden-bearers in the cause of God, as you have been care-takers in the home circle. You will have a good influence upon others, and may win them to the service of Christ. . . . {SD 254.3} [SD 254.4] When you make up your mind to do something on which your heart is set, you do not give up for difficulties, but try again and again. Put the same energy and determination to succeed in the service of Christ, and you will not fail of a reward. 255 {SD 254.4} [SD 255.1] Influence of a Christian Life at Home He blesseth the habitation of the just. Proverbs 3:33. {SD 255.1} [SD 255.2] If we have Christ abiding with us, we shall be Christians at home as well as abroad. He who is a Christian will have kind words for his relatives and associates. He will be kind, courteous, loving, sympathetic, and will be educating himself for an abode with the family above. If he is a member of the royal family, he will represent the kingdom to which he is going. He will speak with gentleness to his children, for he will realize that they too are heirs of God, members of the heavenly court. Among the children of God no spirit of hardness dwells. {SD 255.2} [SD 255.3] Remember that just as you are in your family, so you will be in the church. Just as you treat your children, so will you treat Christ. If you cherish an un-Christlike spirit, you are dishonoring God. . . . Position does not make the man. It is Christ formed within that makes a man worthy of receiving the crown of life, that fadeth not away. {SD 255.3} [SD 255.4] God wants every person to begin at home, and there live the Christ-life. In the church and in every business transaction a man will be just what he is in his home. If he submits to the Holy Spirit's guidance in the home, if he understands his responsibility to deal with minds there, then when in responsible positions he will pursue the same course. Remembering the tenderness of Christ toward him, he will manifest the same love and tenderness toward others. . . . {SD 255.4} [SD 255.5] The principles of heaven are to be carried out in every family, in the discipline of every church, in every establishment, in every institution, in every school, and in everything that shall be managed. {SD 255.5} [SD 255.6] Men and women, children and youth, are measured in the scales of heaven in accordance with that which they reveal in their home life. A Christian in the home is a Christian everywhere. Religion brought into the home exerts an influence that cannot be measured. 256 {SD 255.6} [SD 256.1] Good Behavior at Home Influences Others Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly. 1 Chronicles 19:13. {SD 256.1} [SD 256.2] The Saviour of the world loves to have children and youth give their hearts to Him. . . . Through childhood and youth, they will be found faithful disciples of our Lord. . . . In your earliest years you may be a blessing in the home. {SD 256.2} [SD 256.3] Even through children and youth the light of life may shine upon those who sit in darkness. Then watch and pray, and obtain a personal experience in the things of God. Your parents may teach you, they may try to guide your feet into safe paths; but it is impossible for them to change your heart. You must give your heart to Jesus, and walk in the precious light of truth that He has given you. Faithfully take up your duties in the home life, and, through the grace of God, you may grow up into the full stature of what Christ would have a child grow to be in Him. . . . {SD 256.3} [SD 256.4] In childhood and youth you may have an experience in the service of God. Do the things that you know to be right. Be obedient to your parents. Listen to their counsels; for if they love and fear God, upon them will be laid the responsibility of educating, disciplining, and training your soul for the immortal life. Thankfully receive the help they want to give you, and make their hearts glad by cheerfully submitting yourselves to the dictates of their wiser judgments. In this way you will honor your parents, glorify God, and become a blessing to those with whom you associate. {SD 256.4} [SD 256.5] We want children and youth to be happy in this life, and to bring all that makes heaven desirable--a place of peace and bliss--into the home life. Train yourselves to behave at home, having the fear of the Lord before you, and it will become habit to behave well when away from home. . . . Let love be cherished, and peace, and Christian politeness, and angels will be your guests. 257 {SD 256.5} [SD 257.1] Job Offered Sacrifices for His Children And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. Job 1:5. {SD 257.1} [SD 257.2] There are two ways to deal with children,--ways that differ widely in principle and in results. Faithfulness and love, united with wisdom and firmness, in accordance with the teachings of God's Word, will bring happiness in this life and in the next. Neglect of duty, injudicious indulgence, failure to restrain or correct the follies of youth, will result in unhappiness and final ruin to the children, and disappointment and anguish to the parents. . . . {SD 257.2} [SD 257.3] It were well for parents to learn from the man of Uz a lesson of steadfastness and devotion. Job did not neglect his duty to those outside of his household; he was benevolent, kind, thoughtful of the interests of others; and at the same time he labored earnestly for the salvation of his own family. Amid the festivities of his sons and daughters, he trembled lest his children should displease God. As a faithful priest of the household, he offered sacrifices for them individually. He knew the offensive character of sin, and the thought that his children might forget the divine claims, led him to God as an intercessor in their behalf. {SD 257.3} [SD 257.4] He ［God］ desires to see gathered out from the homes of our people a large company of youth who, because of the godly influences of their homes, have surrendered their hearts to Him and go forth to give Him the highest service of their lives. Directed and trained by the godly instruction of the home, the influence of the morning and evening worship, the consistent example of parents who love and fear God, they have learned to submit to God as their teacher and are prepared to render Him acceptable service as loyal sons and daughters. Such youth are prepared to represent to the world the power and grace of Christ. 258 {SD 257.4} [SD 258.1] Far-reaching Influence of Christian Home O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Psalm 71:17. {SD 258.1} [SD 258.2] The temper, the personal peculiarities, the habits from which character is developed--everything practiced in the home will reveal itself in all the associations of life. The inclinations followed will work out in thoughts, in words, in acts of the same character. {SD 258.2} [SD 258.3] The mission of the home extends beyond its own members. The Christian home is to be an object-lesson, illustrating the excellence of the true principles of life. Such an illustration will be a power for good in the world. Far more powerful than any sermon that can be preached is the influence of a true home. . . . As the youth go out from such a home, the lessons they have learned are imparted. Nobler principles of life are introduced into other households, and an uplifting influence works in the community. {SD 258.3} [SD 258.4] The home in which the members are polite, courteous Christians exerts a far-reaching influence for good. Other families will mark the results attained by such a home, and will follow the example set, in their turn guarding the home against satanic influences. The angels of God will often visit the home in which the will of God bears sway. Under the power of divine grace such a home becomes a place of refreshing to worn, weary pilgrims. By watchful guarding, self is kept from asserting itself. Correct habits are formed. There is a careful recognition of the rights of others. The faith that works by love and purifies the soul stands at the helm, presiding over the whole household. Under the hallowed influence of such a home, the principle of brotherhood laid down in the Word of God is more widely recognized and obeyed. {SD 258.4} [SD 258.5] The life of Christ is before us as a pattern, and it is when ministering, like angels of mercy, to the wants of others that man is closely allied to God. It is the nature of Christianity to make happy families and happy members of society. 259 {SD 258.5} [SD 259.1] God Fills Us With His Love New wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. Luke 5:38. {SD 259.1} [SD 259.2] We should earnestly seek to know and appreciate the truth, that we may present it to others as it is in Jesus. We need to have a correct estimate of the value of our own souls; then we would not be as reckless in regard to our course of action as at present. We would seek most earnestly to know God's way; . . . and our constant prayer would be that we might have the mind of Christ, that we might be molded and fashioned after His likeness. It is in looking to Jesus and beholding His loveliness, having our eyes steadfastly fixed upon Him that we become changed into His image. . . . {SD 259.2} [SD 259.3] The end is near! We have not a moment to lose! Light is to shine forth from God's people in clear, distinct rays, bringing Jesus before the churches and before the world. . . . The instrumentalities to be used are those souls who gladly receive the light of truth which God communicates to them. These are God's agencies for communicating the knowledge of truth to the world. If through the grace of Christ His people will become new bottles, He will fill them with the new wine. God will give additional light, and old truths will be recovered, and replaced in the frame-work of truth; and wherever the laborers go, they will triumph. As Christ's ambassadors, they are to search the Scriptures, to seek for the truths that have been hidden beneath the rubbish of error. And every ray of light received is to be communicated to others. One interest will prevail, one subject will swallow up every other,--Christ our righteousness. . . . {SD 259.3} [SD 259.4] "I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord." This is what needs to be brought into . . . all our churches. God wants every soul to turn to the first love. He wants all to have the gold of faith and love, so that they can draw from the treasure to impart to others who need it. 260 {SD 259.4} [SD 260.1] God Allows Affliction and Trials Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. Psalm 119:67. {SD 260.1} [SD 260.2] The Lord estimates as of supreme value the holiness of His people, and He permits reverses to come upon individuals, upon families, and upon churches, that His people may see their danger, and humble their hearts before Him in repentance. He will treat His backslidden ones with tenderness. He will speak pardon to them, and clothe them with the garments of Christ's righteousness. He will honor them with His presence. {SD 260.2} [SD 260.3] In this, the great day of atonement, it is our duty to confess our sins and acknowledge God's mercy and love in pardoning our transgressions. Let us thank the Lord for the warnings He has given to save us from our perverse ways. Let us witness to His goodness by revealing a change in our lives. If those to whom the Lord has sent reproof, warning them that they are not walking in His way, will repent, and with humility and contrition of heart make confession, the Lord will surely receive them again into favor. . . . {SD 260.3} [SD 260.4] A season of great trial is before us. It becomes us now to use all our capabilities and gifts in advancing the work of God. The powers the Lord has given us are to be used to build up, not to discourage and to tear down. . . . In all ages of the church God's appointed messengers have exposed themselves to reproach and persecution for the truth's sake. But wherever God's people may be forced to go, even though, like the beloved disciple, they are banished to desert islands, Christ will know where they are, and will strengthen and bless them, filling them with peace and joy. . . . {SD 260.4} [SD 260.5] He will purify His church even as He purified the temple at the beginning and close of His ministry on earth. All that He brings upon the church in test and trial comes that His people may gain deeper piety and more strength to carry the triumphs of the cross to all parts of the world. He has a work for all to do. 261 {SD 260.5} [SD 261.1] Persecution Helps Spread the Gospel I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake. 2 Corinthians 12:10. {SD 261.1} [SD 261.2] In every age God's chosen messengers have been reviled and persecuted; yet through their affliction, the knowledge of God has been spread abroad. Every disciple of Christ is to step into the ranks, and carry forward the same work, knowing that its foes can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. God means that truth shall be brought to the front, and become the subject of examination and discussion, even through the contempt placed upon it. The minds of the people must be agitated; every controversy, every reproach, every effort to restrict liberty of conscience, is God's means of awakening minds that otherwise might slumber. {SD 261.2} [SD 261.3] How often this result has been seen in the history of God's messengers! When the noble and eloquent Stephen was stoned to death at the instigation of the Sanhedrin council, there was no loss to the cause of the gospel. The light of heaven that glorified his face, the divine compassion breathed in his dying prayer, were as a sharp arrow of conviction to the bigoted Sanhedrist who stood by, and Saul, the persecuting Pharisee, became a chosen vessel, to bear the name of Christ before Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. And long afterward Paul the aged wrote from his prison-house at Rome: "Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife, . . . not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds. . . . Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached." Through Paul's imprisonment the gospel was spread abroad, and souls were won for Christ in the very palace of the Caesars. By the efforts of Satan to destroy it, "the incorruptible seed" of the Word of God, "which liveth and abideth forever," is sown in the hearts of men; through the reproach and persecution of His children, the name of Christ is magnified, and souls are saved. 262 {SD 261.3} [SD 262.1] Righteous Church Members And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. Isaiah 32:17. {SD 262.1} [SD 262.2] "By their fruits ye shall know them." The inward adorning of a meek and quiet spirit is priceless. In the life of the true Christian the outward adorning is always in harmony with the inward peace and holiness. Thus in the righteousness of the members shall the church be established. God's people are to show a faith steadfast and immovable. The Bible is their standard. Rich currents of grace from heaven will produce light in them, which they are to impart to others. In all its power the truth is to be proclaimed. Those who faithfully do this work, keeping the commandments of God in deed and in truth, will be acknowledged as laborers together with God. {SD 262.2} [SD 262.3] "The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever." From the beginning to the end of the history of the church, Christ will be to His people all that these words express, if they will heed the invitation, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, . . . 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." Christ is to His people life and strength, efficiency and power, wisdom and holiness. {SD 262.3} [SD 262.4] If you yield to the claims of God, and become permeated with His love, and filled with His fullness, children, youth, and young disciples will look to you for their impressions of what constitutes practical godliness; and you may thus be the means of leading them in the path of obedience to God. You will then be exerting an influence which will bear the test of God, and your work will be compared to gold, silver, and precious stones, for it will be of an imperishable nature. . . . {SD 262.4} [SD 262.5] There are many who are looking to you, to see what religion can do for you. If you are faithful in your God-given work, you will make right impressions, and will lead souls in the way of righteousness. 263 {SD 262.5} [SD 263.1] We are to Be Zealous in Our Labors I am verily a man which . . . was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. Acts 22:3. {SD 263.1} [SD 263.2] As a people, we are not deficient in talent. There are men and women among us whose labors God would accept if they would offer them to Him, but there are so very few who have the spirit of sacrifice. Some will hand out readily of their means, and feel that when they have done this, there is no more required of them. They make no special sacrifice in thus doing. Money is good as far as it goes, but, unless accompanied by personal effort, will go but a little way toward converting souls to the truth. Not only does God call for your money, . . . but He calls for you. While you have given of your means, you have selfishly withheld yourselves. One earnest worker in the vineyard is worth more than a million of money without men to do the work. This giving of yourselves will be a sacrifice if you have a correct estimate of the work, and realize its claims. . . . {SD 263.2} [SD 263.3] Many are not sufficiently aroused to their duty to do the work they might do if they would, and that they do not do because they have not the spirit of sacrifice. God will hold such accountable for the souls of their fellow-men. They might have done a good work in union with Christ, and they will be called to render an account for the good to souls they could have done and did not. . . . {SD 263.3} [SD 263.4] The night soon cometh, in which no man can work. Satan is earnest, zealous, and persevering in his work. If he fails to accomplish his purpose the first time, he tries again. He will try other plans, and work with great perseverance to bring in various temptations to ensnare souls. He never becomes so discouraged as to let souls entirely alone. If the zeal and perseverance of Christ's followers in their efforts to save souls were equal to Satan's efforts to deceive them to their eternal loss, we should see hundreds embracing the truth where we now see one. 264 {SD 263.4} [SD 264.1] God Places Benevolence Close Beside Prayer Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. Acts 10:4. {SD 264.1} [SD 264.2] True Christian benevolence springs from the principle of grateful love. Love to Christ cannot exist without corresponding love to those whom He came into the world to redeem. Love to Christ must be the ruling principle of the being, controlling all its emotions and directing all its energies. Redeeming love should awaken all that tender affection and self-sacrificing devotion that is possible to exist in the heart of man. When this is the case, no heart-stirring appeals will be needed to break through their selfishness and awaken their dormant sympathies, to call forth benevolent offerings for the precious cause of truth. . . . {SD 264.2} [SD 264.3] Rightly directed benevolence draws upon the mental and moral energies of men, and excites them to most healthful action in blessing the needy and in advancing the cause of God. If those who have means should realize that they are accountable to God for every dollar that they expend, their supposed wants would be much less. If conscience was alive, she would testify of needless appropriations in the gratification of the appetite, and in ministering to pride, to vanity, and to amusements, and report the squandering of their Lord's money, which should have been devoted to His cause. . . . {SD 264.3} [SD 264.4] The length and happiness of life consist not in the amount of our earthly possessions. . . . {SD 264.4} [SD 264.5] Those churches who are the most systematic and liberal in sustaining the cause of God, are the most prosperous spiritually. True liberality in the follower of Christ identifies his interest with that of his Master. . . . Worldliness and covetousness are eating out the vitals of God's people. They should understand that it is His mercy which multiplies the demands for their means. The angel of God places benevolent acts close beside prayer. He said to Cornelius, "Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." 265 {SD 264.5} [SD 265.1] Representatives of God's Government Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58. {SD 265.1} [SD 265.2] The church of Christ is to be clean, pure, and sanctified unto God. Its members stand before the world as representatives of the heavenly government. They are embarked, so long as time shall last, upon an enterprise of mercy. {SD 265.2} [SD 265.3] It is God's desire that all who profess to believe in the truth of His word shall make it known. Their persevering fidelity will be richly rewarded. "The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High." {SD 265.3} [SD 265.4] Let us then not be weary in well-doing. Let us yield our hearts entirely to the teachings of the word of the great Medical Missionary. According to our own faith in the message will be our earnestness and our power in promoting the knowledge of Jesus Christ. We are to become "labourers together with God," always "abounding in the work of the Lord." {SD 265.4} [SD 265.5] Every day of our lives we face new obligations. The termination of one duty is the beginning of the next. Our lives are to be spent in solemn service for the Master. We are the Lord's servants. The members of Christ's church are to be examples of life-service, of complete obedience to our great Example. Every day our work will be appointed unto us according to our several ability. In prayerful, watchful service, we shall perfect characters after the divine similitude, characters with which God will be pleased, and that will fit us for an entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. {SD 265.5} [SD 265.6] The Lord is waiting to manifest through His people His grace and power. . . . Individually we are to walk and talk with God; then the sacred influence of the gospel of Christ in all its preciousness will appear in our lives. 266 {SD 265.6} [SD 266.1] How We are to Work But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. 1 Peter 3:15. {SD 266.1} [SD 266.2] In daily doing the works of Christ, it becomes a pleasure to do His will. Christ came to our world to live out the law of God, to be our pattern in all things. He placed Himself between the mercy seat, and the vast number of heartless worshippers who were full of ostentation, pride, and vanity, and by His lessons of truth, which were "eloquent with simplicity," He impressed the people with the necessity of spiritual worship. His lessons were impressive, beautiful and weighty with importance, and yet so simple that a child could understand them. The truth He presented was so deep that the wisest and most accomplished teacher could never exhaust it. Those who work as seeing the Invisible, will always preserve simplicity, charging the simplest words with the power of the grandest truths. {SD 266.2} [SD 266.3] The youth may be a power for Christ, if they will maintain their simplicity, and not seek to present something startling, something original, but teach the precepts of their Lord. But to invest the simplest truths with novelty and singularity, is to rob them of their power to win souls to Christ. . . . The use of long words and soaring eloquence is not essential to success. What you need is a living experience in the things of God, and simplicity in presenting the love of Christ to the lost. . . . When the heart is aglow with the love of Jesus, you will express it to others, and become witnesses for Christ. {SD 266.3} [SD 266.4] We are not to hide the gospel, or cover the cross of Christ with ornamental roses and thus make the preaching of it of no effect. {SD 266.4} [SD 266.5] The true, honest expression of a son or daughter of God, spoken in natural simplicity, has power to unbolt the door to hearts that have long been closed against Christ and His love. 267 {SD 266.5} [SD 267.1] We are to Do Good to Our Neighbors Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it Proverbs 3:27. {SD 267.1} [SD 267.2] So ready, so eager is the Saviour's heart to welcome us as members of the family of God, that in the very first words we are to use in approaching God, He places the assurance of our divine relationship, --"Our Father." . . . In calling God our Father, we recognize all His children as our brethren. We are all a part of the great web of humanity, all members of one family. In our petitions we are to include our neighbors as well as ourselves. No one prays aright who seeks a blessing for himself alone. {SD 267.2} [SD 267.3] We are bound to the Lord by the strongest ties, and the manifestation of our Father's love should call forth the most filial affection and the most ardent gratitude. The laws of God have their foundation in the most immutable rectitude, and are so framed that they will promote the happiness of those who keep them. {SD 267.3} [SD 267.4] In the lesson of faith that Christ taught on the mount, are revealed the principles of true religion. Religion brings man into personal relation with God, but not exclusively; for the principles of heaven are to be lived out, that they may help and bless humanity. A true child of God will love Him with all his heart, and his neighbor as himself. He will have an interest for his fellow-men. True religion is the work of grace upon the heart, that causes the life to flow out in good works, like a fountain fed from living streams. Religion does not consist merely in meditation and prayer. The Christian's light is displayed in good works, and is thus recognized by others. Religion is not to be divorced from the business life. It is to pervade and sanctify its engagements and enterprises. If a man is truly connected with God and heaven, the spirit that dwells in heaven will influence all his words and actions. He will glorify God in his works, and will lead others to honor Him. 268 {SD 267.4} [SD 268.1] We are to Labor With Love By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:35. {SD 268.1} [SD 268.2] May God help us to understand that we must be laborers together with Him. Let us begin right here to be co-workers with heaven. . . . Will you not unite in labor for your families and for your friends and acquaintances? {SD 268.2} [SD 268.3] Let every one of our young disciples of Christ have an unselfish love for all other disciples of Christ. . . . See if there is not a poor child who is not a favorite, to whom no special kindnesses are shown, and make this one the object of your unselfish attention. Those who are especially attractive will be at no loss for friends; while those who are less pleasing in appearance, who are timid and hard to become acquainted with, may have choice traits of character, and they are the purchase of the blood of Christ. {SD 268.3} [SD 268.4] We need to realize daily what a helper we have in Jesus. Let all understand that they can be co-workers with Jesus Christ. It is your privilege to receive grace from Christ that will enable you to comfort others with the same comfort wherewith you yourselves are comforted of God. . . . Let each one seek to do his work as he will wish he had done when the end of all things shall come. Let each try to help the next one. Thus you may have a little heaven here below, and angels of God will work through you to make right impressions. . . . Christ wants to use you as His servants. Seek to help wherever you can. Cultivate the best dispositions that the grace of God may rest richly upon you. {SD 268.4} [SD 268.5] Young and old may learn to look to God as the One who will heal, as One who sympathizes, who understands their necessities and who will never make a mistake. Your humanity may lay hold of the divinity of Christ by living faith, and you may learn to carry out . . . the principles of heaven. This will make you a blessing to all. 269 {SD 268.5} [SD 269.1] Defenders of the Faith Ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Jude 3. {SD 269.1} [SD 269.2] Crime of every type is increasing in the world, and the earth is defiled under the inhabitants thereof. The eternal plans of God are about to be fulfilled, and the end of all things is at hand. This is a time when those who have a knowledge of the truth of God should be ranging themselves on the side of the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel. They should stand forth as defenders of the faith delivered to the saints. They should make manifest to the world what it is to keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. They should let their light shine forth in clear, strong rays upon the pathway of those who walk in darkness. The soldiers of Christ should stand shoulder to shoulder, loyal to truth, vindicators of the law of Jehovah. {SD 269.2} [SD 269.3] Those who depart from the plain precepts of God, will support error, and be ranged against the soldiers of Christ. They will make manifest who is their leader by the course they will pursue in opposing the truth of God, and in enforcing error on the conscience by oppressive measures. It is now time to take a decided stand on the side of truth; and as God has given to every one his measure of influence, he should exert it to the glory of God and for the good of his associates. Not one of the faithful stewards of Christ will be idle in such a time as this, or will be content to live simply for self. Those who are in communion with Christ will realize that there are souls on every side who may be benefited by their help, example, and influence. They will realize that they may be agents through whom Jesus will work to save those for whom He died. This should be the experience of all who profess to believe the third angel's message. Young and old should have a rich, joyful, abundant experience in the religion of Christ. 270 {SD 269.3} [SD 270.1] We Are Blessed in Helping Others The soul of blessing shall be made fat; and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. Proverbs 11:25, margin. {SD 270.1} [SD 270.2] There are many to whom life is a painful struggle; they feel their deficiencies, and are miserable and unbelieving; they think they have nothing for which to be grateful. Kind words, looks of sympathy, expressions of appreciation, would be to many a struggling and lonely one as the cup of cold water to a thirsty soul. A word of sympathy, an act of kindness, would lift burdens that rest heavily upon weary shoulders. And every word or deed of unselfish kindness is an expression of the love of Christ for lost humanity. {SD 270.2} [SD 270.3] The merciful "shall obtain mercy." "The soul of blessing shall be made fat; and he that watereth shall be watered also himself." There is sweet peace for the compassionate spirit, a blessed satisfaction in the life of self-forgetful service for the good of others. The Holy Spirit that abides in the soul, and is manifest in the life, will soften hard hearts, and awaken sympathy and tenderness. You will reap that which you sow. {SD 270.3} [SD 270.4] The time will come when the earth shall reel to and fro, and shall be removed like a cottage. But the thoughts, the purposes, the acts of God's workers, although now unseen, will appear at the great day of final retribution and reward. Things now forgotten will then appear as witnesses, either to approve or to condemn. {SD 270.4} [SD 270.5] Love, courtesy, self-sacrifice,--these are never lost. When God's chosen ones are changed from mortality to immortality, their words and deeds of goodness will be made manifest, and will be preserved through the eternal ages. No act of unselfish service, however small or simple, is ever lost. Through the merits of Christ's imputed righteousness, the fragrance of such words and deeds is forever preserved. 271 {SD 270.5} [SD 271.1] We are Created to Do Good Works For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10. {SD 271.1} [SD 271.2] There are possibilities for work to be done by you for Jesus that you have never dreamed of. A Christian is a Christ-like man, a Christ-like woman who is active in God's service, who is present at the social meeting, whose presence will encourage others also. Religion does not consist in works, but religion works; it is not dormant. The pure religion of Jesus is the fountain from which flow streams of charity, love, self-sacrifice. . . . With the love of Christ in the heart, the lips will utter His praise and magnify His name. There will be a pressure upon the soul filled with Christ's love. . . . {SD 271.2} [SD 271.3] God's sons and daughters must show they are of heavenly extraction. The great man in God's sight is he who in the midst of crowds, of cares and financial pressure, keeps his soul unpolluted, unstained, without one blot of worldly pollution. Firmly relying upon God by prayer and faith, the soul will stand firm in moral independence, yet with perfect kindness, love, and goodness. The temptations of society are met and resisted, communion is maintained with God, and the communication between your soul and God enables you to transmit to others through your social relations the choicest blessings which Heaven has to bestow. . . . Exact and impartial justice will be seen in all his dealings, but his duty does not end here. God requires more. He demands of you to love as Christ has loved souls. He demands of you compassion for the suffering, the erring, those who are subject to Satan's temptations. He demands of you kindness, courtesy to even the unfortunate, a generous consideration of the feelings of others. . . . You must so order your intercourse and deal with the world as to secure for yourself a calm, hallowed peace, while you leave a record behind of a godly example. 272 {SD 271.3} [SD 272.1] God Blesses Those Who Consider the Poor Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. Psalm 41:1. {SD 272.1} [SD 272.2] We are God's servants, doing His service. Into the great web of life we are to draw no thread of selfishness; for this would spoil the pattern. But, oh, how thoughtless men are apt to be! How seldom do they make the interest of God's suffering ones their own. The poor are all around them, but they pass on, thoughtless and indifferent, regardless of the widows and orphans who, left without resources, suffer, but do not tell their need. If the rich would place a small fund in the bank, at the disposal of the needy ones, how much suffering would be saved. The holy love of God should lead every one to see that it is his duty to care for some other one, and thus keep alive the spirit of benevolence. . . . He honors us by making us His helping hand. Instead of complaining, let us rejoice that we have the privilege of serving under so good and merciful a Master. {SD 272.2} [SD 272.3] Hear what Isaiah says: "Bring the poor that are cast out to thy house; when thou seest the naked, cover him. . . . Then shall thy light break forth as the morning." Your souls shall be like a watered garden, whose waters fail not. . . . {SD 272.3} [SD 272.4] I remember the case of a poor man, who lived near a rich widow. . . . She had had her orchard trimmed, and the limbs and sprouts thus cut off lay by the fence. This poor man asked of her the small favor to give him this brush to use for fuel; but she refused him, saying, "I want to keep them; for the ashes will enrich my ground." I never pass the house of that woman without thinking of this incident. Ground enriched to the neglect of the poor! {SD 272.4} [SD 272.5] When there is a failure to appreciate the necessities of humanity, an unwillingness to be God's helping hand, the most costly offerings, the grandest display of liberality, are abominable in His sight. {SD 272.5} [SD 272.6] It is in a life of service only that true happiness is found. 273 {SD 272.6} [SD 273.1] We Are Told To Go Into All the World And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15. {SD 273.1} [SD 273.2] The Lord has given to the youth capabilities and talents with which they are to do the work of God. I ask you, dear youth, are you going to give yourselves to the Lord? Are you ready to engage in the work He has left you to do? Jesus said to His disciples, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." In the face of this command, will you appropriate your time and your energies as inclination may dictate, instead of following the counsel of God? . . . {SD 273.2} [SD 273.3] There are souls to be saved. But in wasting your talent of influence, you cannot be laborers together with God, working for the salvation of others. God would have you rightfully direct every jot of influence you possess. He calls for you to whom He has given great light to cooperate with heavenly intelligences. Those who have great light and precious capabilities will have a large field in which their influence may tell unto life eternal; but if those who have been richly endowed of heaven, withhold their gifts from God's service, and misapply them in the service of self and the world, they will be punished in proportion to the light which they have persistently refused. God has made the youth the depositaries of the truth that is to be imparted to the world. . . . Christ is calling for whole-hearted, sincere servants, who will not be turned from their position of duty by allurements or opposition,--who will not fail or be discouraged. Will you give Him your names? Will you be among those who shall be light-bearers? Will you give yourself to Him to be employed as His agents to arrest the steps of many who are going on the road to perdition? {SD 273.3} [SD 273.4] The work must extend from city to city, from country to country, and from nation to nation, moving continually onward and upward, established, strengthened, and settled. 274 {SD 273.4} [SD 274.1] We are Witnesses for God Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord. Isaiah 43:10. {SD 274.1} [SD 274.2] "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord." Thank God that it is our privilege to be called witnesses for God. Then if we are witnesses, we must speak for Christ, and lift Him up among our associates. When we see the ardor and religious zeal of any of our companions growing cool, we must help and encourage such a one, pray with and for him, that he may be a true witness for the Lord. . . . {SD 274.2} [SD 274.3] You are to be the agent through whom God will speak to the soul. Precious things will be brought to your remembrance, and with a heart overflowing with the love of Jesus, you will speak words of vital interest and import. Your simplicity and sincerity will be the highest eloquence, and your words will be registered in the books of heaven as fit words, which are like apples of gold in pictures of silver. God will make them a healing flood of heavenly influence, awakening conviction and desire, and Jesus will add His intercession to your prayers, and claim for the sinner the gift of the Holy Spirit, and pour it upon his soul. And there will be joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. {SD 274.3} [SD 274.4] The work above all work,--the business above all others which should draw and engage the energies of the soul,--is the work of saving souls for whom Christ has died. Make this the main, the important work of your life. Make it your special life-work. Cooperate with Christ in this grand and noble work, and become home and foreign missionaries. Be ready and efficient to work at home or in far-off climes for the saving of souls. . . . O that young and old were thoroughly converted to God, and would take up the duty that lies next them, and work as they have opportunity, becoming laborers together with God! Should this come to pass, multitudes of voices would show forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. 275 {SD 274.4} [SD 275.1] We Give Liberally To Spread the Gospel Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase. Proverbs 3:9. {SD 275.1} [SD 275.2] Are you not chosen of God to be a vessel unto honor, to convey light and truth to those who are in error and darkness? The saving message of truth has come to you, and if you receive of the spirit of Christ, you will have a love for the souls who are in peril. {SD 275.2} [SD 275.3] Men will compass land and sea for earthly gain, and endure privation and suffering to obtain their object, yet will turn away from heaven's attractions, and not regard eternal riches. Men who are in comparative poverty are usually the ones who do the most to sustain the cause of God. They are generous with their little. They have strengthened their generous impulses by continual liberalities. When their expenditures pressed close upon the income, their passion for earthly riches had no room or chance to strengthen. But many, when they begin to gather earthly riches, commence to calculate how long it will be before they can be in possession of a certain sum. In their anxiety to amass wealth for themselves, they fail to become rich toward God. {SD 275.3} [SD 275.4] It should be your object, in whatever vocation you may be found, to do your work in a manner that shall glorify God. All that you gain, you should look upon as capital to be invested in the bank of heaven. It should be your joy to devote means, and time, and ability to win souls for Christ, to send the light to those who sit in darkness. {SD 275.4} [SD 275.5] The Lord has ordained that the diffusion of light and truth in the earth shall be dependent upon the efforts and offerings of those who are partakers of the heavenly gift. He might have made angels the ambassadors of His truth; He might have made known His will, as He proclaimed the law from Sinai, with His own voice; but in His infinite love and wisdom He called men to become co-laborers with Himself, by choosing them to do this work. 276 {SD 275.5} [SD 276.1] We Are the Light of the World Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Matthew 5:14. {SD 276.1} [SD 276.2] Our duty will only be discerned and appreciated when viewed in the light which shines from the life of Christ. As the sun rises in the east and passes toward the west, filling the world with light, so the true follower of Christ will be a light unto the world. He will go forth into the world as a bright and shining light, that those who are in darkness may be lightened and warmed by the rays shining forth from him. Christ says of His followers, "Ye are the light of the world." {SD 276.2} [SD 276.3] Those who do not work in hopefulness, keep themselves under a cloud of doubt. The enemy is not dead yet, and the nearer we come to the close of this earth's history, the more vigilant will be the efforts of satanic agencies to keep souls under a cloud of doubt, so that the light of heaven shall not be expressed in words and acts, to bring hope and cheer and courage to others. . . . {SD 276.3} [SD 276.4] The world is full of hurry and disappointment. The words are addressed to you, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." The words in favor of truth, spoken with the assurance that comes from the possession of a right purpose, and in cheerful hope, from a pure heart, will make the angels rejoice. The Lord would have us spiritually minded, that we may be able to see the working out of His plans in our lives. We are to be laborers together with God in accomplishing the work that He would have done. Wherever we are, we are to reflect light. {SD 276.4} [SD 276.5] When the grace of Christ is expressed in the words and works of the believers, light will shine forth to those who are in darkness; for while the lips are speaking to the praise of God, the hand will be stretched out in beneficence for the help of the perishing. 277 {SD 276.5} [SD 277.1] We are to Work with Christ to Save the Lost And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. Luke 15:6. {SD 277.1} [SD 277.2] When Jesus spoke these words, He was talking to a company, many of whom knew by experience what a shepherd's life is in Palestine. There the flocks are not kept in level, inclosed pastures, but on the hill-sides, among crags and precipices. . . . {SD 277.2} [SD 277.3] There was always the danger from robbers and wolves to be guarded against. Sometimes a sheep would stray away from the flock; so they were frequently numbered to see that none were lost, for the shepherd must give a strict account of all the sheep under his care.... The shepherd's life is one full of peril. If he is a trustworthy shepherd, he will not be careless and study his own ease, but he will search for the straying sheep amid storm and tempest. . . . {SD 277.3} [SD 277.4] This is the way the true Shepherd treats the lost sinner. He goes after him; He does not hesitate at peril, self-denial, and self-sacrifice. He is intent upon bringing the sin-burdened soul to repentance, to salvation, to peace, rest, and happiness in his Saviour's love. And it is the privilege of every one who has experienced the love of Jesus in his own heart, to think if there is not some one whom he can by personal effort, by studied tact and kindness, bring to Jesus, who is ready and willing to accept all who will come to Him. We can all do much through personal effort. We can be laborers with Jesus Christ. {SD 277.4} [SD 277.5] Life is serious. You have a large field in which to work; and persevering search for the lost sheep will be the most successful way in which you can employ your time. . . . If you can exert a saving influence over one soul, remember there is joy in heaven over the one that repented. . . . You may, by judicious effort, be the means of bringing back the lost sheep to Jesus' fold. 278 {SD 277.5} [SD 278.1] Truth Will Triumph Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not your's, but God's. 2 Chronicles 20:15. {SD 278.1} [SD 278.2] There is work for every individual who names the name of Christ. A voice from heaven is solemnly calling you to duty. Heed this voice, and go to work at once in any place, in any capacity. Why stand ye here all the day idle? There is work for you to do, a work that demands your best energies. Every precious moment of life is related to some duty which you owe to God or to your fellow men. . . . {SD 278.2} [SD 278.3] A great work of saving souls remains yet to be done. Every angel in glory is engaged in this work, while every demon of darkness is opposing it. Christ has demonstrated to us the great value of souls in that He came to the world with the hoarded love of eternity in His heart, offering to make man heir to all His wealth. He unveils before us the love of the Father for the guilty race and presents Him as just and the justifier of him that believeth. {SD 278.3} [SD 278.4] There are vast numbers arrayed against the truth, whom we must meet in presenting the light to others. Our hope is not in our knowledge of the truth, and in our own ability, but in the living God. . . . God's glory is at stake. And there should be decided effort as far as human effort is concerned, and living faith for the mighty God to manifest His power, else all will prove a failure. God defeated the enemies of Israel. He put their forces into disorder. They fled they knew not whither. Who can stand before the Lord God of Israel? {SD 278.4} [SD 278.5] Now we are not warring against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. The Lord would encourage us to look to Him as the source of all our strength, the One who is able to help us. . . . When the God of Israel undertakes work for us, He will make it a success. {SD 278.5} [SD 278.6] Truth will triumph. 279 {SD 278.6} [SD 279.1] Christ Commends those Who Serve Him Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Matthew 25:21. {SD 279.1} [SD 279.2] The Lord is willing to do great things for us. We shall not gain the victory through numbers, but through the full surrender of the soul to Jesus. We are to go forward in His strength, trusting in the mighty God of Israel. . . . It is essential to have an intelligent knowledge of the truth; for how else could we meet its wily opponents? The Bible must be studied, not alone for the doctrines it teaches, but for its practical lessons. You should never be surprised, you should never be without your armor on. Be prepared for any emergency, for any call of duty. Be waiting, watching for every opportunity to present the truth, familiar with the prophecies, familiar with the lessons of Christ. But do not trust in well-prepared arguments. Argument alone is not enough. God must be sought on your knees; you must go forth to meet the people through the power and influence of His Spirit. . . . God would have you minute men, as were the men who composed Gideon's army. {SD 279.2} [SD 279.3] When in the day of final awards, the reward is given to each as his works have been, it is your privilege to have redeemed souls whom you have been the means of helping, come to you and say, "You lifted me out of discouragement." And the Master will say to you, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." {SD 279.3} [SD 279.4] The Lord keeps a complete list of His workers, and in Bible history He has given us the names of a few. Among those who were faithful stewards are Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Elijah, Daniel, Nehemiah, John, and Paul. . . . The workers in the vineyard of the Lord have the example of the good of all ages to stimulate them. They have to encourage them the love of God, the ministration of angels, the sympathy of Jesus, and the hope of winning precious souls to shine forever as stars in their crown of rejoicing. 280 {SD 279.4} [SD 280.1] When the Gospel is Preached to All And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14. {SD 280.1} [SD 280.2] "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." We are to bear as definite a testimony to the truth as it is in Jesus, as did Christ and His apostles. Trusting in the efficiency of the Holy Spirit, we are to testify of the mercy, goodness, and love of a crucified and risen Saviour, and thus be agents through whom the darkness will be dispelled from many minds, and cause thanksgiving and praise to ascend from many hearts to God. There is a great work to be done by every son and daughter of God. {SD 280.2} [SD 280.3] Those who will not accept the last solemn message of warning sent to our world, will pervert the Scriptures; they will attack the character, and make false statements in regard to the faith and doctrines of the advocates of Bible truth. Every possible means will be employed to divert the attention. Shows, games, horseraces, and various other kinds of amusement will be set in operation. An intense power from beneath will stir them up to oppose the message from heaven. . . . Let us rally under the banner of Prince Immanuel, and in the name and strength of Jesus press the battle home. {SD 280.3} [SD 280.4] There are souls perishing. They must know the terms of salvation....Many appear to be entombed in the darkness of ignorance, intrenched behind an invincible barrier, . . . but bear in mind that heavenly intelligences are working with the human agents. The Holy Spirit can pierce the stronghold of unbelief. Jesus is leading His army to the field of battle. . . . Our General leads to victory. {SD 280.4} [SD 280.5] When the members of the church of God do their appointed work in the needy fields at home and abroad, in fulfilment of the gospel commission, the whole world will soon be warned, and the Lord Jesus will return to this earth with power and great glory. {SD 280.5} [SD 280.6] God will do the work if we will furnish Him the instruments. {SD 280.6} [SD 281.1] Chap. 10 - We Abide in Christ By Receiving Christ, the Source of Life In him was life; and the life was the light of men. John 1:4. {SD 281.1} [SD 281.2] The Lord has made every provision so that we may have a rich, abundant, joyful experience. John writes concerning Christ, saying, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men." Life is associated with light, and if we have no light from the Sun of Righteousness, we can have no life in Him. But this light has been provided for every soul, and it is only as we withdraw from the light that darkness comes upon us. Jesus said, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." In the world about us there can be no life without light. Were the sun to withdraw his shining, all vegetation, all animal life, would have an end. This illustrates the fact that we cannot have spiritual life unless we place ourselves under the beams of the Sun of Righteousness. If we put a flowering plant in a dark room, it will soon wither and die; and so we may have some spiritual life, and yet lose it by dwelling in an atmosphere of doubt and gloom. . . . {SD 281.2} [SD 281.3] We are called, as was John, not to take the place of Christ, but to witness to the light, to direct the minds of others to Him. . . . Let no one who would witness for Christ, make himself prominent, and seek to attract the attention of the people to himself; but let him strive to lift up Jesus. {SD 281.3} [SD 281.4] Humanity has in itself no light. Apart from Christ, we are like an unkindled taper, like the moon when her face is turned away from the sun; we have not a single ray of brightness to shed into the darkness of the world. But when we turn toward the Sun of Righteousness, when we come in touch with Christ, the whole soul is aglow with the brightness of the divine presence. 282 {SD 281.4} [SD 282.1] By Abiding in Christ, the Source of Power For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. Colossians 2:9, 10. {SD 282.1} [SD 282.2] The Lord Jesus acts through the Holy Spirit; for it is His representative. Through it He infuses spiritual life into the soul, quickening its energies for good, cleansing it from moral defilement, and giving it a fitness for His kingdom. Jesus has large blessings to bestow, rich gifts to distribute among men. He is the wonderful Counselor, infinite in wisdom and strength; and if we will acknowledge the power of His Spirit, and submit to be molded by it, we shall stand complete in Him. What a thought is this! In Christ "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him." {SD 282.2} [SD 282.3] Never will the human heart know happiness until it is submitted to be molded by the Spirit of God. The Spirit conforms the renewed soul to the model, Jesus Christ. Through the influence of the Spirit, enmity against God is changed into faith and love, and pride into humility. The soul perceives the beauty of truth, and Christ is honored in excellence and perfection of character. As these changes are effected, angels break out in rapturous song, and God and Christ rejoice over souls fashioned after the divine similitude. {SD 282.3} [SD 282.4] Jehovah Emmanuel--He "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," in whom dwells "all the fulness of the Godhead bodily"--to be brought into sympathy with Him, to know Him, to possess Him, as the heart opens more and more to receive His attributes; to know His love and power, to possess the unsearchable riches of Christ, to comprehend more and more "what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God,"--"this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." 283 {SD 282.4} [SD 283.1] By Walking as Christ Walked As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Colossians 2:6. {SD 283.1} [SD 283.2] You are fighting for the crown of life. . . . Live to please Him who thought you of such value that He gave Jesus, His only begotten Son, to save you from your sins. . . . Ever keep before you the thought that what is worth doing at all, is worth doing well. Depend upon God for wisdom, that you may not discourage one soul in right doing. Work with Christ in drawing souls to Him. . . . Do your very best in everything you undertake. Jesus is your Saviour, and rely upon Him to help you day by day, that you may not sow tares, but the good seed of the kingdom. . . . {SD 283.2} [SD 283.3] You must learn to see with your brain as well as your eyes. You must educate your judgment so that it shall not be feeble and inefficient. You must pray for guidance, and commit your way unto the Lord. You must close your heart against all foolishness and sin, and open it to every heavenly influence. You must make the most of your time and opportunities, in order to develop a symmetrical character. . . . {SD 283.3} [SD 283.4] We are to be "complete in him." "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." This means that you are to study the life of Christ. You are to study it with as much more earnestness than you study secular lines of knowledge, as eternal interests are more important than temporal, earthly pursuits. If you appreciate the value and sacredness of eternal things, you will bring your sharpest thoughts, your best energies, to the solving of the problem that involves your eternal well-being; for every other interest sinks into nothingness in comparison with that. {SD 283.4} [SD 283.5] You have the pattern, Christ Jesus; walk in His footsteps, and you will be qualified to fill any and every position that you may be called upon to occupy.... You are not to feel that you are a bond slave, but a son of God. 284 {SD 283.5} [SD 284.1] By Walking in the Truth For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 3 John 3. {SD 284.1} [SD 284.2] The Lord has a place for the very best ability He has intrusted to men. In the work of building up His kingdom, we may employ every capacity given of God, as faithfully and earnestly as did Daniel in Babylon, when he was found faithful to every duty to man, and loyal to his God. {SD 284.2} [SD 284.3] God calls for far more tact, more wise generalship, than has yet been given Him by His human agents. There is need of sharp, sanctified thinking, and keen work to counteract the ingenious plans of Satan. There is a call for a higher standard to be met, a holier, more determined, self-sacrificing effort to be put forth in the Lord's work. Our youth must be educated to meet a higher standard, to understand that they are now deciding their own eternal destiny. There is no safeguard for any one, save in having in the heart the truth as it is in Jesus. This must be planted in the heart by the Holy Spirit. Much that is now called religion will sink out of sight when it is assailed by the hosts of Satan. Nothing will stand but the truth,--the wisdom that is from above, which will sanctify the soul. {SD 284.3} [SD 284.4] Let no one imagine that self-indulgence is religion. Let not selfishness be pampered. Let the youth learn to restrict their desires, and to beware of extravagance in the use of means. Let all look unto Jesus, contemplate His character, and follow in His footsteps. {SD 284.4} [SD 284.5] The truth if received is capable of constant expansion and new developments. It will increase in brightness as we behold it, and grow in height and depth as we aspire to grasp it. Thus it will elevate us to the standard of perfection, and give us faith and trust in God as our strength for the work before us. {SD 284.5} [SD 284.6] Through the application of divine truth the perfect image of God will be reproduced. 285 {SD 284.6} [SD 285.1] By Keeping the Commandments in Every Detail And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. 1 John 3:24. {SD 285.1} [SD 285.2] God requires us to be faithful in the smallest details of life,-- to guard our words, our spirit, and our actions. To do this, we need to acquire perfect self-control, and this will demand of us constant, ceaseless watchfulness. . . . {SD 285.2} [SD 285.3] Were self kept under control, serious errors in home and business life would be avoided. Among the members of many families there is practised the habit of saying loose, careless things, and the habit of tantalizing, of speaking harsh words, becomes stronger and stronger as it is indulged, and thus many objectionable words are spoken that are after Satan's order, and not after the order of God. Should those who indulge in speaking words of passion, study the Guide Book, and with a serious mind seek to know its requirements, and to do them,--should they make practical its injunctions,--what a transformation would there be in the conduct and conversation! . . . Every relation in life, every position of responsibility, every affection and habit, every emotion of the mind, is to be brought to the great standard of righteousness, the commandments of God, which are exceeding broad. We must have simplicity of heart that we may understand, and willingness of mind to practise, all the teachings of God's Word. . . . {SD 285.3} [SD 285.4] The whole mind must be molded by the Holy Spirit. Divine power will combine with human effort, when we seek earnestly to be complete in Christ Jesus. The Lord will help every one who seeks Him with all his heart. He shall have the light of life, and that light shines from the living oracles. As the light of the sun sheds its warmth throughout all the world, so the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness will shed health-giving rays into the heart. 286 {SD 285.4} [SD 286.1] By Being United as Children of God For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26. {SD 286.1} [SD 286.2] We seldom find two persons exactly alike. Among human beings as well as among the things of the natural world, there is diversity. Unity in diversity among God's children--the manifestation of love and forbearance in spite of difference of disposition--this is the testimony that God sent His Son into the world to save sinners. {SD 286.2} [SD 286.3] The unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality of either. In mind, in purpose, in character, they are one, but not in person. By partaking of the Spirit of God, conforming to the law of God, man becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ brings His disciples into a living union with Himself and with the Father. Through the working of the Holy Spirit upon the human mind, man is made complete in Christ Jesus. Unity with Christ establishes a bond of unity with one another. This unity is the most convincing proof to the world of the majesty and virtue of Christ, and of His power to take away sin. {SD 286.3} [SD 286.4] The powers of darkness stand a poor chance against believers who love one another as Christ has loved them, who refuse to create alienation and strife, who stand together, who are kind, courteous, and tender-hearted, cherishing the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. We must have the Spirit of Christ, or we are none of His. {SD 286.4} [SD 286.5] In unity there is strength; in division there is weakness. {SD 286.5} [SD 286.6] The closer our union with Christ, the closer will be our union with one another. Variance and disaffection, selfishness and conceit, are striving for supremacy. These are the fruits of a divided heart, open to the suggestions of the enemy of souls. Satan exults when he can sow seeds of dissension. {SD 286.6} [SD 286.7] In unity there is a life, a power, that can be obtained in no other way. 287 {SD 286.7} [SD 287.1] Christ is the True Vine I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. John 15:1. {SD 287.1} [SD 287.2] Those who would follow Christ, must believe in Him; they must open the heart to receive Him as an abiding guest. They must abide in Christ, as the branch abides in the living vine. There is a vital union formed between the parent stock and the branch, and the same fruit appears upon the branch that is seen upon the tree. Thus the Lord will work through the human agent who unites himself to Jesus Christ. Those who have an abiding trust in Christ, will, like Enoch, have a sense of the abiding presence of God. Why is it that there are so many who feel in uncertainty, who feel that they are orphans?--It is because they do not cultivate faith in the precious assurance that the Lord Jesus is their sin-bearer. It was in behalf of those who had transgressed the law, that Jesus took upon Him human nature, and became like unto us, in order that we might have everlasting peace and assurance. We have an advocate in the heavens, and whosoever accepts Him as his personal Saviour is not left an orphan to bear the curse of his own sins. {SD 287.2} [SD 287.3] We must daily cultivate faith, daily contemplate Him who has undertaken our case, who is a merciful and faithful high priest; "for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted ［not in a few things, but in all points like as we are］, he is able to succour them that are tempted." "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities." Even now, in heaven, He is afflicted with our afflictions; and as a living Saviour, as an interested Advocate, He is making intercession for us. {SD 287.3} [SD 287.4] We should daily exercise faith; and that faith should daily increase as it is exercised, as we realize that He has not only redeemed us, but has loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God and the Father. 288 {SD 287.4} [SD 288.1] We Are the Branches I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5. {SD 288.1} [SD 288.2] We have nothing, we are nothing, unless we receive virtue from Jesus Christ. {SD 288.2} [SD 288.3] Until the heart is surrendered unconditionally to God, the human agent is not abiding in the true Vine, and cannot flourish in the Vine, and bear rich clusters of fruit. God will not make the slightest compromise with sin. If He could have done this, Christ need not have come to our world to suffer and die. No conversion is genuine which does not change both the character and the conduct of those who accept the truth. The truth works by love, and purifieth the soul. {SD 288.3} [SD 288.4] Our professions are worthless unless we abide in Christ; for we cannot be living branches unless the vital qualities of the Vine abound in us. In the genuine Christian the characteristics of his Master will appear, and when we reflect the graces of Christ in our lives and characters, the Father loves us as He loves His Son. When this condition is fulfilled in those who profess to believe the present truth, we shall see a prosperous church; for its members will not live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them, and they will be flourishing branches of the living Vine. {SD 288.4} [SD 288.5] The root of the tree has a double office to fill. It is to hold fast by its tendrils to the earth, while it takes to itself the nourishment desired. Thus it is with the Christian. When his union with Christ, the parent stock, is complete, when he feeds upon Him, currents of spiritual strength are given to him. Can the leaves of such a branch wither?--Never! As long as the soul reaches toward Christ, there is little danger that he will wilt, and droop, and decay. The temptations that may come in like a tempest will not uproot him. The true Christian draws his motives of action from his deep love for his Redeemer. His affection for his Master is true and holy. 289 {SD 288.5} [SD 289.1] God Prunes Us to Make Us More Fruitful Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. John 15:2. {SD 289.1} [SD 289.2] Those who will walk closely in the footsteps of their self-sacrificing, self-denying Redeemer will have the mind of Christ reflected in their minds. Purity and the love of Christ will shine forth in their daily lives and characters, while meekness and truth will guide their way. Every fruitful branch is pruned, that it may bring forth more fruit. Even fruitful branches may display too much foliage and appear what they really are not. The followers of Christ may be doing some work for the Master and yet not be doing half what they might do. He then prunes them, because worldliness, self-indulgence, and pride are cropping out in their lives. Husbandmen clip off the surplus tendrils of the vines . . . , thus making them more fruitful. These hindering causes must be removed and the defective outgrowth cut away, to give room for the healing beams of the Sun of Righteousness. . . . {SD 289.2} [SD 289.3] Many misunderstand the object for which they were created. It was to bless humanity and glorify God, rather than to enjoy and glorify self. God is constantly pruning His people, cutting off profuse, spreading branches, that they may bear fruit to His glory and not produce leaves only. God prunes us with sorrow, with disappointment and affliction, that the outgrowth of strong, perverse traits of character may be weakened and that the better traits may have a chance to develop. Idols must be given up, the conscience must become more tender, the meditations of the heart must be spiritual, and the entire character must become symmetrical. {SD 289.3} [SD 289.4] By abiding in Christ, we may have His sweetness, His fragrance, His light. . . . He shines in our hearts. His light in our hearts shines forth from our faces. By beholding the beauty and the glory of Christ, we become changed into the same image. 290 {SD 289.4} [SD 290.1] We Bear Fruit Only as We Abide in Christ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. John 15:4. {SD 290.1} [SD 290.2] The reason that we carelessly indulge in sin is that we do not see Jesus. We would not lightly regard sin, did we appreciate the fact that sin wounds our Lord. . . . A right estimate of the character of God would enable us rightly to represent Him to the world. Harshness, roughness in words or manner, evil-speaking, passionate words, cannot exist in the soul that is looking unto Jesus. He who abides in Christ is in an atmosphere that forbids evil, and gives not the slightest excuse for anything of this kind. Spiritual life is not nourished from within, but draws its nutrition from Christ, as the branch does from the vine. We are dependent upon Christ every moment; He is our source of supply. All our outside forms, prayers, fastings, and alms-giving cannot take the place of the inward work of the Spirit of God on the human heart. {SD 290.2} [SD 290.3] When one is fully emptied of self, when every false god is cast out of the soul, the vacuum is filled by the inflowing of the Spirit of Christ. Such a one has the faith that purifies the soul from defilement. . . . He is a branch of the True Vine, and bears rich clusters of fruit to the glory of God. What is the character of the fruit borne?--The fruit of the Spirit is "love," not hatred; "joy," not discontent and mourning; "peace," not irritation, anxiety, and manufactured trials. It is "long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." {SD 290.3} [SD 290.4] One branch is not to borrow its sustenance from another. Our life must come from the parent vine. It is only by personal union with Christ, by communion with Him daily, hourly, that we can bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit. . . . Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness, all depend on our union with Christ and the degree of faith we exercise in Him. 291 {SD 290.4} [SD 291.1] Withered Branch Apart From Christ If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. John 15:6. {SD 291.1} [SD 291.2] He ［Judas］ . . . did not become transformed, and converted into a living branch through connection with the True Vine. This dry sapling adhered not to the Vine until it grew into a fruitful, living branch. He revealed that he was the graft that did not bear fruit,-- the graft that did not, fiber by fiber and vein by vein, become knit with the Vine, and partake of its life. {SD 291.2} [SD 291.3] The dry, disconnected sapling can become one with the parent vine stock only by being made a partaker of the life and nourishment of the living vine, by being grafted into the vine, by being brought into the closest relationship possible. . . . The twig holds fast to the life-giving vine, until the life of the vine becomes the life of the branch, and it produces fruit like that of the vine. {SD 291.3} [SD 291.4] "I am the vine," said Christ; "ye are the branches." The closest possible connection is here represented. Engraft the leafless twig upon the flourishing vine stock, and it becomes a living branch, drawing sap and nourishment from the vine. Fiber by fiber, vein by vein, the sapling clings, until it buds and blossoms and bears fruit. The sapless twig represents the sinner. When united to Christ, soul is joined to soul, the feeble and finite to the holy and infinite, and man becomes one with Christ. {SD 291.4} [SD 291.5] The apparently dry branch, by being connected with the living vine, becomes a part of it. . . . The soul, dead in trespasses and sins, must experience a similar process. . . . As the graft receives life when united to the vine, so the sinner partakes of the divine nature when connected with Christ. Finite man is united with the infinite God. When thus united, the words of Christ abide in us, and we are not actuated by a spasmodic feeling, but a living, abiding principle. 292 {SD 291.5} [SD 292.1] We Confess Christ Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 10:32, 33. {SD 292.1} [SD 292.2] Are we confessing Christ in our daily life? Do we confess Him in our dress, adorning ourselves with plain and modest apparel? Is our adorning that of the meek and quiet spirit which is of so great price in the sight of God? Are we seeking to advance the cause of the Master? . . . There is no use in telling you that you must not wear this or that, for if the love of these vain things is in your heart, your laying off your adornments will only be like cutting the foliage off a tree. The inclinations of the natural heart would again assert themselves. You must have a conscience of your own. . . . {SD 292.2} [SD 292.3] We are to abide in Him as the branch abides in the vine. . . . What we want is to have the ax laid at the root of the tree. We want to be dead to the world, dead to self, and alive unto God. . . . We need to come close to Christ, that men may know that we have been with Christ and learned of Him. {SD 292.3} [SD 292.4] He who imitates Christ will show forth His self-denial and self-sacrifice. . . . Just where the conscience of the Bible Christian warns him to forbear, to deny himself, to stop, just there the worldling steps over the line to indulge his selfish propensities. On one side of the line is the self-denying follower of Jesus Christ, on the other side of the line is the self-indulgent world-lover, pandering in fashion, engaging in frivolity, and pampering himself in forbidden pleasures. On this side of the line the Christian cannot go. It is no place for him. {SD 292.4} [SD 292.5] Our life must be hid with Christ in God, that when He shall appear, we also may appear with Him in glory. 293 {SD 292.5} [SD 293.1] We Bear the Fruit of Brotherly Love Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. John 15:8. {SD 293.1} [SD 293.2] The union between Christ and His people is to be living, true, and unfailing, resembling the union that exists between the Father and the Son. This union is the fruit of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. All true children of God will reveal to the world their union with Christ and with their brethren. Those in whose hearts Christ abides will bear the fruit of brotherly love. They will realize that as members of God's family they are pledged to cultivate, cherish, and perpetuate Christian love and fellowship, in spirit, words, and action. {SD 293.2} [SD 293.3] To be children of God, members of the royal family, means more than many suppose. Those who are accounted by God as His children will reveal Christlike love for one another. They will live and work for one object,--the proper representation of Christ to the world. By their love and unity they will show to the world that they bear the divine credentials. By the nobility of love and self-denial, they will show those around them that they are true followers of the Saviour. "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." . . . {SD 293.3} [SD 293.4] The most powerful evidence a man can give that he has been born again and is a new man in Christ Jesus, is the manifestation of love for his brethren, the doing of Christlike deeds. This is the most wonderful witness that can be borne in favor of Christianity, and will win souls to the truth. . . . {SD 293.4} [SD 293.5] Christ brings all true believers into complete oneness with Himself, even the oneness which exists between Him and His Father. The true children of God are bound up with one another and with their Saviour. They are one with Christ in God. 294 {SD 293.5} [SD 294.1] Christ Prayed That We All Might Be One That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. John 17:21. {SD 294.1} [SD 294.2] Christ has left us a perfect, sinless example. His followers are to walk in His footsteps. If they are not transformed in character, they can never dwell with Him in His kingdom. Christ died to elevate and ennoble them, and those who retain hereditary tendencies to wrong can not dwell with Him. He suffered all that it is possible for human flesh to suffer and endure, that we might pass triumphantly through all the temptations Satan may invent to destroy our faith. {SD 294.2} [SD 294.3] In Christ is our only hope. God has daily victories for His people to gain. . . . By His heavenly gifts the Lord has made ample provision for His people. An earthly parent can not give his child a sanctified character. He can not transfer his character to his child. God alone can transform us. Christ breathed on His disciples, and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." This is the great gift of heaven. Christ imparted to them through the Spirit His own sanctification. He imbued them with His power, that they might win souls to the gospel. Henceforth Christ would live through their faculties, and speak through their words. They were privileged to know that hereafter He and they were to be one. They must cherish His principles and be controlled by His Spirit. They were no longer to follow their own way, to speak their own words. The words they spoke were to proceed from a sanctified heart, and fall from sanctified lips. No longer were they to live their own selfish life; Christ was to live in them. . . . He would give to them the glory that He had with the Father, that He and they might be one in God. {SD 294.3} [SD 294.4] Young men and young women should realize that to be one with Christ is the highest honor to which they can attain. . . . Consecrate all that there is of you--soul, body, and spirit--to the Lord. Yield every power you have to the control of the Holy Spirit. 295 {SD 294.4} [SD 295.1] Oneness with Christ And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one. John 17:22. {SD 295.1} [SD 295.2] In these words we have a most convincing statement to prove the fact that unity, kindness, and love will exist among those who are Christians indeed. The world's Redeemer is exalted, glorified, in the character of all those who believe. . . . What tremendous consequences to the world depend upon the unity of those who claim to be Christians, who claim to believe that the Bible is the Word of God. {SD 295.2} [SD 295.3] "Emmanuel, God with us." This means everything to us. What a broad foundation does it lay for our faith! What a hope big with immortality does it place before the believing soul! God with us in Christ Jesus to accompany us every step of the journey to heaven! The Holy Spirit with us as a Comforter, a Guide in our perplexities, to soothe our sorrows, and shield us in temptation! "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" . . . Cultivate love, uproot suspicion, envy, jealousy, and the thinking and the speaking of evil. Press together, work as one man. Be at peace among yourselves. {SD 295.3} [SD 295.4] I beseech you in the name of Jesus of Nazareth to put away everything like spiritual pride and love of supremacy. Become as little children if when the warfare is ended you would become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. Read John 17 over and over again. That prayer of our Saviour offered to His Father in behalf of His disciples, is worthy to be oft repeated, and carried in the practical life. This will raise fallen man; for the Lord has promised that if we preserve this unity, God will love us as He loved His Son; the sinner will be saved, and God eternally glorified. {SD 295.4} [SD 295.5] Angels and archangels wonder at this great plan of redemption; they admire and love the Father and the Son as they behold the mercy and love of God. 296 {SD 295.5} [SD 296.1] We Reflect Christ to the World I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. John 17:23. {SD 296.1} [SD 296.2] In the intercessory prayer of Jesus with His Father, He claimed that He had fulfilled the conditions which made it obligatory upon the Father to fulfill His part of the contract made in heaven, with regard to fallen man. . . . He declares Himself glorified in those who believe on Him. The church, in His name, is to carry to glorious perfection the work which He has commenced; and when that church shall be finally ransomed in the Paradise of God, He will look upon the travail of His soul and be satisfied. Through all eternity the ransomed host will be His chief glory. {SD 296.2} [SD 296.3] "We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." We are to keep the Lord ever before us. Those who do this, walk with God as did Enoch, and imperceptibly to themselves, they become one with the Father and with the Son. Day by day a change is wrought upon mind and hearts, and the natural inclination, the natural ways, are molded after God's ways and Spirit. They increase in spiritual knowledge, and are growing up to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. They reflect to the world the character of Christ, and abiding in Him, and He in them, they fulfill the mission for which they were called to be the children of God,--they become the light of the world, a city set upon a hill that cannot be hid. "No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light." Those who have been lighted from above send forth the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. 297 {SD 296.3} [SD 297.1] We Are Kept from Sinning Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. 1 John 3:6. {SD 297.1} [SD 297.2] A mere profession of godliness is worthless. It is he that abideth in Christ that is a Christian. For "every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." In every clime, in every nation, our youth should cooperate with God. The only way a person can be pure is to become like-minded with God. How can we know God?--By studying His Word. . . . {SD 297.2} [SD 297.3] It is through faith in Jesus Christ that the truth is accepted in the heart and the human agent is purified and cleansed. Jesus was "wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Is it possible to be healed, while knowingly committing sin?--No; it is genuine faith that says, I know that I have committed sin, but that Jesus has pardoned my sin; and hereafter I will resist temptation in and through His might. "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." He has an abiding principle in the soul, that enables him to overcome temptation. {SD 297.3} [SD 297.4] "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not." God has power to keep the soul who is in Christ, when that soul is under temptation. "Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him." That is, every one who is a true believer is sanctified through the truth, in life and character. "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth ［not professeth to do］ righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; . . . because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil." Now mark where the distinction is made: "Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither is he that loveth not his brother." "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth." 298 {SD 297.4} [SD 298.1] We Abide in His Love I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. John 17:26. {SD 298.1} [SD 298.2] ［THIS PERSONAL TESTIMONY WILL BRING COURAGE TO MANY.--E. G. WHITE TRUSTEES.］ Your self-pity is an injury to you; you sympathize with yourself, feel that you are not esteemed as you should be, that your work is altogether too hard, and your best efforts are unappreciated. These feelings are the result of a spiritual disease, which can be cured only through faith in Christ. The temptation seizes you when you are weary or perplexed; but when the first symptoms appear, and the enemy works to make you grumble and murmur, look unto Jesus, trust in your Saviour. This is the only cure for this spiritual malaria. . . . If you allow your mind to be occupied with these things, the enemy will see that you are kept busy. He puts his magnifying glass before your eyes, and mole hills of difficulty are made to appear as mountains. . . . You need to understand how to repose in God. A wise heart, molded by the Holy Spirit, it is your privilege to have; and this is the foundation of all true happiness. . . . {SD 298.2} [SD 298.3] God would have you trust in His love, and be constantly guarding your soul by locking the gate of your thoughts, that they shall not become unmanageable; for when you allow your mind to indulge these thoughts of self-pity, the enemy comes in to suggest the most unkind and unreasonable things in regard to those who would do you good, and only good. . . . {SD 298.3} [SD 298.4] Listen to Jesus, follow His counsel and you will not go astray from the wise and mighty Counsellor, the only true Guide, the only One who can give you peace, happiness, and fulness of joy. . . . Whatever others may think of us or may do to us, it need not disturb this oneness with Christ, this fellowship of the Spirit. You know we cannot find rest anywhere out of Christ. 299 {SD 298.4} [SD 299.1] We Dwell in Him and He in Us He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. John 6:56. {SD 299.1} [SD 299.2] The contemplation of the Word of God will make us wise unto salvation; the knowledge of this Word will insure our happiness, and our success in the perfection of Christian character. {SD 299.2} [SD 299.3] All who in faith receive the Word of God will be doers of that Word. Their minds will be enlarged by a true knowledge, which Christ represents as eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God. And as they practise the truth, they hold forth the Word of life to others. Thus they become an influence among influences, a savor of life unto life. {SD 299.3} [SD 299.4] Christ said: "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven. . . ." {SD 299.4} [SD 299.5] Satan will do everything he can to satisfy the appetite for food that does not pertain to the knowledge of the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. Those who retain the grosser traits of character, who continue to reveal human defects in their words and disposition, bear testimony that they are not eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God. {SD 299.5} [SD 299.6] It is the Word of God abiding in the heart that will quicken the spiritual faculties. . . . {SD 299.6} [SD 299.7] Jesus has loved men, and has made every provision that the blood-bought soul shall have a new birth, a new life derived from His own life. . . . "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." Those who believe in Christ derive their motive power and the texture of their characters from Him in whom they believe. 300 {SD 299.7} [SD 300.1] Our Life is Hid with Christ in God through Baptism For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3. {SD 300.1} [SD 300.2] Great responsibility comes to those who have been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Strive to understand the meaning of the words, "Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." In the new life upon which you have entered, you are pledged to represent the life of Christ. Having put on the new man, "which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him," "put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful." {SD 300.2} [SD 300.3] The old sinful life is dead; the new life entered into with Christ by the pledge of baptism. Practise the virtues of the Saviour's character. Let His wisdom dwell in you richly in all wisdom; "teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." . . . The sins that were practised before conversion, are to be put off, with the old man. With the new man, Christ Jesus, are to be put on "kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering." {SD 300.3} [SD 300.4] Those who, in the spirit and love of Jesus, will become one with Him, will be in close fellowship one with another, bound up by the silken cords of love. . . . "All ye are brethren" will be the sentiment of every child of faith. . . . All will be equally one with Christ. 301 {SD 300.4} [SD 301.1] The Poor in Spirit Inherit the Kingdom Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their's is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3. {SD 301.1} [SD 301.2] Christ longed to fill the world with a peace and joy that would be a similitude of that found in the heavenly world.... From His divine lips there fell with fullness and abundant assurance the benedictions that showed Him to be the fountain of all goodness, and that it was His prerogative to bless and impress the minds of all present. He was engaged in His peculiar, sacred province, and the treasures of eternity were at His command. In the disposal of them He knew no control. It was no robbery with Him to act in the office of God. In His blessings He embraced those who were to compose His kingdom in this world. He had brought into the world every blessing essential to the happiness and joy of every soul, and before that vast assembly He presented the riches of the grace of heaven, the accumulated treasures of the eternal, everlasting Father. . . . {SD 301.2} [SD 301.3] He specifies those who shall become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Himself. He proclaims publicly His choice of subjects, and assigns them their place in His service as united with Himself. Those who possess the character specified, will share with Him in the blessing and the glory and the honor that will ever come to Him. {SD 301.3} [SD 301.4] He who feels whole, who thinks that he is reasonably good, and is contented with his condition, does not seek to become a partaker of the grace and righteousness of Christ. Pride feels no need, and so it closes the heart against Christ and the infinite blessings He came to give. There is no room for Jesus in the heart of such a person. . . . Those who know that they cannot possibly save themselves, or of themselves do any righteous action, are the ones who appreciate the help that Christ can bestow. They are the poor in spirit, whom He declares to be blessed. 302 {SD 301.4} [SD 302.1] Those Who Mourn Shall Be Comforted Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4. {SD 302.1} [SD 302.2] The mourning here brought to view is true heart sorrow for sin. . . . As one is drawn to behold Jesus uplifted on the cross, he discerns the sinfulness of humanity. He sees that it is sin which scourged and crucified the Lord of glory. He sees that, while he has been loved with unspeakable tenderness, his life has been a continual scene of ingratitude and rebellion. He has forsaken his best Friend, and abused heaven's most precious gift. He has crucified to himself the Son of God afresh, and pierced anew that bleeding and stricken heart. He is separated from God by a gulf of sin that is broad and black and deep, and he mourns in brokenness of heart. Such mourning "shall be comforted." God reveals to us our guilt that we may flee to Christ, and through Him be set free from the bondage of sin, and rejoice in the liberty of the sons of God. In true contrition we may come to the foot of the cross, and there leave our burdens. . . . {SD 302.2} [SD 302.3] The Saviour's words have a message of comfort to those also who are suffering affliction or bereavement. Our sorrows do not spring out of the ground. God "doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men." When He permits trials and afflictions, it is "for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness." If received in faith, the trial that seems so bitter and hard to bear will prove a blessing. The cruel blow that blights the joys of earth will be the means of turning our eyes to heaven. How many there are who would never have known Jesus had not sorrow led them to seek comfort in Him! . . . {SD 302.3} [SD 302.4] The Lord will work for all who put their trust in Him. Precious victories will be gained by the faithful. Precious lessons will be learned. Precious experiences will be realized. . . . {SD 302.4} [SD 302.5] Christ lifts up the contrite heart, and refines the mourning soul, until it becomes His abode. 303 {SD 302.5} [SD 303.1] The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5. {SD 303.1} [SD 303.2] There were occasions when Christ spoke with an authority that sent His words home with irresistible force, with an overwhelming sense of the greatness of the Speaker, and the human agencies shrunk into nothingness in comparison with the One before them. They were deeply moved; their minds were impressed that He was repeating the command from the most excellent glory. As He summoned the world to listen, they were spellbound and entranced, and conviction came to their minds. Every word made for itself a place, and the hearers believed and received the words that they had no power to resist. Every word He uttered seemed to the hearers as the life of God. He was giving evidence that He was the light of the world and the authority of the church, claiming pre-eminence over them all. {SD 303.2} [SD 303.3] Jesus places meekness among the first qualifications for His kingdom. In His own life and character the divine beauty of this precious grace is revealed. . . . {SD 303.3} [SD 303.4] Human nature is ever struggling for expression, ready for contest; but he who learns of Christ is emptied of self, of pride, of love of supremacy, and there is silence in the soul. Self is yielded to the disposal of the Holy Spirit. Then we are not anxious to have the highest place. . . . We feel that our highest place is at the feet of our Saviour. . . . {SD 303.4} [SD 303.5] Lowliness of heart, that meekness which is the fruit of abiding in Christ, is the true secret of blessing. "He will beautify the meek with salvation." . . . It was through the desire for self-exaltation that sin entered into the world, and our first parents lost the dominion over this fair earth, their kingdom. It is through self-abnegation that Christ redeems that which was lost. And He says we are to overcome as He did. Through humility and self-surrender we may become heirs with Him, when the "meek shall inherit the earth." 304 {SD 303.5} [SD 304.1] The Hungry and Thirsty Shall Be Filled Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6. {SD 304.1} [SD 304.2] Righteousness is holiness, likeness to God; and "God is love." It is conformity to the law of God; for "all thy commandments are righteousness;" and "love is the fulfilling of the law." Righteousness is love, and love is the light and the life of God. The righteousness of God is embodied in Christ. We receive righteousness by receiving Him. {SD 304.2} [SD 304.3] Not by painful struggles or wearisome toil, not by gift or sacrifice, is righteousness obtained; but it is freely given to every soul who hungers and thirsts to receive it. . . . {SD 304.3} [SD 304.4] No human agent can supply that which will satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul. But Jesus says: "... I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." {SD 304.4} [SD 304.5] As we need food to sustain our physical strength, so do we need Christ, the bread from heaven, to sustain spiritual life, and impart strength to work the works of God. As the body is continually receiving the nourishment that sustains life and vigor, so the soul must be constantly communing with Christ, submitting to Him, and depending wholly upon Him. {SD 304.5} [SD 304.6] As the weary traveler seeks the spring in the desert, and, finding it, quenches his burning thirst, so will the Christian thirst for and obtain the pure water of life, of which Christ is the fountain. . . . We need not seek to quench our thirst at shallow streams; for the great fountain is just above us, of whose abundant waters we may freely drink, if we will rise a little higher in the pathway of faith. {SD 304.6} [SD 304.7] The words of God are the well-springs of life. As you seek unto those living springs, you will, through the Holy Spirit, be brought into communion with Christ. . . . You will know that Christ is leading you; a divine Teacher is at your side. 305 {SD 304.7} [SD 305.1] The Merciful Shall Have Mercy Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7. {SD 305.1} [SD 305.2] The heart of man is by nature cold and dark and unloving; whenever one manifests a spirit of mercy and forgiveness, he does it not of himself, but through the influence of the Divine Spirit moving upon his heart. "We love, because he first loved us." {SD 305.2} [SD 305.3] God is Himself the source of all mercy. His name is "merciful and gracious." He does not treat us according to our desert. He does not ask if we are worthy of His love, but He pours upon us the riches of His love, to make us worthy. He is not vindictive. He seeks not to punish, but to redeem. Even the severity which He manifests through His providences is manifested for the salvation of the wayward. He yearns with intense desire to relieve the woes of men. . . . All whose hearts are in sympathy with the heart of Infinite Love will seek to reclaim, and not to condemn. Christ dwelling in the soul is a spring that never runs dry. Where He abides, there will be an overflowing of beneficence. {SD 305.3} [SD 305.4] To the appeal of the erring, the tempted, the wretched victims of want and sin, the Christian does not ask, Are they worthy? but, How can I benefit them? In the most wretched, the most debased, he sees souls whom Christ died to save. . . . The merciful are those who manifest compassion to the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed. . . . {SD 305.4} [SD 305.5] He who has given his life to God in ministry to His children, is linked with Him who has all the resources of the universe at His command. His life is bound up by the golden chain of the immutable promises with the life of God. The Lord will not fail him in the hour of suffering and need. "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." And in the hour of final need the merciful shall find refuge in the mercy of the compassionate Saviour, and shall be received into everlasting habitations. 306 {SD 305.5} [SD 306.1] The Peacemakers are Called God's Children Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9. {SD 306.1} [SD 306.2] Christ is "the Prince of peace," and it is His mission to restore to earth and heaven the peace that sin has broken. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Whoever consents to renounce sin, and open his heart to the love of Christ, becomes a partaker of this heavenly peace. {SD 306.2} [SD 306.3] There is no other ground of peace than this. The grace of Christ received into the heart, subdues enmity; it allays strife, and fills the soul with love. He who is at peace with God and his fellow-men can not be made miserable. Envy will not be in his heart; evil surmisings will find no room there; hatred can not exist. The heart that is in harmony with God is a partaker of the peace of heaven, and will diffuse its blessed influence on all around. The spirit of peace will rest like dew upon hearts weary and troubled with worldly strife. {SD 306.3} [SD 306.4] Christ's followers are sent to the world with the message of peace. Whoever, by the quiet, unconscious influence on a holy life, shall reveal the love of Christ; whoever, by word or deed, shall lead another to renounce sin and yield his heart to God, is a peacemaker. {SD 306.4} [SD 306.5] And "blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." The spirit of peace is evidence of their connection with heaven. The sweet savor of Christ surrounds them. The fragrance of the life, the loveliness of the character, reveal to the world the fact that they are children of God. Men take knowledge of them that they have been with Jesus. "Every one that loveth is born of God." "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his;" but "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." "And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men." 307 {SD 306.5} [SD 307.1] The Persecuted Receive the Kingdom Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for their's is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10. {SD 307.1} [SD 307.2] Jesus does not present to His followers the hope of attaining earthly glory and riches, and of having a life free from trial, but He presents to them the privilege of walking with their Master in the paths of self-denial and reproach, because the world knows them not. {SD 307.2} [SD 307.3] He who came to redeem the lost world, was opposed by the united forces of the adversaries of God and man. In an unpitying confederacy, evil men and evil angels arrayed themselves against the Prince of peace. Though His every word and act breathed of divine compassion, His unlikeness to the world provoked the bitterest hostility. Because He would give no license for the exercise of the evil passions of our nature, He aroused the fiercest opposition and enmity. So it is with all who will live godly in Christ Jesus. Between righteousness and sin, love and hatred, truth and falsehood, there is an irrepressible conflict. When one presents the love of Christ and the beauty of holiness, he is drawing away the subjects of Satan's kingdom, and the prince of evil is aroused to resist it. Persecution and reproach await all who are imbued with the Spirit of Christ. The character of the persecution changes with the times; but the principle--the spirit that underlies it--is the same that has slain the chosen of the Lord ever since the days of Abel. {SD 307.3} [SD 307.4] As men seek to come into harmony with God, they will find that the offense of the cross has not ceased. Principalities and powers and wicked spirits in high places are arrayed against all who yield obedience to the law of heaven. Therefore, so far from causing grief, persecution should bring joy to the disciples of Christ; for it is an evidence that they are following in the steps of their Master. . . . {SD 307.4} [SD 307.5] Through trials and persecution, the glory--character--of God is revealed in His chosen ones. 308 {SD 307.5} [SD 308.1] The Reviled are Blessed Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Matthew 5:11. {SD 308.1} [SD 308.2] There was never one who walked among men more cruelly slandered than the Son of man. He was derided and mocked because of His unswerving obedience to the principles of God's holy law. They hated Him without a cause. Yet He stood calmly before His enemies, declaring that reproach is a part of the Christian's legacy, counseling His followers how to meet the arrows of malice, bidding them not to faint under persecution. {SD 308.2} [SD 308.3] While slander may blacken the reputation, it can not stain the character. That is in God's keeping. So long as we do not consent to sin, there is no power, whether human or satanic, that can bring stain upon the soul. A man whose heart is stayed upon God is just the same in the hour of his most afflicting trials and most discouraging surroundings as when he was in prosperity, when the light and favor of God seemed to be upon him. His words, his motives, his actions, may be misrepresented and falsified, but he does not mind it, because he has greater interests at stake. Like Moses, he endures as "seeing him who is invisible." . . . {SD 308.3} [SD 308.4] Christ is acquainted with all that is misunderstood and misrepresented by men. His children can afford to wait in calm patience and trust, no matter how much maligned and despised; for nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest, and those who honor God shall be honored by Him in the presence of men and angels. {SD 308.4} [SD 308.5] "When men shall revile you and persecute you," said Jesus, "rejoice, and be exceeding glad." {SD 308.5} [SD 308.6] "Great is the reward in heaven" of those who are witnesses for Christ through persecution and reproach. While the people are looking for earthly good, Jesus points them to a heavenly reward. But He does not place it all in the future life; it begins here. 309 {SD 308.6} [SD 309.1] Transgression is Forgiven, Sin is Covered Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32:1. {SD 309.1} [SD 309.2] That God who marks the fall of a sparrow, marks your deportment and your feelings; He marks your envy, your prejudice, your attempt to justify your action in the least matter of injustice. When you misconceive the words and acts of another, and your own feelings are stirred, so that you make incorrect statements, and it is known that you are at variance with your brother, you lead others, through their confidence in you, to regard him just as you do; and by the root of bitterness springing up, many are defiled. When it is evident that your feelings are incorrect, do you try just as diligently to remove the erroneous impressions as you did to make them? . . . {SD 309.2} [SD 309.3] Now God requires that you who have thus done the least injustice to another shall confess your fault, not only to the one you have injured, but to those who through your influence have been led to regard their brother in a false light, and to make of none effect the work God has given him to do. . . . By repentance and confession you can have pardon registered against your name; or you can resist the conviction of the Spirit of God, and during the rest of your life, work to make it appear that your wrong feelings and unjust conclusions could not be helped. But there stands the action, there stands the evil committed, there stands the ruin of those in whose hearts you planted the root of bitterness. . . . {SD 309.3} [SD 309.4] Whatever the character of your sin, confess it. If it is against God only, confess only to Him. If you have wronged or offended others, confess also to them, and the blessing of the Lord will rest upon you. In this way you die to self, and Christ is formed within. . . . Our consecration to God must be unreserved, our love ardent, our faith unwavering. Then the expressions of the lips will testify to the quickened intelligence of the mind and the deep movings of the Spirit of God upon the soul. 310 {SD 309.4} [SD 310.1] Christ in You the Hope of Glory To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27. {SD 310.1} [SD 310.2] That which brings sickness of body and mind to nearly all is dissatisfied feelings and discontented repinings. They have not God, they have not the hope which reaches to that within the veil, which is as an anchor to the soul both sure and steadfast. All who possess this hope will purify themselves even as He is pure. Such are free from restless longings, repinings, and discontent; they are not continually looking for evil and brooding over borrowed trouble. But we see many who are having a time of trouble beforehand; anxiety is stamped upon every feature; they seem to find no consolation, but have a continual fearful looking for of some dreadful evil. . . . Vain amusements will never correct the minds of such. They need the transforming influence of the Spirit of God in order to be happy. They need to be benefited by the mediation of Christ, in order to realize consolation, divine and substantial. "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him . . . eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it." . . . Those who have an experimental knowledge of this scripture are truly happy. . . . Christ in them the hope of glory will be health to the body and strength to the soul. {SD 310.2} [SD 310.3] The soul that is imbued with the love of Jesus . . . loves to contemplate Jesus, and by beholding Him, will become changed into His likeness. Christ is formed within, the hope of glory. His confidence increases . . . and his love deepens and widens, as he has the assurance that he is abiding in Christ, and Christ in him. . . . And we may look to Jesus for His tenderest sympathy and be encouraged to persevere, putting our whole trust in Him who has said, "Be of good cheer: I have overcome the world." 311 {SD 310.3} [SD 311.1] We are Glad in the Lord My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord . Psalm 104:34. {SD 311.1} [SD 311.2] Rest yourself wholly in the hands of Jesus. Contemplate His great love, and while you meditate upon His self-denial, His infinite sacrifice made in our behalf in order that we should believe in Him, your heart will be filled with holy joy, calm peace, and indescribable love. As we talk of Jesus, as we call upon Him in prayer, our confidence that He is our personal, loving Saviour will strengthen, and His character will appear more and more lovely. . . . We may enjoy rich feasts of love, and as we fully believe that we are His by adoption, we may have a foretaste of heaven. Wait upon the Lord in faith. The Lord draws out the soul in prayer, and gives us to feel His precious love. We have a nearness to Him, and can hold sweet communion with Him. We obtain distinct views of His tenderness and compassion, and our hearts are broken and melted with contemplation of the love that is given to us. We feel indeed an abiding Christ in the soul. . . . Our peace is like a river, wave after wave of glory rolls into the heart, and indeed we sup with Jesus and He with us. We have a realizing sense of the love of God, and we rest in His love. No language can describe it, it is beyond knowledge. We are one with Christ, our life is hid with Christ in God. We have the assurance that when He who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory. With strong confidence, we can call God our Father. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. His Spirit makes us like Jesus Christ in temper, and disposition, and we represent Christ to others. When Christ is abiding in the soul the fact cannot be hid; for He is like a well of water springing up into everlasting life. We can but represent the likeness of Christ in our character, and our words, our deportment, produces in others a deep, abiding, increasing love for Jesus, and we make manifest . . . that we are conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. {SD 311.2} [SD 312.1] Chap. 11 - We Make Constant Advancement Seek Constantly to Improve Your Powers For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6. {SD 312.1} [SD 312.2] You need to seek constantly the highest culture of mind and soul, that you may bring to the education and training of your children a restful spirit, a loving heart; that you may imbue them with pure aspirations, and cultivate in them a love for things honest and pure and holy. . . . Seek constantly to improve your powers, that you may do the most perfect, thorough work at home, by both precept and example. {SD 312.2} [SD 312.3] You should not follow your own inclinations. You should be very careful to set a right example in all things. Do not be inactive. Arouse your dormant energies. . . . Take up the duties essential to be done. Study how to perform with alacrity the plain, uninteresting, homely, but most needful duties. {SD 312.3} [SD 312.4] Parents have not yet aroused to understand the amazing power of Christian culture. There are mines of truth to be worked that have been strangely neglected. This careless indifference does not meet the approval of God. Parents, God calls upon you to look at this matter with anointed eyes. You have as yet only skimmed the surface. Take up your long-neglected work, and God will co-operate with you. Do your work with wholeheartedness, and God will help you to make improvement. Begin by bringing the gospel into the home life. {SD 312.4} [SD 312.5] The higher soul-culture, which gives purity and elevation to the thoughts and a spiritual fragrance to words and actions, requires careful, painstaking effort. It takes patience to keep every evil motive weeded from the garden of the Lord. 313 {SD 312.5} [SD 313.1] Glorify God by Improving Health Habits For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 1 Corinthians 6:20. {SD 313.1} [SD 313.2] Our first duty toward God and our fellow beings is that of self-development. Every faculty with which the Creator has endowed us should be cultivated to the highest degree of perfection, that we may be able to do the greatest amount of good which we are capable. Hence that time is spent to good account which is directed to the establishment and preservation of sound physical and mental health. {SD 313.2} [SD 313.3] Man is God's workmanship, His masterpiece, created for a high and holy purpose; and on every part of the human tabernacle God desires to write His law. . . . Every nerve and muscle, every mental and physical endowment, is to be kept pure. {SD 313.3} [SD 313.4] God designs that the body shall be as a temple for His Spirit. Solemn is the accountability resting upon every soul. Your individual influence is exercised for good or for evil. If you defile your body, you are not only doing harm to yourself, but to many others. Christians are under obligation to God to keep soul, body, and spirit free from all that will defile; for they have been bought with a price. . . . {SD 313.4} [SD 313.5] No man or woman has any right to form habits which lessen the healthful action of one organ of mind or body. . . . Those who give themselves up to the use of tobacco and liquor do not appreciate their intellect. They do not realize the value of the faculties God has given them, to be cultivated and improved. Thus men allow their powers to wither and decay. God desires all who believe in Him to feel the necessity of improvement. Every entrusted faculty is to be enlarged. Not one gift is to be laid aside. As God's husbandry and building, man is under His supervision in every sense of the word, and the better he becomes acquainted with his Maker, the more sacred will his life become in his estimation. 314 {SD 313.5} [SD 314.1] God's Temple Is to Receive Constant Care Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 2 Corinthians 6:16. {SD 314.1} [SD 314.2] We are to obey the laws of His kingdom, making ourselves all that it is possible for us to be. Earnestly we are to cultivate the highest powers of our being, remembering that we are God's property, God's building. We are required to improve every day. Even in this world of sin and sorrow, we may, by earnest, persevering effort, rise to the highest spiritual efficiency. . . . We are to please God. This we may do; for Enoch pleased God, though living in a degenerate age. And there are Enochs in this our day. {SD 314.2} [SD 314.3] The human house, God's building, His temple, requires close, vigilant, watchful guardianship. With David we can exclaim, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." God's workmanship is to be preserved, that it may be revealed to the heavenly universe and to the apostate race that men and women are temples of the living God. {SD 314.3} [SD 314.4] The perfection of character which God requires is the fitting up of the whole being as a temple for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Lord requires the service of the entire human machinery. He desires men and women to be all that He has made it possible for them to be. It is not enough for certain parts of the machinery to be used. All parts must be brought into action, or the service is deficient. . . . {SD 314.4} [SD 314.5] The physical life is to be carefully educated, cultivated, and developed, that through men and women the divine nature may be revealed in its fullness. God expects men to use the intellect He has given them. He expects them to use every reasoning power for Him. They are to give the conscience the place of supremacy that has been assigned it. The mental and physical powers, with the affections, are to be so cultivated that they can reach the highest efficiency. 315 {SD 314.5} [SD 315.1] God Wants Us to Have the Best Manners Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 1 Corinthians 15:33. {SD 315.1} [SD 315.2] The religion of Christ never degrades the receiver, never makes him coarse or rough or uncourteous. {SD 315.2} [SD 315.3] There is much to do in order to fit us for the courts of the Lord. The roughness of spirit, the coarseness of speech, the cheapness of character, must be put away, or we can never wear the garment woven in the heavenly loom,--the righteousness of Christ. . . . {SD 315.3} [SD 315.4] Those who, under the education of Christ, make it possible to reach the highest attainments will take every divine improvement with them to the higher school. But those who are unwilling to have their characters molded after the divine similitude make the angels sad; for by clinging to their sinful habits and practices they spoil the design of God. {SD 315.4} [SD 315.5] Be polite to God and to one another. Remember that He wants you to have the best of manners, that you may glorify Him before the world. He desires you to live in unity with one another and to love one another. Remember that if you love one another here, you will live with the redeemed through the ceaseless ages of eternity. {SD 315.5} [SD 315.6] Selfishness and pride hinder the pure love that unites us in spirit with Jesus Christ. If this love is truly cultivated, finite will blend with finite, and all will center in the Infinite. Humanity will unite with humanity, and all will be bound up with the heart of Infinite love. Sanctified love for one another is sacred. In this great work Christian love for one another,--far higher, more constant, more courteous, more unselfish, than has been seen,--preserves Christian tenderness, Christian benevolence, and politeness, and enfolds the human brotherhood in the embrace of God, acknowledging the dignity with which God has invested the rights of man. This dignity Christians must ever cultivate for the honor and glory of God. {SD 315.6} [SD 315.7] As sons and daughters of God, we should have a conscious dignity of character, in which pride and self-importance have no part. 316 {SD 315.7} [SD 316.1] We are to Behave Ourselves Wisely I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way.... I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. Psalm 101:2. {SD 316.1} [SD 316.2] None are to be forward or obtrusive, but we are quietly to live out our religion, with an eye single to the glory of God. . . . Then we shall shine as lights in the world, without noise or friction. None need fail; for One is with them who is wise in counsel, excellent in working, and mighty to accomplish His designs. He works through His agents, seen and unseen, human and divine. This work is a grand work, and will be carried forward to the glory of God, if all who are connected with it will make their works correspond to their profession of faith. Purity of thought must be cherished as indispensable to the work of influencing others. The soul must be surrounded by a pure, holy atmosphere, an atmosphere that will tend to quicken the spiritual life of all who inhale it. {SD 316.2} [SD 316.3] Jesus is honored or dishonored by the words and deportment of His professed followers. The heart must be kept pure and holy, for out of it are the issues of life. If the heart is purified through obedience to the truth, there will be no selfish preferences, no corrupt motives. There will be no partiality, no hypocrisy. . . . {SD 316.3} [SD 316.4] In the present state of society, with the lax morals of not only youth but those of age and experience, there is great danger of becoming careless, and giving especial attention to favorites, and thus creating envy, jealousy, and evil-surmising. But few realize that they drive away the Spirit of God with their selfish thoughts and feelings, their foolish, trifling talk. . . . If the grace of Christ were planted in their hearts, and striking its roots down deep into good soil, they would bear fruit of an altogether different character. . . . The converting power of God is alone sufficient to establish pure principles in the heart, so that the wicked one may find nothing to assail. . . . Purity in speech, and true Christian courtesy should be constantly practised. 317 {SD 316.4} [SD 317.1] Mercies of God Preserve and Elevate Us Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. Psalm 40:11. {SD 317.1} [SD 317.2] The religion of Christ will uplift the life to an elevated standard. The inward work of the Spirit of God humbles human pride, by causing us to understand something of the tender mercies and lovingkindness of God. . . . When you discover your own inefficiency, and look to the source of your strength, with yearning entreaty, saying, "Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me," you will obtain light. . . . {SD 317.2} [SD 317.3] You cannot have faith that the Lord will keep you by His lovingkindness, and by His truth continually preserve you, when you do not place yourselves in the channel of light. Then shun bad companions, and choose the good. The seed of truth sown in the heart must receive the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness in order to grow. The seeds of truth which do not spring up and grow, soon lose their power to germinate, and they perish. But weeds of evil habits will spring up and flourish. The precious plants of love, joy, patience, courtesy, meekness, and humility, need to be carefully cultivated if they grow and improve. {SD 317.3} [SD 317.4] Do not be content with a superficial piety, but, young friends, grow in grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Are you making advancement? Is the plant of grace waxing into a tree, or withering away? Present yourselves humbly and often at the throne of grace, and tell Jesus your every want, and do not think anything is too small for Him to notice. The Lord loves to have you seek Him, and tell Him your trials, as a child would talk with his parent. When you pray, believe Jesus hears you, and will do the things you ask of Him. Show that you have perfect trust in Jesus, and ever seek to do those things that you know will please Him, and you will have peace in Christ. 318 {SD 317.4} [SD 318.1] Adorned With Divine Loveliness One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. Psalm 27:4. {SD 318.1} [SD 318.2] Exalted powers are within the reach of every one. Under God's supervision, a man may have an uncorrupted, sanctified, elevated, ennobled mind. Through the grace of Christ, man's mind is qualified to love and glorify God, the Creator. {SD 318.2} [SD 318.3] The Lord Jesus came to our world to represent the Father. . . . Christ was the express image of His Father's person; and He came to our world to restore in man God's moral image, in order that man although fallen, might through obedience to God's commandments become enstamped with the divine image and character. {SD 318.3} [SD 318.4] God wants children to be lovely, not with artificial adornment, but with beauty of character, the charms of kindness and affection, which will make their hearts bound with joy and happiness. {SD 318.4} [SD 318.5] Girls should be taught that the true charm of womanliness is not alone in beauty of form or feature, nor in the possession of accomplishments; but in a meek and quiet spirit, in patience, generosity, kindness, and a willingness to do and suffer for others. They should be taught to work, to study to some purpose, to live for some object, to trust in God and fear Him, and to respect their parents. Then as they advance in years, they will grow more pure-minded, self-reliant, and beloved. It will be impossible to degrade such a woman. She will escape the temptations and trials that have been the ruin of so many. {SD 318.5} [SD 318.6] Christ was sent as our pattern and shall we not show that we have all His love and kindness and . . . charms? And the love of Jesus Christ will take possession of our characters and our lives, and our conversation will be holy and we will dwell on heavenly things. 319 {SD 318.6} [SD 319.1] Rough Stones Polished for a Holy Temple In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. Ephesians 2:21. {SD 319.1} [SD 319.2] Through the grace of Christ you will make decided endeavors to overcome all cold, rough, harsh, uncourteous ways and manners. . . . {SD 319.2} [SD 319.3] The mighty cleaver of truth has taken you out of the quarry of the world. You were rough stones with jagged edges, bruising and marring whoever you came in contact with; there is a work to be done to smooth off the rough edges. If you appreciated the value of the work that is to be done in the workshop of God, you would welcome the blows of the ax and the hammer. Your self-esteem will be hurt, your high opinion of yourself will be cut away by the ax and the hammer, and the roughness of your character will be smoothed off; and when self and carnal propensities are worked away, then the stone will assume proper proportions for the heavenly building, and then the polishing, refining, subduing, burnishing processes will begin, and you will be molded after the model of Christ's character. His own image is to be reflected in the polished character of His human agent, and the stone is to be fitted for the heavenly building. . . . {SD 319.3} [SD 319.4] If we are not better men and women, if we are not more kindhearted, more pitiful, more courteous, more full of tenderness and love; if we do not manifest to others the love that led Jesus to the world on His mission of mercy, we are not witnesses to the world of the power of Jesus Christ. Jesus lived not to please Himself. . . . He came to elevate, to ennoble, to make happy all with whom He came in contact. . . . He never did a rude action, never spoke a discourteous word. {SD 319.4} [SD 319.5] It is the privilege of every youth to make of his character a beautiful structure. . . . Seek the Lord most earnestly, that you may become more and more refined, more spiritually cultured. 320 {SD 319.5} [SD 320.1] Joseph a Christian Gentleman But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. Genesis 39:21. {SD 320.1} [SD 320.2] Joseph regarded his being sold into Egypt as the greatest calamity that could have befallen him; but he saw the necessity of trusting in God as he had never done when protected by his father's love. Joseph brought God with him into Egypt, and the fact was made apparent by his cheerful demeanor amid his sorrow. As the ark of God brought rest and prosperity to Israel, so did this God-loving, God-fearing youth bring a blessing to Egypt. This was manifested in so marked a manner that Potiphar, in whose house he served, attributed all his blessings to his purchased slave. {SD 320.2} [SD 320.3] Joseph's religion kept his temper sweet and his sympathy with humanity warm and strong, notwithstanding all his trials. There are those who if they feel they are not rightly used, become sour, ungenerous, crabbed and uncourteous in their words and deportment. They sink down discouraged, hateful and hating others. But Joseph was a Christian. No sooner does he enter upon prison life, than he brings all the brightness of his Christian principles into active exercise; he begins to make himself useful to others. He enters into the troubles of his fellow prisoners. He is cheerful, for he is a Christian gentleman. God was preparing him under this discipline for a situation of great responsibility, honor, and usefulness, and he was willing to learn; he took kindly to the lessons the Lord would teach him. He learned to bear the yoke in his youth. He learned to govern by first learning obedience himself. . . . {SD 320.3} [SD 320.4] The part which Joseph acted in connection with the scenes of the gloomy prison, was that which raised him finally to prosperity and honor. God designed that he should obtain an experience by temptations, adversity, and hardships, to prepare him to fill an exalted position. Joseph carried his religion everywhere, and this was the secret of his unwavering fidelity. 321 {SD 320.4} [SD 321.1] Abraham Ever Displayed Unselfish Courtesy Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. Genesis 13:9. {SD 321.1} [SD 321.2] Abraham's household comprised more than a thousand souls. Those who were led by his teachings to worship the true God found a home in his encampment; and here, as in a school, they received such instruction as would prepare them to be representatives of the faith. Abraham's affection for his children and his household led him to guard their religious faith, to impart to them a knowledge of the divine statutes, as the most precious legacy he could transmit to them, and through them to the world. All were taught that they were under the rule of the God of heaven. There was to be no oppression on the part of parents, and no disobedience on the part of children. God's law had appointed to each his duties, and only in obedience could any secure happiness and prosperity. {SD 321.2} [SD 321.3] His own example, the silent influence of his daily life, was a constant lesson. The unswerving integrity, the benevolence and unselfish courtesy which had won the admiration of kings, were displayed in the home. There was a fragrance about the life, a nobility and loveliness of character, which revealed to all that he was connected with heaven. He did not neglect the soul of the humblest servant. In his household there was not one law for the master, and one for the servant; a royal way for the rich, and another for the poor. All were treated with justice and compassion. {SD 321.3} [SD 321.4] He was a man of faith, who always followed principles of the strictest integrity. In all his business transactions he was courteous and honorable. His life was controlled by Christian politeness, and he placed the service of the Lord before all else. He would not swerve a hair's breadth from pure, Christian principles. {SD 321.4} [SD 321.5] It is in the power of every one to practise true Christlike courtesy. 322 {SD 321.5} [SD 322.1] Capabilities Increase as Spirituality Increases As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Daniel 1:17. {SD 322.1} [SD 322.2] The ignorance of many is voluntary and inexcusable. {SD 322.2} [SD 322.3] Some young persons . . . do not improve their advantages. They would like to read and write accurately, but the price of excellence is hard work, and they will not pay it. They remind me of the youth whose father sent him to school, and gave him every advantage for gaining a good education; but he neglected to study, saying that his father was able to give him a liberal education, and he was not going to bother his brains about it. You will all say at once that he would remain ignorant, for there is no royal road to learning. But wishing for a healthy religious experience without making earnest, self-denying effort, will be equally useless. Sighing over your ignorance of divine things will never make you wise unto salvation. There are ten thousand sluggish tears and sighs toward heaven that will never win one smile of approval from Jesus. Do not think that a Christian experience will come to you of itself. When you make up your mind to do something on which your heart is set, you do not give up for difficulties, but try again and again. {SD 322.3} [SD 322.4] Daniel and his three companions . . . were well-balanced because they had yielded themselves to the control of the Holy Spirit. These youth gave to God all the glory of their secular, scientific, and religious endowments. Their learning did not come by chance; they obtained knowledge by the faithful use of their powers; and God gave them skill and understanding. {SD 322.4} [SD 322.5] As in the case of Daniel, in exact proportion as the spiritual character is developed, the intellectual capabilities are increased. {SD 322.5} [SD 322.6] The Lord will co-operate with all who earnestly strive to be faithful in His service, as He co-operated with Daniel and his three companions. 323 {SD 322.6} [SD 323.1] Seek New Heights in Faith As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. Psalm 42:1. {SD 323.1} [SD 323.2] Many of the youth . . . sink under every cloud, and have no power of endurance. They do not grow in grace. . . . Their carnal hearts must be changed. They must see beauty in holiness; then they will pant after it as the hart panteth after the water-brooks. . . . {SD 323.2} [SD 323.3] If your steps are ordered by the Lord, dear youth, you must not expect that your path will always be one of outward peace and prosperity. The path that leads to eternal day is not the easiest to travel, and at times it will seem dark and thorny. But you have the assurance that God's everlasting arms encircle you, to protect you from evil. He wants you to exercise earnest faith in Him, and learn to trust Him in the shadow as well as in the sunshine. . . . {SD 323.3} [SD 323.4] In her endeavors to reach her home, the eagle is often beaten down by the tempest to the narrow defiles of the mountains. The clouds, in black, angry masses sweep between her and the sunny heights where she secures her nest. For a while she seems bewildered, and dashes this way and that, beating her strong wings as if to sweep back the dense clouds. . . . At last she dashes upward into the blackness, and gives a shrill scream of triumph as she emerges, a moment later, in the calm sunshine above. The darkness and tempest are all below her, and the light of heaven is shining about her. She reaches her loved home in the lofty crag, and is satisfied. It was through darkness that she reached the light. It cost her an effort to do this, but she is rewarded in gaining the object which she sought. {SD 323.4} [SD 323.5] This is the only course we can pursue as followers of Christ. We must exercise that living faith which will penetrate the clouds that, like a thick wall, separate us from heaven's light. We have heights of faith to reach, where all is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 324 {SD 323.5} [SD 324.1] We are to Increase Spiritually We beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more. 1 Thessalonians 4:10. {SD 324.1} [SD 324.2] You have within your reach more than finite possibilities. A man, as God applies the term, is a son of God. "Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. . . ." It is your privilege to turn away from that which is cheap and inferior, and rise to a high standard,--to be respected by men and beloved by God. {SD 324.2} [SD 324.3] The religious work which the Lord gives to young men, and to men of all ages, shows His respect for them as His children. He gives them the work of self-government. He calls them to be sharers with Him in the great work of redemption and uplifting. As a father takes his son into partnership in his business, so the Lord takes His children into partnership with Himself. . . . {SD 324.3} [SD 324.4] Young men and women need more of the grace of Christ that they may bring the principles of Christianity into the daily life. The preparation for Christ's coming is a preparation made through Christ for the exercise of our highest qualities. . . . But there is a positive need of keeping close to Jesus. He is our strength and efficiency and power. We can not depend on self for one moment. {SD 324.4} [SD 324.5] Young men and young women, exercise your ability with faithfulness, generously imparting the light that God gives you. Study how best to give to others peace, and light, and truth, and the many rich blessings of heaven. Constantly improve. Keep reaching higher and still higher. It is the ability to put to the tax the powers of mind and body, ever keeping eternal realities in view, that is of value now....Persevere in the work that you have begun, until you gain victory after victory. Educate yourselves for a purpose. Keep in view the highest standard that you may accomplish greater and still greater good, thus reflecting the glory of God. 325 {SD 324.5} [SD 325.1] God Does Not Limit Our Advancement That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness. Colossians 1:10, 11. {SD 325.1} [SD 325.2] God fixes no limit to the advancement of those who are "filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." Through prayer, through watchfulness, through growth in understanding, we are "strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness." . . . {SD 325.2} [SD 325.3] God's plan for us is so broad, so full, so complete, that we have every reason for co-operating whole-heartedly with Him in carrying it out. There is no reason for hesitancy on our part. . . . We need to draw fresh supplies daily from the great storehouse of God's Word. This will give no time for novel reading, or for anything else that does not edify and strengthen for every good work. . . . The riches of heaven are at the command of God's children. {SD 325.3} [SD 325.4] Every day the tempter will be on your track with some delusive, plausible excuse for your self-serving, your self-pleasing. . . . The one whose heart is wholly given to God, the one who by faith receives Jesus Christ as a personal Saviour, will reveal a steady growth in spirituality, in vigor of piety, in fixedness of purpose, in fidelity at any cost to the principles of our faith. . . . {SD 325.4} [SD 325.5] God will honor and uphold every true-hearted, earnest soul who is seeking to walk before Him in the perfection of the grace of Christ. The Lord Jesus will never leave nor forsake one humble, trembling soul. . . . Can we with keen, sanctified perception appreciate the strength of the promises of God, and appropriate them to our individual selves, not because we are worthy, but because Christ is worthy? Not because we are righteous, but by living faith we claim the righteousness of Christ in our behalf? 326 {SD 325.5} [SD 326.1] Break Up the Fallow Ground Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:12. {SD 326.1} [SD 326.2] The principles of the truth must be interwoven with our character and life. We should cherish every ray of light that falls upon our pathway, and live up to the requirements of God. We should grow in spirituality. We are losing a great deal of the blessing . . . because we do not take advance steps in the Christian life. . . . {SD 326.2} [SD 326.3] The members of the church of Christ should gather up the divine rays of light from Jesus, and reflect them to others, leaving a bright track heavenward in the world. They are to be as the wise virgins, having their lamps trimmed and burning, representing the character of Christ to the world. We are not to be satisfied with anything short of this. We are not to be satisfied with our own righteousness, and content without the deep movings of the Spirit of God. {SD 326.3} [SD 326.4] Christ says, "Without me ye can do nothing." It is this marked nothingness, so apparent in the labors of many . . . that alarms us; for we know that this is an evidence that they have not felt the converting power of Christ upon their hearts. You may look from the topmost bough to the lowest branch of their work, and you will find nothing but leaves. God desires us to come up to a higher standard. It is not His will that we should have such a dearth of spirituality. . . . {SD 326.4} [SD 326.5] I remember visiting in Iowa when the country was new, and I saw the farmers breaking the new ground. I noticed that they had heavy teams, and made tremendous efforts to make deep furrows, but the laborers gained strength and muscle by the exercise of their physical powers. It will make our young men strong to go into new fields, and break up the fallow ground of men's hearts. This work will drive them nearer to God. . . . They will gain efficiency and ability by mastering difficulties and overcoming obstacles. 327 {SD 326.5} [SD 327.1] Continually Store Mind With Divine Truth Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:4. {SD 327.1} [SD 327.2] It is the duty of every child of God to store his mind with divine truth; and the more he does this, the more strength and clearness of mind he will have to fathom the deep things of God. And he will be more and more earnest and vigorous, as the principles of truth are carried out in his daily life. {SD 327.2} [SD 327.3] That which will bless humanity is spiritual life. He who is in harmony with God, will constantly depend upon Him for strength. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." It should be our life work to be constantly reaching forward to the perfection of Christian character, ever striving for conformity to the will of God. The efforts begun here will continue through eternity. The advancement made here will be ours when we enter upon the future life. {SD 327.3} [SD 327.4] Those who are partakers of Christ's meekness, purity, and love, will be joyful in God, and will shed light and gladness upon all around them. The thought that Christ died to obtain for us the gift of everlasting life, is enough to call forth from our hearts the most sincere and fervent gratitude, and from our lips the most enthusiastic praise. God's promises are rich, and full, and free. Whoever will, in the strength of Christ, comply with the conditions, may claim these promises, with all their wealth of blessing, as his own. And being thus abundantly supplied from the treasure-house of God, he may, in the journey of life, "walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing;" by a godly example blessing his fellow-men, and honoring his Creator. While our Saviour would guard His followers from self-confidence by the reminder, "Without me, ye can do nothing," He has coupled with it for our encouragement the gracious assurance, "He that abideth in me . . . bringeth forth much fruit." 328 {SD 327.4} [SD 328.1] Put on the Whole Armor of God Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13. {SD 328.1} [SD 328.2] Let us, under all circumstances, preserve our confidence in Christ. He is to be everything to us,--the first, the last, the best in everything. Then let us educate our tongues to speak forth His praise, not only when we feel gladness and joy, but at all times. {SD 328.2} [SD 328.3] Let us keep the heart full of God's precious promises, that we may speak words that will be a comfort and strength to others. Thus we may learn the language of the heavenly angels, who, if we are faithful, will be our companions through the eternal ages. Every day we should make advancement in gaining perfection of character, and this we shall certainly do if we press toward the mark of the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus. Let us not talk of the great power of Satan, but of the great power of God. . . . {SD 328.3} [SD 328.4] In every soul two powers are struggling earnestly for the victory. Unbelief marshals its forces, led by Satan, to cut us off from the Source of our strength. Faith marshals its forces, led by Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. Hour by hour, in the sight of the heavenly universe, the conflict goes forward. This is a hand-to-hand fight, and the great question is, Which shall obtain the mastery? This question each must decide for himself. In this warfare all must take a part, fighting on one side or the other. From the conflict there is no release. . . . We are urged to prepare for this conflict. "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." The warning is repeated, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." {SD 328.4} [SD 328.5] He . . . to whom all power in heaven and earth has been given, will come to the help of those who trust in Him. 329 {SD 328.5} [SD 329.1] God Works in Us to Do His Good Pleasure 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. {SD 329.1} [SD 329.2] Our relation to God is the same as that of little children to their parents. The God of heaven is watching His people, His church, just as loving parents watch their children. And we are as foolish as little children are; for how prone we are to think that we know everything, when really we have not begun to know what God is waiting to teach us when we show willingness to follow in His footsteps. {SD 329.2} [SD 329.3] Will we come down from our position of self-righteousness, and as little children take hold of God's work? Will we be willing to be taught and led of Him? With tottering steps we are just beginning to walk. In time we shall learn to take firmer steps, but now we are liable at any moment to stumble and fall. From the highest to the lowest, we each have spiritual weaknesses and troubles similar to the weaknesses and troubles of helpless children. And as these inexperienced children can not place their dependence on one another, but must depend on their parents, so we must learn not to hang our helpless souls on any human being, but cling to the One mighty to save. . . . {SD 329.3} [SD 329.4] God calls upon us to make our movements in His fear and to walk tremblingly before Him. "Work out your own salvation," He says, "with fear and trembling. . . ." {SD 329.4} [SD 329.5] So long as we work in Christ's lines, laying hold of the arm of the Mighty One, we are safe; but just as soon as we loosen our grasp of His arm, and begin to depend upon human beings, we are in great danger. This very day the Lord desires us to reach a higher standard than we have ever reached in the past. Day by day we are to advance upward, ever upward, until it can be said of us as a people, "Ye are complete in him." 330 {SD 329.5} [SD 330.1] We Put Away Childish Things When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11. {SD 330.1} [SD 330.2] We are not always to remain children in our knowledge and experience in spiritual things. We are not always to express ourselves in the language of one who has just received Christ; but our prayers and exhortations are to grow in intelligence as we advance in experience in the truth. The language of a child of six in a child of ten years of age would not be pleasing to us, and how painful would it be to hear expressions of childish intelligence in one who had arrived at years of maturity. When a person becomes of age, we expect from him a corresponding intelligence, according to his years and opportunities. . . . But if we expect this manifestation of growing intelligence in the child, as he advances in years, should we not also expect to see the Christian grow in grace and experience? . . . {SD 330.2} [SD 330.3] God has given us many advantages and opportunities, and when the last great day shall be ushered in, and we shall see what we might have attained, had we taken advantage of the helps that Heaven vouchsafed to us; when we see how we might have grown in grace, and look upon these things as God looks upon them, seeing what we have lost by failing to grow up into the full stature of men and women in Christ, we shall wish that we had been more in earnest. {SD 330.3} [SD 330.4] God does not desire you to remain novices. He needs in His work everything that you can gain here in the lines of mental culture and clear discernment. He desires to have you reach the very highest round of the ladder, and then step off it into the kingdom of God. {SD 330.4} [SD 330.5] The Lord desires you to understand the position you occupy as sons and daughters of the Most High, children of the heavenly King. 331 {SD 330.5} [SD 331.1] We Grow Up in Christ That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, . . . but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ . Ephesians 4:14, 15. {SD 331.1} [SD 331.2] You cannot weaken your own influence and standing more than in trying to weaken each other. {SD 331.2} [SD 331.3] Constantly let your confidence in your brethren increase, for when you think evil, you speak evil. Thus you hurt yourself and make yourself weak when you ought to be strong in God. {SD 331.3} [SD 331.4] It is not our privilege to measure the actions of others or to criticize their failings. God has not made us the bearers of others' sins. It is with our own selves we have to do. The more thorough the work of repentance and reform in our own lives, the less we shall see to criticize in others. We do wrong when we measure ourselves by the defects we see in others. God does not do so. He understands the circumstances of every life, and He measures the human being by the advantages that each one has had for perfecting a Christian character. He takes into consideration the opportunities the human agent has had for obtaining a knowledge of God and His truth. He who has a true estimation of the law of God will not compare his character with the character of others. He will judge his life by the holy law of God. . . . {SD 331.4} [SD 331.5] In His instruction to His disciples the Saviour shows how complete must be the work of eradication of evil. "If thy right eye offend thee," He declares, "pluck it out, and cast it from thee." . . . {SD 331.5} [SD 331.6] We are to make continual advancement in the perfecting of Christian character, that we may be no more "children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, . . . but speaking the truth in love, may grow up unto him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." {SD 331.6} [SD 331.7] The growing is a continuous work. 332 {SD 331.7} [SD 332.1] Our Faith Grows Exceedingly We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly. 2 Thessalonians 1:3. {SD 332.1} [SD 332.2] It is positively necessary for those who believe the truth, to be making continual advancement, growing up into the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. There is no time for backsliding and indifference. Each one must have a living experience in the things of God. Have root in yourselves. Become grounded in the faith, so that having done all you may stand, with unwavering confidence in God, through the time that will try every man's work and character. Exercise your powers in spiritual things, till you can appreciate the deep things of God's Word, and go on from strength to strength. {SD 332.2} [SD 332.3] There are thousands who claim to have the light of truth who take no steps in advance. They have no living experience, notwithstanding they have had every advantage. . . . The Word of God offers spiritual liberty and enlightenment to those who seek for it earnestly. Those who accept the promises of God, and act on them with living faith, will have the light of heaven in their lives. They will drink of the fountain of life, and lead others to the waters that have refreshed their own souls. . . . {SD 332.3} [SD 332.4] The fruits of doubt are not desirable. Oh! look around you and see what havoc has been wrought by the . . . evil one. Error and falsehood and heresy have held high carnival in the deceived hearts of men. From century to century the adversary has repeated his experiments with growing success; for, in spite of the sad records of lives that have gone out in darkness, as moths fly to the fire, so men rush on into the ruinous deceptions that he has prepared to entrap them. . . . "Heaven and earth shall pass away," but "the word of the Lord endureth forever;" and unwavering faith in His Word is the only faith that will endure through the perils of the last days. 333 {SD 332.4} [SD 333.1] Seek to Excel Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. 1 Corinthians 14:12. {SD 333.1} [SD 333.2] Let the youth be taught from childhood that there is no excellence without great labor. Aspirations for eminence will not avail. Young friends, the mountain-top cannot be reached by standing still, and wishing yourselves there. You can gain your object only by taking one step at a time, advancing slowly perhaps, but holding every step gained. It is the energetic, persevering worker that will scale the Alps. Every youth should make the most of his talents, improving to the utmost present opportunities. He who will do this, may reach almost any height in moral and intellectual attainments. But he must possess a brave and resolute spirit. He will need to close his ears to the voice of pleasure; he must often refuse the solicitations of young companions. He must stand on guard continually, lest he be diverted from his purpose. . . . {SD 333.2} [SD 333.3] Leave a field uncultivated, and it will grow up to thorns and briers. You will never see a lovely flower or a choice shrub peering above the unsightly, poisonous weeds. The worthless bramble will grow luxuriantly without thought or care, while plants that are valued for use or beauty require thorough culture. Thus it is with our youth. If right habits are formed, and right principles established, there is earnest work to be done. If wrong habits are corrected, diligence and perseverance are required to accomplish the task. . . . It is far easier to yield to evil influences than to resist them. {SD 333.3} [SD 333.4] Unless they feel the importance of making the improvement that is essential in their characters in order to be better men every day, and thus be enabled to carry the responsibilities that rest upon them, they will be found on the losing side. {SD 333.4} [SD 333.5] Grow in grace, in self-reliance, in self-control. Let every day find you more nearly prepared to unite with the royal family in the heavenly courts. 334 {SD 333.5} [SD 334.1] Attain to the Full Stature of Christ Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Ephesians 4:13. {SD 334.1} [SD 334.2] As you make advances in the Christian life, you will be constantly growing up into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. In your experience, you will be proving what is the length and breadth, the depth and height, of the love of God, which passeth knowledge. You will feel your unworthiness. You will have no disposition to claim perfection of character, but only to exalt the perfection of your Redeemer. The more thorough and rich your experience in the knowledge of Jesus, the more humble will be your views of self. . . . {SD 334.2} [SD 334.3] To love God supremely, and your neighbor as yourself, is true sanctification. Bible conversion will lead to constant and abiding activity, which will be free from all selfishness, all self-exaltation, and all boastful claims of holiness. If you are truly converted to God, you will exert a strong and telling influence on the side of truth. An intelligent knowledge of what it means to be a Christian will make you a blessing wherever you go. Whether you have one, two, or five talents, all will be devoted to the service of Him who has committed them to you in trust. . . . {SD 334.3} [SD 334.4] God does not intend that your light shall so shine that your good words or works shall bring the praise of men to yourself; but that the Author of all good shall be glorified and exalted. Jesus, in His life, gave to men a model of character. How little power did the world have over Him to mold Him according to its standard! All its influence was thrown off. {SD 334.4} [SD 334.5] You cannot stand still; you must either advance or retrograde. . . . Where there is spiritual health there is growth. The child of God grows up to the full stature of a man or woman in Christ. There is no limit to his improvement. 335 {SD 334.5} [SD 335.1] Going Forth Is Prepared as the Morning Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning. Hosea 6:3. {SD 335.1} [SD 335.2] The end of all things is at hand. What we have done must not be allowed to place the period to our work. The Captain of our salvation says, "Advance. The night cometh, in which no man can work." Constantly we are to increase in usefulness. Our lives are always to be under the power of Christ. . . . {SD 335.2} [SD 335.3] Prayer is a heaven-ordained means of success. Appeals, petitions, entreaties, between man and man, move men, and act as a part in controlling the affairs of nations. But prayer moves heaven. That power alone that comes in answer to prayer will make men wise in the wisdom of heaven, and enable them to work in the unity of the Spirit, joined together by the bonds of peace. Prayer, faith, confidence in God, bring a divine power that sets human calculations at their real worth,--nothingness. {SD 335.3} [SD 335.4] In all ages God has given human beings divine revelations, that thus He may fulfill His purpose of unfolding gradually to the mind the doctrines of grace. His manner of imparting the truth is illustrated by the words, "His going forth is prepared as the morning." He who places himself where God can enlighten him, advances, as it were, from the partial obscurity of dawn to the full radiance of noonday.... As the sun goes forth upon its errand of mercy and love, as the golden beams of the day flood the canopy of heaven, and beautify forest and mountain, awakening the world by dispelling the darkness of night, so the followers of Christ should go forth upon their mission of love. {SD 335.4} [SD 335.5] It is the duty of every youth to place himself decidedly and without reserve on the side of Christ in order that he may . . . grow up to the full stature of a man in Christ Jesus. He will then be written as a man in the book of God, and will be a man not only in the estimation of men, but in the sight of God. 336 {SD 335.5} [SD 336.1] We Must Constantly Look to Jesus Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:2. {SD 336.1} [SD 336.2] Many of the youth repine because they have not ability to do some large work, and they covet talents by which they might do some wonderful things; but while they are spending their time in vain desires, they are making a failure of life. They are overlooking opportunities which they might improve in doing deeds of love in the path of life in which their feet are set. . . . {SD 336.2} [SD 336.3] O that you would now consider the things that make for your peace, and devote your affections, your thoughts, your time, your service, to Christ. Satan is concentrating all his energies to bend your will to his, to make you his agent in opposing the plans of Christ, that you may refuse to have Jesus reign over you. Although you know that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," Satan . . . will seek to draw you away from Christ, that you may become his agent in drawing others away, and thus frustrate the plans of God. He is the father of lies, and he weaves a net of falsehood in which he binds you with cords of lies to his service. The more intelligent you are, the more attractive, the harder he will work that he may persuade you to lay your talents at his feet, and aid him to accomplish his ends in alluring others under his black banner. If he can only keep the mind infatuated, he will do it. Paul inquires, "Who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth?" Satan is the bewitcher, and he has wrought, that Christ may be expelled from the soul, and that he himself may be there enthroned. {SD 336.3} [SD 336.4] I beg of you, sons and daughters, to break from the infatuation of the evil one. Flee to Jesus as your refuge, and lay hold upon eternal life. {SD 336.4} [SD 336.5] Each day be determined that you will keep nigh to God, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. 337 {SD 336.5} [SD 337.1] Our Experience Will Reach Into Eternity Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then I shall know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12. {SD 337.1} [SD 337.2] Our life-work here is a preparation for the life eternal. The education begun here will not be completed in this life; it will be going forward through all eternity,--ever progressing, never completed. More and more fully will be revealed the wisdom and love of God in the plan of redemption. The Saviour, as He leads His children to the fountains of living waters, will impart rich stores of knowledge. And day by day the wonderful works of God, the evidences of His power in creating and sustaining the universe, will open before the mind in new beauty. In the light that shines from the throne, mysteries will disappear, and the soul will be filled with astonishment at the simplicity of the things that were never before comprehended. Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now we know in part; but then we shall know even as also we are known. {SD 337.2} [SD 337.3] Think what it will mean to study through the eternal ages under the personal instruction of Christ! Amidst the present conflicts and temptations, in this our day of probation, we are to form characters that will prepare us to obtain a life that measures with the life of God. {SD 337.3} [SD 337.4] We are to have an eye single to the glory of God, and thus grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The more earnestly and diligently we seek for divine wisdom, the more firmly established we shall be in the truth. {SD 337.4} [SD 337.5] By beholding Christ, by talking of Him, by beholding the loveliness of His character we become changed. Changed from glory to glory. And what is glory? Character,--and he becomes changed from character to character. Thus we see that there is a work of purification that goes on by beholding Jesus. 338 {SD 337.5} [SD 338.1] Look Upon Christ--Assimilate His Image And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14. {SD 338.1} [SD 338.2] The strength of nations and of individuals is not found in the opportunities and facilities that appear to make them invincible; it is not found in their boasted greatness. That which alone can make them great or strong is the power of God. They themselves, by their attitude toward His purpose, decide their own destiny. {SD 338.2} [SD 338.3] Human histories relate man's achievements, his victories in battle, his success in attaining worldly greatness. God's history describes man as heaven views him. In the divine records all his merit is seen to consist in his obedience to God's requirements. . . . {SD 338.3} [SD 338.4] The centuries have their mission. Every moment has its work. Each is passing into eternity with its burden. . . . God is still dealing with earthly kingdoms. He is in the great cities. His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the doings of the children of men. We are not to say, God was, but, God is. He sees the very sparrow's fall, the leaf that falls from the tree, and the king who is dethroned. All are under the control of the Infinite One. Everything is changing. Cities and nations are being measured by the plummet in the hand of God. He never makes a mistake. He reads correctly. Everything earthly is unsettled, but the truth abides forever. {SD 338.4} [SD 338.5] In the eyes of the world, those who serve God may appear weak. They may be apparently sinking beneath the billows, but with the next billow, they are seen rising nearer to their heaven. I give unto them eternal life, saith our Lord, and none shall be able to pluck them out of My hand. Though kings shall be cast down, and nations removed, the souls that through faith link themselves with God's purpose shall abide forever. {SD 338.5} [SD 338.6] Fasten your eyes upon Jesus, and by beholding you will become assimilated to His image. 339 {SD 338.6} [SD 339.1] We Long to Catch Glimpses of His Glory I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. Exodus 33:18. {SD 339.1} [SD 339.2] It is our privilege to reach high and still higher, for clearer revealings of the character of God. When Moses prayed, "I beseech thee, shew me thy glory," the Lord did not rebuke him, but He granted his prayer. . . . {SD 339.2} [SD 339.3] It is sin that darkens our minds and dims our perceptions. As sin is purged from our hearts, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, illuminating His word, and reflected from the face of nature, more and more fully will declare Him "merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." {SD 339.3} [SD 339.4] In His light shall we see light, until mind and heart and soul are transformed into the image of His holiness. {SD 339.4} [SD 339.5] For those who thus lay hold of the divine assurances of God's Word, there are wonderful possibilities. Before them lie vast fields of truth, vast resources of power. Glorious things are to be revealed. Privileges and duties which they do not even suspect to be in the Bible will be made manifest. All who walk in the path of humble obedience, fulfilling His purpose, will know more and more of the oracles of God. . . . {SD 339.5} [SD 339.6] The precious faith inspired of God imparts strength and nobility of character. As His goodness, His mercy, and His love are dwelt upon, clearer and still clearer will be the perception of truth; higher, holier, the desire for purity of heart and clearness of thought. The soul dwelling in the pure atmosphere of holy thought is transformed by intercourse with God through the study of His Word. Truth is so large, so far-reaching, so deep, so broad, that self is lost sight of. The heart is softened and subdued into humility, kindness, and love. And the natural powers are enlarged because of holy obedience. 340 {SD 339.6} [SD 340.1] We Are Filled With Praise I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1. {SD 340.1} [SD 340.2] It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His Spirit. . . . {SD 340.2} [SD 340.3] As we associate together, we may be a blessing to one another. If we are Christ's, our sweetest thoughts will be of Him. We shall love to talk of Him; and as we speak to one another of His love, our hearts will be softened by divine influences. Beholding the beauty of His character, we shall be "changed into the same image from glory to glory." {SD 340.3} [SD 340.4] The Lord Jesus . . . loves you. If you doubt His love, look to Calvary. The light reflected from the cross shows you the magnitude of that love which no tongue can tell. . . . {SD 340.4} [SD 340.5] The mercies of God surround you every moment; and it would be profitable for you to consider how and whence your blessings come every day. Let the precious blessings of God awaken gratitude in you. You cannot number the blessings of God, the constant loving-kindness expressed to you, for they are as numerous as the refreshing drops of rain. Clouds of mercy are hanging over you, and ready to drop upon you. If you will appreciate the valuable gift of salvation, you will be sensible of daily refreshment, of the protection and love of Jesus; you will be guided in the way of peace.... {SD 340.5} [SD 340.6] See Him, by the eye of faith, bending over you in love. . . . He wants you to live in His presence; to have eternal life and a crown of glory. 341 {SD 340.6} [SD 341.1] We Become Like Him Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. John 17:24. {SD 341.1} [SD 341.2] In our work we meet with many discouragements. But we shall not gain a particle of strength by dwelling on the discouragements. By beholding we become changed. As we look in faith to Jesus, His image is engraven on the heart. We are transformed in character. {SD 341.2} [SD 341.3] There are many who, in dwelling too largely upon theory, have lost sight of the living power of the Saviour's example. They have lost sight of Him as the humble, self-denying worker. What they need is to behold Jesus. Daily we need the fresh revealing of His presence. {SD 341.3} [SD 341.4] As we discern the perfection of our Saviour's character, we shall desire to become wholly transformed, and renewed in the image of His purity. The more we know of God, the higher will be our ideal of character, and the more earnest our longing to reflect His likeness. A divine element combines with the human when the soul reaches out after God. {SD 341.4} [SD 341.5] As one becomes acquainted with the history of the Redeemer he discovers in himself serious defects. . . . He catches the looks, the spirit, of his beloved Master. . . . It is not by looking away from Him that we imitate the life of Jesus, but by talking of Him, by dwelling upon His perfections, by seeking to refine the taste and elevate the character, by trying, through faith and love, and by earnest, persevering effort, to approach the perfect Pattern. By having a knowledge of Christ,--His words, His habits, and His lessons of instructions,-- we borrow the virtues of the character we have so closely studied, and become imbued with the spirit we have so much admired. Jesus becomes to us "the chiefest among ten thousand," the One "altogether lovely." {SD 341.5} [SD 342.1] Chap. 12 - We Receive Our Inheritance Now Is the Sealing Time Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Revelation 7:3. {SD 342.1} [SD 342.2] Satan is now using every device in this sealing time to keep the minds of God's people from the present truth, and to cause them to waver. I saw a covering that God was drawing over His people to protect them in the time of trouble; and every soul that was decided on the truth, and was pure in heart, was to be covered with the covering of the Almighty. Satan knew this, and he was at work in mighty power to keep the minds of as many people as he possibly could wavering and unsettled on the truth. . . . I saw that Satan was at work . . . to distract, deceive, and draw away God's people, just now in this sealing time. I saw some who were not standing stiffly for present truth. Their knees were trembling, and their feet sliding because they were not firmly planted on the truth. . . . {SD 342.2} [SD 342.3] Satan was trying his every art to hold them where they were, until the sealing was past, until the covering was drawn over God's people, and they left without a shelter from the burning wrath of God, in the seven last plagues. {SD 342.3} [SD 342.4] We are brought out of the darkness of the world into God's marvelous light. If we receive the image of God, if our souls are cleansed from every moral defilement, the seal of God will be placed upon our foreheads, and we shall be prepared for the closing scenes of this earth's history. But we have no time to lose. The more we study the life of Christ with a heart to learn, the more Christlike we become. {SD 342.4} [SD 342.5] The sealing time is very short, and will soon be over. Now is the time, while the four angels are holding the four winds, to make our calling and election sure. 343 {SD 342.5} [SD 343.1] Seek the Lord While He May Be Found Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6. {SD 343.1} [SD 343.2] The time is coming when it will be too late to seek God, and I have been thinking how we shall feel when probation is closed, and all our life-work ended. With what feeling shall we review the past? Shall we then wish that our efforts to serve God had been more earnest? Shall we wish that we had lived more in harmony with His revealed will? Shall we then be accounted as faithful servants? What if at this moment we should hear the voice of Christ saying, "It is done"? . . . {SD 343.2} [SD 343.3] In view of the solemn responsibilities that rest upon us, let us contemplate the future, that we may understand what we must do in order to meet it. . . . In the solemn assembly of the last day, in the hearing of the universe, will be read the reason of the condemnation of the sinner. For the first time parents will learn what has been the secret life of their children. Children will see how many wrongs they have committed against their parents. There will be a general revealing of the secrets and motives of the heart; for that which is hid will be made manifest. Those who have made sport of solemn things connected with the judgment, will be sobered as they face its terrible reality. Those who have despised the Word of God, will then face the Author of the inspired oracles. We cannot afford to live with no reference to the day of judgment; for though long delayed, it is now near, even at the door, and hasteth greatly. . . . {SD 343.3} [SD 343.4] When you consider solemn things, do you not realize, dear youth, that you must cease from your selfish, sinful course,--cease to do evil, and learn to do good? It is your own course of action that will mold your character for destruction or for the bliss of the ceaseless ages of eternity. . . . {SD 343.4} [SD 343.5] Will you heed the injunction, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near? 344 {SD 343.5} [SD 344.1] Become God's Sons, and Heirs Through Christ Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:7. {SD 344.1} [SD 344.2] The Galatians were given up to the worship of idols, but as the apostles preached to them, they rejoiced in the message that promised freedom from the thraldom of sin. Paul and his fellow-workers proclaimed the doctrine of righteousness by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ. They presented Christ as the One who, seeing the helpless condition of the fallen race, came to redeem men and women by living a life of obedience to God's law, and by paying the penalty of disobedience. And in the light of the cross, many who had never before known of the true God, began to comprehend the greatness of the Father's love. Thus the Galatians were taught the fundamental truths concerning "God the Father," and "our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." "By the hearing of faith," they received the Spirit of God, and became "the children of God by faith in Christ." {SD 344.2} [SD 344.3] Paul's manner of life while among the Galatians was such that he could afterward say, "I beseech you, be as I am." His lips had been touched with a live coal from off the altar, and he was enabled to rise above bodily infirmities, and to present Jesus as the sinner's only hope. Those who heard him knew that he had been with Jesus. Endued with power from on high, he was able to compare spiritual things with spiritual, and to tear down the strongholds of Satan. Hearts were broken by this presentation of the love of God, as revealed in the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, and many were led to inquire, What must I do to be saved? ... The cross brings us near to God, reconciling us to Him. With the relenting compassion of a father's love, Jehovah looks upon the suffering that His Son endured in order to save the race from eternal death, and accepts us in the Beloved. 345 {SD 344.3} [SD 345.1] Be as Trees Planted by Rivers of Water He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Psalm 1:3. {SD 345.1} [SD 345.2] Dangers beset every path, and he who comes off conqueror will indeed have a triumphant song to sing in the city of God. Some have strong traits of character that will need to be constantly repressed. If kept under the control of the Spirit of God, these traits will be a blessing; but if not, they will prove a curse. If those who are now riding upon the wave of popularity do not become giddy, it will be a miracle of mercy. If they lean to their own wisdom, as so many thus situated have done, their wisdom will prove to be foolishness. But while they shall give themselves unselfishly to the work of God, never swerving in the least from principle, the Lord will throw about them the everlasting arm and will prove to them a mighty helper. . . . {SD 345.2} [SD 345.3] This is a dangerous age for any man who has talents which can be of value in the work of God; for Satan is constantly plying his temptations upon such a person, ever trying to fill him with pride and ambition; and when God would use him, it is too often the case that he becomes independent and self-sufficient, and feels capable of standing alone. . . . {SD 345.3} [SD 345.4] Prayer and effort, effort and prayer, will be the business of your life. You must pray as though the efficiency and praise were all due to God, and labor as though duty were all your own. If you want power you may have it; it is waiting your draft upon it. Only believe in God, take Him at His word, act by faith, and blessings will come. . . . Those who have a humble, trusting, contrite heart, God accepts, and hears their prayer; and when God helps, all obstacles will be overcome. . . . The blessing of heaven, obtained by daily supplication, will be as the bread of life to the soul and will cause them to increase in moral and spiritual strength, like a tree planted by the river of waters. 346 {SD 345.4} [SD 346.1] Be Sober and Watch Unto Prayer The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 1 Peter 4:7. {SD 346.1} [SD 346.2] The admonition to the Israel of today is, "The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer." "Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things." Resist the enemy; do not be seduced by his flattering inducements and presentations. It is the work of the human agent to be strong, not in his own finite strength, but in the strength of the Lord, in the power of His might. . . . {SD 346.2} [SD 346.3] Christ has said, "Without me ye can do nothing." The resolutions you may make in your own finite strength, will be only as ropes of sand; but if you pray in sincerity, surrendering yourself, soul, body, and spirit, unto God, you put on the whole armor of God, and open the soul to the righteousness of Christ; and this alone,--Christ's imputed righteousness,--makes you able to stand against the wiles of the devil. The work of every soul is to resist the enemy in the power and might of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the promise is that the devil shall flee from us. But let all realize that they are in peril, and there is no assurance of safety except as they comply with the conditions of the text. The Lord says, "Draw nigh to God." How?--By secret, earnest examination of your own heart; by childlike, heart-felt, humble dependence upon God, making known your weakness to Jesus; and by confessing your sins. Thus you may draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. 347 {SD 346.3} [SD 347.1] Live Righteously and Godly We should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Titus 2:12, 13. {SD 347.1} [SD 347.2] O that our hearts may be deeply impressed with the importance of living holy lives, that the world may take knowledge of us that we have been with Jesus, and have learned of Him. Christian worth does not depend upon brilliant talents, lofty birth, wonderful powers, but on a clean heart,--a heart which, purified and refined, reflects the image of divinity. It is the presence of Him who gave His life for us that makes the soul beautiful. . . . It is the men of prayer that are men of power. . . . {SD 347.2} [SD 347.3] Do not allow trifling things to absorb your time and attention. Keep your mind on the glorious themes of the Word of God. A study of these themes will give you a strength that will carry you through the trials and difficulties of the last days, and bring you to where you will walk with Christ in white, because you are worthy. In the Word of God, studied and obeyed, we possess a spiritual guide and instructor by which the worst forms of evil in ourselves may be brought under the discipline of His law. If the teachings of this Word were made the controlling influence in our lives, if mind and heart were brought under its restraining power, the evils that now exist in churches and in families would find no place. Upon converted households the purest blessings would descend, and from these households an influence would go forth that would make God's people a power on the side of truth. . . . {SD 347.3} [SD 347.4] Now is the time to watch and pray, to put away all self-indulgence, all pride, all selfishness. The precious moments that are now by many worse than wasted should be spent in meditation and prayer. . . . {SD 347.4} [SD 347.5] On Christ's coronation day He will not acknowledge as His any who bear spot or wrinkle or any such thing. But to His faithful ones He will give crowns of immortal glory. 348 {SD 347.5} [SD 348.1] Be Without Fault And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. Revelation 14:5. {SD 348.1} [SD 348.2] Sin is a hateful thing. It marred the moral beauty of a large number of the angels. It entered our world, and well-nigh obliterated the moral image of God in man. But in His great love God provided a way whereby man might regain the position from which he fell in yielding to the tempter. Christ came to stand at the head of humanity, to work out in our behalf a perfect character. . . . "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God." . . . {SD 348.2} [SD 348.3] What does the Lord require of His blood-bought heritage?--The sanctification of the whole being,--purity like the purity of Christ, perfect conformity to the will of God. . . . Into the holy city there can enter nothing that defileth, or maketh a lie. . . . {SD 348.3} [SD 348.4] We can reveal the likeness of our divine Lord. We can know the science of spiritual life. We can honor our Maker. . . . {SD 348.4} [SD 348.5] Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God's ideal for His children. He wants our minds to be clear, our tempers sweet, our love unbounding. Then the peace that passeth knowledge will flow from us to bless all with whom we come in contact. The atmosphere surrounding our souls will be refreshing. . . . {SD 348.5} [SD 348.6] Many are holding onto the truth with but the tips of their fingers. The precious time that should be spent in speaking of the Saviour's power to save, is being spent by many in carrying evil reports. Unless they make a decided change, they will be found wanting. Unless they have an entire transformation of character, they will never enter heaven. . . . The truly converted man has no inclination to think or talk of the faults of others. His lips are sanctified, and as God's witness he testifies that the grace of Christ has transformed his heart. . . . Those only will enter heaven who have overcome the temptation to think and speak evil. 349 {SD 348.6} [SD 349.1] Overcome the World Through Faith For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4. {SD 349.1} [SD 349.2] Today Satan presents the same temptations that he presented to Christ, offering us the kingdoms of the world in return for our allegiance. But upon him who looks to Jesus as the author and finisher of his faith, Satan's temptations have no power. He can not cause to sin the one who will accept by faith the virtues of Him who was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin. {SD 349.2} [SD 349.3] "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." He who repents of his sin and accepts the gift of the life of the Son of God, can not be overcome. Laying hold by faith of the divine nature, he becomes a child of God. He prays, he believes. When tempted and tried, he claims the power that Christ died to give, and overcomes through His grace. This every sinner needs to understand. He must repent of his sins, he must believe in the power of Christ, and accept that power to save and to keep him from sin. {SD 349.3} [SD 349.4] The Christian is not to retain his sinful habits and cherish his defects of character; but he is to be renewed in the spirit of his mind after the divine similitude. Whatever may be the nature of your defects, the Spirit of the Lord will enable you to discern them, and grace will be given you whereby they may be overcome. Through the merits of the blood of Christ you may be a conqueror, yes more than a conqueror. . . . {SD 349.4} [SD 349.5] The truth must be admitted into the soul, and it will work the sanctification of the character. It will refine, and elevate the life, and fit you for an entrance into the mansions which Jesus has gone to prepare for those who love Him. {SD 349.5} [SD 349.6] Heaven is worth everything to us, and if we lose heaven we lose all. 350 {SD 349.6} [SD 350.1] And His Reward is With Him Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Revelation 22:12. {SD 350.1} [SD 350.2] Our work here is soon to close, and every man will receive his reward according to his own labor. I was shown the saints' reward, the immortal inheritance, and saw that those who had endured the most for the truth's sake will not think they have had a hard time, but will count heaven cheap enough. {SD 350.2} [SD 350.3] Every day bears its burden of record of unfulfilled duties, of neglect, of selfishness, of deception, of fraud, of overreaching. What an amount of evil works is accumulating for the final judgment! When Christ shall come, . . . what a revelation will then be made! {SD 350.3} [SD 350.4] Every good and every wrong act, and its influence upon others, is traced by the Searcher of hearts, to whom every secret is revealed. And the reward will be according to the motives which prompted the action. {SD 350.4} [SD 350.5] The coming of Christ is near and hasteth greatly. The time in which to labor is short, and men and women are perishing. . . . We need the converting power of God to take hold of us, that we may understand the needs of a perishing world. The burden of my message to you is: Get ready, get ready to meet the Lord. Trim your lamps, and let the light of truth shine forth into the byways and the hedges. There is a world to be warned of the near approach of the end of all things. . . . {SD 350.5} [SD 350.6] We need the presence of the Holy Spirit of God with us, that our hearts may be softened and that we may not bring a harsh spirit into the work. I pray that the Holy Spirit may take full possession of our hearts. Let us act like children of God who are looking to Him for counsel, ready to work out His plans wherever presented. God will be glorified by such a people, and those who witness our zeal will say; Amen and amen. 351 {SD 350.6} [SD 351.1] Hold Fast and Be Ready Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Revelation 3:3. {SD 351.1} [SD 351.2] "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent." Those who have been born again remember with what joy and gladness they received the light of heaven, and how eager they were to tell everybody of their happiness. . . . {SD 351.2} [SD 351.3] "Hold fast." This does not mean, Hold fast to your sins; but, hold fast to the comfort, the faith, the hope, that God has given you in His Word. Never be discouraged. A discouraged man can do nothing. Satan is seeking to discourage you, telling you it is of no use to serve God, that it does not pay, and that it is just as well to have pleasure and enjoyment in this world. But "what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul"? You may have worldly pleasure at the expense of the future world; but can you afford to pay such a price? We are to "hold fast" and live up to all the light we receive from heaven. Why?--Because God wants us to grasp the eternal truth, and act as His helping hand by communicating the light to those who are not acquainted with His love for them. When you gave yourself to Christ, you made a pledge in the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,--the three great personal Dignitaries of heaven. "Hold fast" to this pledge. . . . {SD 351.3} [SD 351.4] The enemy can never take out of the hand of Christ the one who is simply trusting in His promises. If the soul is trusting and working obediently, the mind is susceptible to divine impressions, and the light of God shines in, enlightening the understanding. What privileges we have in Christ Jesus! {SD 351.4} [SD 351.5] We are to watch vigilantly for the coming of the Lord. . . . Every moment is to be faithfully employed. "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." 352 {SD 351.5} [SD 352.1] We Hasten His Return With Holy Conversation What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God? 2 Peter 3:11, 12. {SD 352.1} [SD 352.2] Many who profess to be looking for the speedy coming of Christ, are becoming conformed to this world, and seek more earnestly for the applause of those around them, than the approbation of God. . . . {SD 352.2} [SD 352.3] Many of these professed Christians dress, talk and act like the world, and the only thing by which they may be known, is their profession. Though they profess to be looking for Christ, their conversation is not in heaven, but on worldly things. {SD 352.3} [SD 352.4] "What manner of persons" ought those to be "in all holy conversation and godliness," who profess to be "looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God?" 2 Peter 3:11, 12. . . . {SD 352.4} [SD 352.5] The way to heaven is rugged. Briers and thorns are in the way; but we can with cheerfulness tread the rough pathway, knowing that Jesus, the King of glory, once trod it before us. We will rejoice that we can follow in His footsteps, and be partakers with Him of His sufferings, that we may finally partake of His glory. {SD 352.5} [SD 352.6] What if reproaches are heaped upon me, even by those who profess to be looking for the Lord? . . . Shall I complain, when Jesus bore the scoffs and derision of His own people? . . . No, I will not complain; I will rather rejoice and be exceeding glad that I am accounted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake, that my reward may be in heaven. Only let me have an inheritance in glory, and it will be enough. . . . {SD 352.6} [SD 352.7] Let us strive to be Christians (Christ-like) in every sense of the word, and let our dress, conversation and actions preach that Christ is formed within, the hope of glory, and that we are looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of Jesus. . . . My affections, interest, treasure, all, is in the bright world to come. I long to see the King in His beauty. 353 {SD 352.7} [SD 353.1] He Returns as Protector and Avenger of His Own And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him? Luke 18:7. {SD 353.1} [SD 353.2] At this time, when great light is shining forth from the Word of God, making dark mysteries plain as day, is the day of mercy, of hope, of joy and assurance to all who will be benefited thereby, to all who will open their minds and hearts to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. . . . {SD 353.2} [SD 353.3] There are diligent students of the Word of prophecy in all parts of the world, who are obtaining light and still greater light from searching the Scriptures. This is true of all nations, of all tribes, and all people. These will come from the grossest error, and will take the place of those who have had opportunities and privileges and have not prized them. . . . We are now making our choice, and we shall soon discern between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not. . . . {SD 353.3} [SD 353.4] From time to time the Lord has made known His manner of working. . . . And when a crisis has come, He has revealed Himself, and has interposed the working of Satan's plans. He has often permitted matters with nations, with families, and with individuals to come to a crisis, that His interference might become marked. Then He has let the fact be known that there is a God in Israel who would sustain and vindicate His people. {SD 353.4} [SD 353.5] When the defiance of the law of Jehovah shall be almost universal, when His people shall be pressed in affliction by their fellow men, God will interpose. The fervent prayers of His people will be answered, for He loves to have His people seek Him with all their heart, and depend upon Him as their Deliverer. He will be sought unto to do these things for His people. . . . The promise is, "The Lord will avenge his own elect, which cry unto him day and night." 354 {SD 353.5} [SD 354.1] He Will Be to Us a Sanctuary For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. Psalm 27:5. {SD 354.1} [SD 354.2] There is joy and consolation for the true-hearted, faithful Christian, that the world knows not of. To them it is a mystery. The Christian's hope is big with immortality and full of glory. It reacheth to that within the veil, and is as an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast. And when the storm of God's wrath shall come upon the ungodly, this hope will not fail them, but they are hid as in the secret of His pavilion. {SD 354.2} [SD 354.3] There are troublous times before us; the judgments of God are coming upon our world. The nations of the earth are to tremble. There will be trials and perplexities on every hand; men's hearts will fail them for fear. And what shall we do in that day? Though the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and be removed like a cottage, if we have made God our trust, He will deliver us. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." "Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee. . . . For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." {SD 354.3} [SD 354.4] Christ sees the termination of the conflict. The battle is waging more and more fiercely. Soon He will come whose right it is, and will take possession of all earthly things. All the confusion in our world, all the violence and crime, are a fulfilment of the words of Christ. They are the signs of the nearness of His coming. In that day of His coming, Christ will preserve those who have followed Him, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He has pledged Himself to be their sanctuary. He says to them, Enter thou into a safe retreat for a little moment, and hide thee until I shall cleanse the earth from her iniquity. 355 {SD 354.4} [SD 355.1] Probation is Fast Closing He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. Revelation 22:11. {SD 355.1} [SD 355.2] All who would have their names retained in the book of life, should now, in the few remaining days of their probation, afflict their souls before God by sorrow for sin, and true repentance. There must be deep, faithful searching of heart. The light, frivolous spirit indulged in by so many professed Christians must be put away. There is earnest warfare before all who would subdue the evil tendencies that strive for the mastery. The work of preparation is an individual work. We are not saved in groups. The purity and devotion of one will not offset the want of these qualities in another. . . . Every one must be tested, and found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. {SD 355.2} [SD 355.3] Solemn are the scenes connected with the closing work of the atonement. Momentous are the interests involved therein. The judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. . . . In the awful presence of God our lives are to come up in review. . . . {SD 355.3} [SD 355.4] When the work of the investigative judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for life or death. Probation is ended a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven. . . . Perilous is the condition of those who, growing weary of their watch, turn to the attractions of the world. While the man of business is absorbed in the pursuit of gain, while the pleasure-lover is seeking indulgence, while the daughter of fashion is arranging her adornments, --it may be in that hour the Judge of all the earth will pronounce the sentence, "Thou art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting." {SD 355.4} [SD 355.5] Silently, unnoticed as the midnight thief, will come the decisive hour which marks the fixing of every man's destiny, the final withdrawal of mercy's offer to guilty men. "Watch ye therefore . . . lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping." 356 {SD 355.5} [SD 356.1] He Calls Us to the Marriage Supper Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. Revelation 19:9. {SD 356.1} [SD 356.2] The Lord Jesus is making experiments on human hearts through the exhibition of His mercy and abundant grace. He is effecting transformations so amazing that Satan, with all his triumphant boasting, with all his confederacy of evil united against God and the laws of His government, stands viewing them as a fortress impregnable to his sophistries and delusions. They are to him an incomprehensible mystery. The angels of God, seraphim and cherubim, the powers commissioned to cooperate with human agencies, look on with astonishment and joy, that fallen men, once children of wrath, are through the training of Christ developing characters after the divine similitude, to be sons and daughters of God, to act an important part in the occupations and pleasures of heaven. {SD 356.2} [SD 356.3] To His church, Christ has given ample facilities, that He may receive a large revenue of glory from His redeemed, purchased possession. The church, being endowed with the righteousness of Christ, is His depository, in which the wealth of His mercy, His love, His grace, is to appear in full and final display. The declaration in His intercessory prayer, that the Father's love is as great toward us as toward Himself, the only-begotten Son, and that we shall be with Him where He is, forever one with Christ and the Father, is a marvel to the heavenly host, and it is their great joy. The gift of His Holy Spirit, rich, full, and abundant, is to be to His church as an encompassing wall of fire, which the powers of hell shall not prevail against. In their untainted purity and spotless perfection, Christ looks upon His people as the reward of all His suffering, His humiliation, and His love, and the supplement of His glory,--Christ, the great center from which radiates all glory. "Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." 357 {SD 356.3} [SD 357.1] Christ Comes With Power and Great Glory When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. Matthew 25:31. {SD 357.1} [SD 357.2] No human language can portray the scenes of the second coming of the Son of Man in the clouds of heaven. . . . He will come clad in the robe of light, which He has worn from the days of eternity. Angels will accompany Him. Ten thousand times ten thousand will escort Him on His way. The sound of the trumpet will be heard, calling the sleeping dead from the grave. The voice of Christ will penetrate the tomb, and pierce the ears of the dead, "and all that are in the graves . . . shall come forth." {SD 357.2} [SD 357.3] Christ is coming with power and great glory. He is coming with His own glory, and with the glory of the Father. And the holy angels will attend Him on His way. While all the world is plunged in darkness, there will be light in every dwelling of the saints. They will catch the first light of His second appearing. The unsullied light will shine from His splendor, and Christ the Redeemer will be admired by all who have served Him. While the wicked flee, Christ's followers will rejoice in His presence. {SD 357.3} [SD 357.4] "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." He is to be accompanied by all the hosts of heaven. . . . "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect." . . . {SD 357.4} [SD 357.5] Not until the personal advent of Christ can His people receive the kingdom. . . . Man in his present state is mortal, corruptible; but the kingdom of God will be incorruptible, enduring forever. Therefore man in his present state cannot enter into the kingdom of God. But when Jesus comes, He confers immortality upon His people; and then He calls them to inherit the kingdom of which they have hitherto been only heirs. 358 {SD 357.5} [SD 358.1] The Faithful of Earth Will Be Saved And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31. {SD 358.1} [SD 358.2] In the power of Him who rides forth conquering and to conquer, weak, finite man may gain the victory. {SD 358.2} [SD 358.3] The Lion of Judah, so terrible to the rejectors of His grace, will be the Lamb of God to the obedient and faithful. The pillar of fire that speaks terror and wrath to the transgressor of God's law, is a token of light and mercy and deliverance to those who have kept His commandments. The arm strong to smite the rebellious will be strong to deliver the loyal. Everyone who is faithful will be saved. "He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." {SD 358.3} [SD 358.4] In comparison with the millions of the world, God's people will be, as they have ever been, a little flock; but if they stand for the truth as revealed in His Word, God will be their refuge. They stand under the broad shield of Omnipotence. God is always a majority. When the sound of the last trump shall penetrate the prison-house of the dead, and the righteous shall come forth with triumph, exclaiming, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"--standing then with God, with Christ, with the angels, and the loyal and true of all ages, the children of God will be far in the majority. . . . {SD 358.4} [SD 358.5] In holy vision the prophet saw the ultimate triumph of God's remnant church. He writes: "I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory ... stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." 359 {SD 358.5} [SD 359.1] The Dead in Christ Rise First For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 1 Thessalonians 4:16. {SD 359.1} [SD 359.2] The Life-giver will call up His purchased possession in the first resurrection, and until that triumphant hour, when the last trump shall sound and the vast army shall come forth to eternal victory, every sleeping saint will be kept in safety and will be guarded as a precious jewel, who is known to God by name. By the power of the Saviour that dwelt in them while living and because they were partakers of the divine nature, they are brought forth from the dead. {SD 359.2} [SD 359.3] "The hour is coming," Christ said, "in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth." That voice is to resound through all the habitations of the dead; and every saint who sleeps in Jesus will awake and leave his prison-house. Then the virtue of character we received from Christ's righteousness will ally us to true greatness of the highest order. {SD 359.3} [SD 359.4] The victory of the sleeping saints will be glorious on the morning of the resurrection. . . . The Life-giver will crown with immortality all who come forth from the grave. {SD 359.4} [SD 359.5] There stands the risen host. The last thought was of death and its pangs. The last thoughts they had were of the grave and the tomb, but now they proclaim, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" . . . Here they stand and the finishing touch of immortality is put upon them and they go up to meet their Lord in the air. . . . There are the columns of angels on either side; . . . then the angelic choir strike the note of victory and the angels in the two columns take up the song and the redeemed host join as though they had been singing the song on the earth, and they have been. Oh, what music! There is not an inharmonious note. Every voice proclaims, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain." He sees the travail of His soul, and is satisfied. 360 {SD 359.5} [SD 360.1] Caught Up to Be With Christ Forever Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17. {SD 360.1} [SD 360.2] Jesus is coming, but not as at His first advent, a babe in Bethlehem, not as He rode into Jerusalem, when the disciples praised God with a loud voice and cried, Hosannah; but in the glory of the Father, and with all the retinue of holy angels with Him, to escort Him on His way to earth. All heaven will be emptied of the angels. The waiting saints will be looking for Him, and gazing into heaven, as were the "men of Galilee" when He ascended from the Mount of Olivet. Then, those only who are holy, those who have followed fully the meek Pattern will, with rapturous joy, exclaim as they behold Him, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us." And they will be changed "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump," that wakes the sleeping saints, and calls them forth from their dusty beds, clothed with glorious immortality, shouting Victory! Victory! over death and the grave. The changed saints are caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air, never more to be separated from the object of their love. {SD 360.2} [SD 360.3] To His faithful followers Christ has been a daily companion and a familiar friend. They have lived in close contact, in constant communion with God. Upon them the glory of the Lord has risen. In them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ has been reflected. Now they rejoice in the undimmed rays of the brightness and the glory of the King in His majesty. They are prepared for the communion of heaven; for they have heaven in their hearts.... {SD 360.3} [SD 360.4] With rejoicing that their redemption draweth nigh, they go forth to meet the Bridegroom, saying, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us." 361 {SD 360.4} [SD 361.1] All Nations Are Gathered in Judgment And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. Matthew 25:32. {SD 361.1} [SD 361.2] The judgment scene will take place in the presence of all the worlds; for in this judgment the government of God will be vindicated, and His law will stand forth as "holy, and just, and good." Then every case will be decided, and sentence will be passed upon all. Sin will not then appear attractive, but will be seen in all its hideous magnitude. {SD 361.2} [SD 361.3] "And before him shall be gathered all nations." ... Every deed, small and great, is to be brought into recognition. That which has been considered trivial here will then appear as it is. The two mites of the widow will be recognized. The cup of cold water offered, the prison visited, the hungry fed,--each will bring its own reward. And that unfulfilled duty, that selfish act, will not be forgotten. In the open court around the throne of God it will appear a very different thing from what it did when it was performed. . . . It will be seen that these selfish pleasures and indulgences have made the human being a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God. . . . But it is not necessary for any to be deceived; and we shall not be if we have fully taken our stand with Christ to follow Him through evil as well as through good report. {SD 361.3} [SD 361.4] The character which we now manifest is deciding our future destiny. The happiness of heaven will be found by conforming to the will of God, and if men become members of the royal family in heaven, it will be because heaven has begun with them on earth.... The righteous will take every grace, every precious, sanctified ability, into the courts above, and exchange earth for heaven. God knows who are the loyal and true subjects of His kingdom on earth, and those who do His will upon earth as it is done in heaven, will be made the members of the royal family above. 362 {SD 361.4} [SD 362.1] We Receive the Crown of Life Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12. {SD 362.1} [SD 362.2] When the Lord makes up His jewels, the true, the frank, the honest, will be looked upon with pleasure. Angels are employed in making crowns for such ones, and upon these star-gemmed crowns will be reflected, with splendor, the light which radiates from the throne of God. {SD 362.2} [SD 362.3] Talk of heavenly things. Talk of Jesus, His loveliness and glory, and of His undying love for you, and let your heart flow out in love and gratitude to Him, who died to save you. O, get ready to meet your Lord in peace. Those who are ready will soon receive an unfading crown of life, and will dwell forever in the kingdom of God, with Christ, with angels, and with those who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. {SD 362.3} [SD 362.4] It is the waiting ones who are to be crowned with glory, honor, and immortality. You need not talk ... of the honors of the world, or the praise of its great ones. They are all vanity. Let but the finger of God touch them, and they would soon go back to dust again. I want honor that is lasting, honor that is immortal, honor that will never perish; a crown that is richer than any crown that ever decked the brow of a monarch. {SD 362.4} [SD 362.5] In that day the redeemed will shine forth in the glory of the Father and His Son. The angels of heaven, touching their golden harps, will welcome the King, and those who are the trophies of His victory,--those who have been washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. A song of triumph will peal forth, filling all heaven. Christ has conquered. He enters the heavenly courts accompanied by His redeemed ones, the witnesses that His mission of suffering and self-sacrifice has not been in vain. 363 {SD 362.5} [SD 363.1] A Great Multitude Enter the City of God After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. Revelation 7:9. {SD 363.1} [SD 363.2] Among earth's inhabitants, scattered in every land, there are those who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Like the stars of heaven, which appear only at night, these faithful ones will shine forth when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. In heathen Africa, in the Catholic lands of Europe and of South America, in China, in India, in the islands of the sea, and in all the dark corners of the earth, God has in reserve a firmament of chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst the darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate world the transforming power of obedience to His law. Even now they are appearing in every nation, among every tongue and people; and in the hour of deepest apostasy, when Satan's supreme effort is made to cause "all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond," to receive, under penalty of death, the sign of allegiance to a false rest-day, these faithful ones, "blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke," will "shine as lights in the world." {SD 363.2} [SD 363.3] Let us remember that there is a grand meeting to take place ere long. Everlasting life is before us, and the city of God. Angels of God will be there, and Christ will be there. {SD 363.3} [SD 363.4] The gates of the city will swing back on their glittering hinges, and the nations that have kept the truth will enter in. A crown will be placed on every head. The words will be spoken, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Whom is it prepared for?--For the obedient; those who keep His commandments, and do His will. . . . As holy angels touch their harps, He wants you to follow, singing the song of triumph in the city of God. 364 {SD 363.4} [SD 364.1] We Inherit the Kingdom Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matthew 25:34. {SD 364.1} [SD 364.2] Every action of ours in befriending God's people will be rewarded as done unto Himself. {SD 364.2} [SD 364.3] In the day of final reckoning, Christ does not present before men the great work He has done for them in giving His life for their redemption. He presents before them the faithful work they have done for Him. What surpassing love is this! He even mentions the work of the heathen, who have no intelligent knowledge of the law of the Lord, but who have done the very things the law required, because they have heeded the voice speaking to them in the things of nature. When the Holy Spirit implants Christ's Spirit in the heart of the savage, and he befriends God's servants, the quickening of the heart's sympathy is contrary to his nature, contrary to his education. The grace of God, working upon the darkened mind, has softened the savage nature untaught by the wisdom of men. . . . {SD 364.3} [SD 364.4] Christ implants His grace in the heart of the savage, and he ministers to the necessity of the missionary, even before he has heard or comprehended the words of truth and life. Behold that crowd collected about God's servant to harm him! But the Lord is working upon the heart and mind of perhaps one man to plead in behalf of His servant; and when the war council has determined the destruction of the Christian's life, the intercession of that savage turns the decision, and his life is spared. O, the love that goes forth to the savage for this one act! To such Christ says, in the Judgment: "I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me." "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." 365 {SD 364.4} [SD 365.1] We Eat of the Tree of Life To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Revelation 2:7. {SD 365.1} [SD 365.2] In view of the Lord's soon coming, how earnest we should be in forming characters after the divine similitude. . . . {SD 365.2} [SD 365.3] "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Is not this worth striving for? If we lose heaven, we lose everything, and there are none of us who can afford to do that. If we keep in view the eternal joys awaiting the overcomer, and trust in Christ as we strive for the perfection of character, do you think we shall be unhappy? Should it make us unhappy to imitate Christ's example of self-denial and ministry? . . . {SD 365.3} [SD 365.4] We are seeking for the life that measures with the life of God; therefore our natures must be brought into conformity with the will of God. We must so conduct our life work that we can go to God in confidence and open our hearts before Him, telling Him our necessities and believing that He hears and will give us grace and strength to carry out the principles of the Word of God. What we want is heaven, the victor's crown, an entrance through the gates to the city of God, the right to eat of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God. We want to see the King in His beauty. Then daily let us keep our eyes fixed upon Christ, the perfection of human character, and laying hold of His divinity we shall have the strength of divinity to aid us in overcoming every evil tendency and desire. {SD 365.4} [SD 365.5] I thank God for my life. . . . I have a faith that looks over into the future, and sees the tree of life. Upon it grows precious fruits, and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No more broken hearts, no more sadness, no more sins, no more sorrow, no more suffering, in that kingdom of glory. 366 {SD 365.5} [SD 366.1] We Have Power Over the Nations He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations. Revelation 2:26. {SD 366.1} [SD 366.2] It was our Lord Himself who promised His disciples, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself." It was the compassionate Saviour, who, anticipating the loneliness and sorrow of His followers, commissioned angels to comfort them with the assurance that He would come again in person, even as He went into heaven. As the disciples stood gazing intently upward to catch the last glimpse of Him whom they loved, their attention was arrested by the words, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Hope was kindled afresh by the angel's message. The disciples "returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God." They were not rejoicing because Jesus had been separated from them, and they were left to struggle with the trials and temptations of the world, but because of the angel's assurance that He would come again. {SD 366.2} [SD 366.3] The proclamation of Christ's coming should now be, as when made by the angels to the shepherds of Bethlehem, good tidings of great joy. Those who really love the Saviour cannot but hail with gladness the announcement founded upon the Word of God, that He in whom their hopes of eternal life are centered, is coming again, not to be insulted, despised, and rejected, as at His first advent, but in power and glory, to redeem His people. {SD 366.3} [SD 366.4] The gospel is to advance from conquest to conquest, from victory to victory. The greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, and they shall take the kingdom and possess the kingdom for ever and ever. 367 {SD 366.4} [SD 367.1] We are Given Life Without End He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Revelation 2:11. {SD 367.1} [SD 367.2] "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." While life is the inheritance of the righteous, death is the portion of the wicked. Moses declared to Israel, "I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil." The death referred to in these scriptures is not that pronounced upon Adam, for all mankind suffer the penalty of his transgression. It is the "second death" that is placed in contrast with everlasting life. {SD 367.2} [SD 367.3] In consequence of Adam's sin, death passed upon the whole human race. All alike go down into the grave. And through the provisions of the plan of salvation, all are to be brought forth from their graves. "There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust," "for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." But a distinction is made between the two classes that are brought forth. "All that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." They who have been "accounted worthy" of the resurrection of life, are "blessed and holy." "On such the second death hath no power." But those who have not, through repentance and faith, secured pardon, must receive the penalty of transgression. {SD 367.3} [SD 367.4] Said the angel, "Satan is the root, his children are the branches. They are now consumed root and branch. They have died an everlasting death. They are never to have a resurrection, and God will have a clean universe." . . . And all the redeemed host, old and young, great and small, cast their glittering crowns at the feet of their Redeemer, and prostrated themselves in adoration before Him, and worshiped Him that liveth forever and ever. The beautiful new earth, with all its glory, was the eternal inheritance of the saints. 368 {SD 367.4} [SD 368.1] Because We are Worthy, We Shall Walk in White Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. Revelation 3:4. {SD 368.1} [SD 368.2] When, as overcomers, we shall be "clothed in white raiment," the Lord will acknowledge our faithfulness as verily as in the days of the early Christian church He acknowledged the "few names even in Sardis," who had "not defiled their garments;" and we shall walk with Him in white, for through His atoning sacrifice we shall be accounted worthy. . . . {SD 368.2} [SD 368.3] In view of these encouraging promises, how earnestly should we strive to perfect a character that will enable us to stand before the Son of God! Only those who are clothed in the garments of His righteousness will be able to endure the glory of His presence when He shall appear with "power and great glory." {SD 368.3} [SD 368.4] It means much to be an overcomer. The besetments of the enemy and all his evil agencies must be firmly resisted. Every moment we must be on guard. Not for one instant are we to lose sight of Christ, and of His power to save in the hour of trial. Our hand must be placed in His, that we may be upheld by the power of His might. {SD 368.4} [SD 368.5] If you are to sit at Christ's table, and feast on the provisions He has furnished at the marriage supper of the Lamb, you must have a special garment, called the wedding garment, which is the white robe of Christ's righteousness. Every one who has on this robe is entitled to enter the city of God; and if Jesus had not been very desirous you should have a place in the mansions He has gone to prepare for those who love Him, He would not, at so great an expense to Himself, have made all these arrangements that you might be happy and sit at His table and enjoy the home He has gone to prepare for His redeemed family. 369 {SD 368.5} [SD 369.1] We are Presented to the Father He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. Revelation 3:5. {SD 369.1} [SD 369.2] The expression, "He that overcometh," indicates that there is something for every one of us to overcome. The overcomer is to be clothed in the white raiment of Christ's righteousness, and of him it is written: "I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." O, what a privilege it is to be an overcomer, and to have our names presented before the Father by the Saviour Himself! {SD 369.2} [SD 369.3] What a precious assurance is contained in this promise! What greater inducement could be presented to us to become the sons and daughters of God? Who will put on the whole armor? Who will enlist under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel? . . . Divine enlightenment may come to every struggling, tempted child of God in order that he need not fall in the strife with the powers of darkness, but be a conqueror in every battle. {SD 369.3} [SD 369.4] The spotless robe of Christ's righteousness is placed upon the tried, tempted, yet faithful children of God. . . . Their names are retained in the Lamb's book of life, enrolled among the faithful of all ages. They have resisted the wiles of the deceiver; they have not been turned from their loyalty by the dragon's roar. Now they are eternally secure from the tempter's devices. . . . The remnant are not only pardoned and accepted, but honored. "A fair miter" is set upon their heads. They are to be as kings and priests unto God. While Satan was urging his accusations and seeking to destroy this company, holy angels, unseen, were passing to and fro, placing upon them the seal of the living God. These are they that stand upon Mount Zion with the Lamb, having the Father's name written in their foreheads. 370 {SD 369.4} [SD 370.1] We are Made Pillars in the Temple of God Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. Revelation 3:12. {SD 370.1} [SD 370.2] The only hope of any man lies through Jesus Christ. . . . The pure and holy garments are not prepared to be put on by any one after he has entered the gate of the city. All who enter will have on the robe of Christ's righteousness, and the name of God will be seen in their foreheads. This name is the symbol which the apostle saw in vision, and signifies the yielding of the mind to intelligent and loyal obedience to all of God's commandments. {SD 370.2} [SD 370.3] The conflict that we are passing through is the last we shall have in this world. We are now in the midst of it. Two parties are striving for the supremacy. In this conflict we cannot be neutral. We must stand either on one side or on the other. If we take our position on the side of Christ, if we acknowledge Him before the world in word and work, we are bearing a living testimony as to whom we have chosen to serve and honor. In this important period of earth's history, we cannot afford to leave any one in uncertainty as to whose side we are on. . . . {SD 370.3} [SD 370.4] In order to gain the victory over every besetment of the enemy, we must lay hold on a power that is out of and beyond ourselves. We must maintain a constant, living connection with Christ, who has power to give victory to every soul that will maintain an attitude of faith and humility. . . . As those who hope to receive the overcomer's reward, we must press forward in the Christian warfare, though at every advance we meet with opposition. . . . As overcomers, we are to reign with Christ in the heavenly courts, and we are to overcome through the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God." 371 {SD 370.4} [SD 371.1] We Sit With Christ on His Throne To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Revelation 3:21. {SD 371.1} [SD 371.2] In these words an individual work is laid out for each one of us. We are to make determined efforts to overcome as Christ overcame. From this warfare no one is excused. If for us the gates of the holy city swing ajar, if we behold the King in His beauty, we must now overcome as Christ overcame. . . . He laid aside His robes of royalty, . . . His riches, and for our sake became poor, that we might come into possession of an immortal inheritance. In our behalf, He met and conquered the prince of darkness. . . . {SD 371.2} [SD 371.3] The lesson of self-control should begin with the infant in its mother's arms. The child should be taught that its will must be brought into subjection. . . . Who are these children committed to our care?--They are the younger members of the Lord's family. He says, Take these children and train them . . . so that they will be polished after the similitude of a palace, prepared to shine in the courts of My house. What an important work! . . . Remember that in your work the Creator of the universe will give you help. In His strength, and through His name, you can lead your children to be overcomers. Teach them to look to God for strength. Tell them that He hears their prayers. Teach them to overcome evil with good. Teach them to exert an influence that is elevating and ennobling. Lead them to unite with God, and then they will have strength to resist the strongest temptation. They will then receive the reward of the overcomer. {SD 371.3} [SD 371.4] You lose much by not studying with greater earnestness and care the life of Christ. There you . . . may see the victories which you have to gain . . . that you may win the precious white robe of a spotless character, and stand at last without fault before the throne of God. 372 {SD 371.4} [SD 372.1] We Shall Inherit All Things He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son ［daughter］. Revelation 21:7. {SD 372.1} [SD 372.2] In order to inherit all things, we must resist and overcome sin. {SD 372.2} [SD 372.3] We may have joy in the Lord if we will keep His commandments. If we indeed have our citizenship above, and a title to an immortal inheritance, an eternal substance, we have that faith which works by love and purifies the soul. . . . We are members of the heavenly family, children of the heavenly King, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. At His coming we shall have the crown of life that fadeth not away. {SD 372.3} [SD 372.4] The Monarch of heaven would have you possess and enjoy all that can ennoble, expand, and exalt your being and fit you to dwell with Him forever, your existence measuring with the life of God. What a prospect is the life which is to come! What charms it possesses! How broad and deep and measureless is the love of God manifested to man! {SD 372.4} [SD 372.5] The privileges granted to the children of God are without limit, --to be connected with Jesus Christ, who, throughout the universe of heaven and worlds that have not fallen, is adored by every heart, and His praises sung by every tongue; to be children of God, to bear His name, to become a member of the royal family; to be ranged under the banner of Prince Immanuel, the King of kings and Lord of lords. {SD 372.5} [SD 372.6] The Son of God was the heir of all things, and the dominion and glory of the kingdoms of this world were promised to Him. . . . Even as Christ was in the world, so are His followers. They are the sons of God, and joint heirs with Christ; and the kingdom and dominion belong to them. {SD 372.6} [SD 372.7] In place of the world, He will give you, for a life of obedience, the kingdom under the whole heavens. He will give you an eternal weight of glory and a life that is as enduring as eternity. {SD 372.7} [5BC 1077.1] 5BC - S.D.A. Bible Commentary Vol. 5 (1956) Matthew Chapter 2 1, 2. Attention Focused on Birth of Jesus.--The Lord moved upon the wise men to go in search of Jesus, and He directed their course by a star. This star, leaving them when near Jerusalem, led them to make inquiries in Judah; for they thought it was not possible for the chief priests and scribes to be ignorant of this great event. The coming of the wise men made the whole nation acquainted with the object of their journey, and directed their attention to the important events which were transpiring (2SP 26). {5BC 1077.1} [5BC 1077.2] 16-18. Faithfulness Would Have Rendered Wrath Harmless.--All this terrible calamity was suffered of God, to humble the pride of the Jewish nation. Their crimes and wickedness had been so great that the Lord permitted the wicked Herod to thus punish them. Had they been less boastful and ambitious, their lives pure, their habits simple and sincere, God would have preserved them from being thus humiliated and afflicted by their enemies. God would, in a signal manner, have made the wrath of the king harmless to His people, had they been faithful and perfect before Him. But He could not especially work for them, for their works were abhorred by Him (2SP 28). {5BC 1077.2} [5BC 1077.3] Chapter 3 1-3. See EGW on Luke 1:76, 77. {5BC 1077.3} [5BC 1077.4] 7, 8 (Luke 3:7-9). Who Were Vipers?--The Pharisees were very strict in regard to the outward observance of forms and customs, and were filled with haughty, worldly, hypocritical self-righteousness. The Sadducees denied the resurrection of the dead and the existence of angels, and were skeptical in regard to God. This sect was largely composed of unworthy characters, many of whom were licentious in their habits. By the word "vipers" John meant those who were malignant and antagonistic, bitterly opposed to the expressed will of God. {5BC 1077.4} [5BC 1077.5] John exhorted these men to "bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance." That is, Show that you are converted, that your characters are transformed. . . . Neither words nor profession, but fruits--the forsaking of sins, and obedience to the commandments of God--show the reality of genuine repentance and true conversion (MS 112, 1901). {5BC 1077.5} [5BC 1077.6] 13-17 (Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21, 22; John 1:32, 33). Angels and a Golden Dove.--Jesus was our example in all things that pertain to life and godliness. He was baptized in Jordan, just as those who come to Him must be baptized. The heavenly 1078 angels were looking with intense interest upon the scene of the Saviour's baptism, and could the eyes of those who were looking on, have been opened, they would have seen the heavenly host surrounding the Son of God as He bowed on the banks of the Jordan. The Lord had promised to give John a sign whereby he might know who was the Messiah, and now as Jesus went up out of the water, the promised sign was given; for he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God, like a dove of burnished gold, hovered over the head of Christ, and a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (YI June 23, 1892). {5BC 1077.6} [5BC 1078.1] (Romans 8:26; Hebrews 4:16.) Heaven Open to Petitions.--［Matthew 3:13-17 quoted.］ What does this scene mean to us? How thoughtlessly we have read the account of the baptism of our Lord, not realizing that its significance was of the greatest importance to us, and that Christ was accepted of the Father in man's behalf. As Jesus bowed on the banks of Jordan and offered up His petition, humanity was presented to the Father by Him who had clothed His divinity with humanity. Jesus offered Himself to the Father in man's behalf, that those who had been separated from God through sin, might be brought back to God through the merits of the divine Petitioner. Because of sin the earth had been cut off from heaven, but with His human arm Christ encircles the fallen race, and with His divine arm He grasps the throne of the Infinite, and earth is brought into favor with heaven, and man into communion with his God. The prayer of Christ in behalf of lost humanity cleaved its way through every shadow that Satan had cast between man and God, and left a clear channel of communication to the very throne of glory. The gates were left ajar, and heavens were opened, and the Spirit of God, in the form of a dove, encircled the head of Christ, and the voice of God was heard saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." {5BC 1078.1} [5BC 1078.2] The voice of God was heard in answer to the petition of Christ, and this tells the sinner that his prayer will find a lodgment at the throne of the Father. The Holy Spirit will be given to those who seek for its power and grace, and will help our infirmities when we would have audience with God. Heaven is open to our petitions, and we are invited to come "boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." We are to come in faith, believing that we shall obtain the very things we ask of Him (ST April 18, 1892). {5BC 1078.2} [5BC 1078.3] The Sound of a Death Knell.--When Christ presented Himself to John for baptism, Satan was among the witnesses of that event. He saw the lightnings flash from the cloudless heavens. He heard the majestic voice of Jehovah that resounded through heaven, and echoed through the earth like peals of thunder, announcing, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." He saw the brightness of the Father's glory overshadowing the form of Jesus, thus pointing out with unmistakable assurance the One in that crowd whom He acknowledged as His Son. The circumstances connected with this baptismal scene were of the greatest interest to Satan. He knew then for a certainty that unless he could overcome Christ, from thenceforth there would be a limit to his power. He understood that this communication from the throne of God signified that heaven was now more directly accessible to man than it had been, and the most intense hatred was aroused in his breast. {5BC 1078.3} [5BC 1078.4] When Satan led man to sin, he hoped that God's abhorrence of sin would forever separate Him from man, and break the connecting link between heaven and earth. When from the opening heavens he heard the voice of God addressing His Son, it was to him as the sound of a death knell. It told him that now God was about to unite man more closely to Himself, and give moral power to overcome temptation, and to escape from the entanglements of satanic devices. Satan well knew the position which Christ had held in heaven as the Son of God, the Beloved of the Father; and that Christ should leave the joy and honor of heaven, and come to this world as a man, filled him with apprehension. He knew that this condescension on the part of the Son of God boded no good to him. . . . 1079 {5BC 1078.4} [5BC 1079.1] The time had now come when Satan's empire over the world was to be contested, his right disputed, and he feared that his power would be broken. He knew, through prophecy, that a Saviour was predicted, and that His kingdom would not be established in earthly triumph and with worldly honor and display. He knew that the prophecies foretold a kingdom to be established by the Prince of heaven upon the earth which he claimed as his dominion. This kingdom would embrace all the kingdoms of the world, and then the power and glory of Satan would cease, and he would receive his retribution for the sins he had introduced into the world, and for the misery he had brought upon the human race. He knew that everything which concerned his prosperity was depending upon his success or failure in overcoming Christ with his temptations; and he brought to bear on the Saviour every artifice at his command to allure Him from His integrity (ST Aug. 4, 1887). {5BC 1079.1} [5BC 1079.2] 16, 17 (Ephesians 1:6. See EGW on Matthew 4:1-11). A Pledge of Love and Light.--In our behalf the Saviour laid hold of the power of Omnipotence, and as we pray to God, we may know that Christ's prayer has ascended before, and that God has heard and answered it. With all our sins and weaknesses we are not cast aside as worthless. "He hath made us accepted in the beloved." The glory that rested upon Christ is a pledge of the love of God for us. It tells of the power of prayer,--how the human voice may reach the ear of God, and our petitions find acceptance in the courts of heaven. The light that fell from the open portals upon the head of our Saviour, will fall upon us as we pray for help to resist temptation. The voice that spoke to Jesus says to every believing soul, "This is my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased" (MS 125, 1902). {5BC 1079.2} [5BC 1079.3] Assurance of Acceptance.--Through the gates ajar there streamed bright beams of glory from the throne of Jehovah, and this light shines even upon us. The assurance given to Christ is assurance to every repenting, believing, obedient child of God that he is accepted in the Beloved (ST July 31, 1884). {5BC 1079.3} [5BC 1079.4] A Way Through the Dark Shadow.--Christ's prayer on the banks of the Jordan includes every one who will believe in Him. The promise that you are accepted in the Beloved comes to you. God said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." This means that through the dark shadow which Satan has thrown athwart your pathway Christ has cleaved the way for you to the throne of the infinite God. He has laid hold of almighty power, and you are accepted in the Beloved (GCB April 4, 1901). {5BC 1079.4} [5BC 1079.5] Chapter 4 1, 2 (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9; Luke 4:2). Moses' Fasting Not Like Christ's.--In the wilderness of temptation Christ was without food forty days. Moses had, on especial occasions, been thus long without food. But he felt not the pangs of hunger. He was not tempted and harassed by a vile and powerful foe, as was the Son of God. He was elevated above the human. He was especially sustained by the glory of God which enshrouded him (ST June 11, 1874). {5BC 1079.5} [5BC 1079.6] 1-4 (Luke 4:1-4). The Power of Debased Appetite.--All was lost when Adam yielded to the power of appetite. The Redeemer, in whom was united both the human and the divine, stood in Adam's place, and endured a terrible fast of nearly six weeks. The length of this fast is the strongest evidence of the extent of the sinfulness and power of debased appetite upon the human family (RH Aug. 4, 1874). {5BC 1079.6} [5BC 1079.7] A Lesson to Take to Ourselves.--Christ was our example in all things. As we see His humiliation in the long trial and fast in the wilderness to overcome the temptations of appetite in our behalf, we are to take this lesson home to ourselves when we are tempted. If the power of appetite is so strong upon the human family, and its indulgence so fearful that the Son of God subjected Himself to such a test, how important that we feel the necessity of having appetite under the control of reason. Our Saviour fasted nearly six weeks, that He might gain for man the victory upon the point of appetite. How can professed Christians with an enlightened conscience, and Christ before them as their pattern, yield to the indulgence of those appetites which 1080 have an enervating influence upon the mind and heart? It is a painful fact that habits of self-gratification at the expense of health, and the weakening of moral power, are holding in the bonds of slavery at the present time a large share of the Christian world. {5BC 1079.7} [5BC 1080.1] Many who profess godliness do not inquire into the reason of Christ's long period of fasting and suffering in the wilderness. His anguish was not so much from enduring the pangs of hunger as from His sense of the fearful result of the indulgence of appetite and passion upon the race. He knew that appetite would be man's idol, and would lead him to forget God, and would stand directly in the way of his salvation (RH Sept. 1, 1874). {5BC 1080.1} [5BC 1080.2] Satan Attacks at Weakest Moment.--While in the wilderness, Christ fasted, but He was insensible to hunger. Engaged in constant prayer to His Father for a preparation to resist the adversary, Christ did not feel the pangs of hunger. He spent the time in earnest prayer, shut in with God. It was as if He were in the presence of His Father. He sought for strength to meet the foe, for the assurance that He would receive grace to carry out all that He had undertaken in behalf of humanity. The thought of the warfare before Him made Him oblivious to all else, and His soul was fed with the bread of life, just as today those tempted souls will be fed who go to God for aid. He ate of the truth which He was to give to the people as having power to deliver them from Satan's temptations. He saw the breaking of Satan's power over fallen and tempted ones. He saw Himself healing the sick, comforting the hopeless, cheering the desponding, and preaching the gospel to the poor,--doing the work that God had outlined for Him; and He did not realize any sense of hunger until the forty days of His fast were ended. {5BC 1080.2} [5BC 1080.3] The vision passed away, and then, with strong craving Christ's human nature called for food. Now was Satan's opportunity to make his assault. He resolved to appear as one of the angels of light that had appeared to Christ in His vision (Letter 159, 1903). {5BC 1080.3} [5BC 1080.4] The Trial Not Diminished.--Christ knew that His Father would supply Him food when it would gratify Him to do so. He would not in this severe ordeal, when hunger pressed Him beyond measure, prematurely diminish one particle of the trial allotted to Him by exercising His divine power. {5BC 1080.4} [5BC 1080.5] Fallen man, when brought into straightened places, could not have the power to work miracles on his own behalf, to save himself from pain or anguish, or to give himself victory over his enemies. It was the purpose of God to test and prove the race, and give them an opportunity to develop character by bringing them frequently into trying positions to test their faith and confidence in His love and power. The life of Christ was a perfect pattern. He was ever, by His example and precept, teaching man that God was his dependence, and that in God should be his faith and firm trust (RH Aug. 18, 1874). {5BC 1080.5} [5BC 1080.6] 1-11 (Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1-13; see EGW on John 2:1, 2). The Whole Energies of Apostasy Rallied.--In the councils of Satan it was determined that He ［Christ］ must be overcome. No human being had come into the world and escaped the power of the deceiver. The whole forces of the confederacy of evil were set upon His track to engage in warfare against Him, and if possible to prevail over Him. The fiercest and most inveterate enmity was put between the seed of the woman and the serpent. The serpent himself made Christ the mark of every weapon of hell. . . . {5BC 1080.6} [5BC 1080.7] The life of Christ was a perpetual warfare against satanic agencies. Satan rallied the whole energies of apostasy against the Son of God. The conflict increased in fierceness and malignity, as again and again the prey was taken out of his hands. Satan assailed Christ through every conceivable form of temptation (RH Oct. 29, 1895). {5BC 1080.7} [5BC 1080.8] No Failure on Even One Point.--Christ passed from this scene of glory ［His baptism］ to one of the greatest temptation. He went into the wilderness, and there Satan met Him, and tempted Him on the very points where man will be tempted. Our Substitute and Surety passed over the 1081 ground where Adam stumbled and fell. And the question was, Will He stumble and fall as Adam did over God's commandments? He met Satan's attacks again and again with, "It is written," and Satan left the field of conflict a conquered foe. Christ has redeemed Adam's disgraceful fall, and has perfected a character of perfect obedience, and left an example for the human family, that they may imitate the Pattern. Had He failed on one point in reference to the law of God, He would not have been a perfect offering; for it was on one point only that Adam failed (RH June 10, 1890). {5BC 1080.8} [5BC 1081.1] Satan's Lies to Christ.--Satan told Christ that He was only to set His feet in the blood-stained path, but not to travel it. Like Abraham He was tested to show His perfect obedience. He also stated that he was the angel that stayed the hand of Abraham as the knife was raised to slay Isaac, and he had now come to save His life; that it was not necessary for Him to endure the painful hunger and death from starvation; he would help Him bear a part of the work in the plan of salvation (RH Aug. 4, 1874). {5BC 1081.1} [5BC 1081.2] (Matthew 3:16, 17; Mark 1:10, 11; Luke 3:21, 22.) Precious Tokens Showing Approval.--Christ did not appear to notice the reviling taunts of Satan. He was not provoked to give him proofs of His power. He meekly bore his insults without retaliation. The words spoken from heaven at His baptism were very precious, evidencing to Him that His Father approved the steps He was taking in the plan of salvation as man's substitute and surety. The opening heavens, and descent of the heavenly dove, were assurances that His Father would unite His power in heaven with that of His Son upon the earth, to rescue man from the control of Satan, and that God accepted the effort of Christ to link earth to heaven, and finite man to the Infinite. {5BC 1081.2} [5BC 1081.3] These tokens, received from His Father, were inexpressibly precious to the Son of God through all His severe sufferings, and terrible conflict with the rebel chief (RH Aug. 18, 1874). {5BC 1081.3} [5BC 1081.4] (Genesis 3:1-6.) Satan Powerless to Hypnotize Christ.--Satan tempted the first Adam in Eden, and Adam reasoned with the enemy, thus giving him the advantage. Satan exercised his power of hypnotism over Adam and Eve, and this power he strove to exercise over Christ. But after the word of Scripture was quoted, Satan knew that he had no chance of triumphing (Letter 159, 1903). {5BC 1081.4} [5BC 1081.5] (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 45; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:15.) The Two Adams Contrasted.--When Adam was assailed by the tempter in Eden he was without the taint of sin. He stood in the strength of his perfection before God. All the organs and faculties of his being were equally developed, and harmoniously balanced. {5BC 1081.5} [5BC 1081.6] Christ, in the wilderness of temptation, stood in Adam's place to bear the test he failed to endure. Here Christ overcame in the sinner's behalf, four thousand years after Adam turned his back upon the light of his home. Separated from the presence of God, the human family had been departing every successive generation, farther from the original purity, wisdom, and knowledge which Adam possessed in Eden. Christ bore the sins and infirmities of the race as they existed when He came to the earth to help man. In behalf of the race, with the weaknesses of fallen man upon Him, He was to stand the temptations of Satan upon all points wherewith man would be assailed. . . . {5BC 1081.6} [5BC 1081.7] In what contrast is the second Adam as He entered the gloomy wilderness to cope with Satan single-handed. Since the fall the race had been decreasing in size and physical strength, and sinking lower in the scale of moral worth, up to the period of Christ's advent to the earth. And in order to elevate fallen man, Christ must reach him where he was. He took human nature, and bore the infirmities and degeneracy of the race. He, who knew no sin, became sin for us. He humiliated Himself to the lowest depths of human woe, that He might be qualified to reach man, and bring him up from the degradation in which sin had plunged him (RH July 28, 1874). {5BC 1081.7} [5BC 1081.8] The Severest Discipline.--To keep His glory veiled as the child of a fallen race, this was the most severe discipline to which the Prince of life could subject Himself. Thus He measured His strength with 1082 Satan. He who had been expelled from heaven fought desperately for the mastery over the One of whom in the courts above he had been jealous. What a battle was this! No language is adequate to describe it. But in the near future it will be understood by those who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony (Letter 19, 1901). {5BC 1081.8} [5BC 1082.1] (Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:15; 2 Peter 1:4.) The Power That Man May Command.--The Son of God was assaulted at every step by the powers of darkness. After His baptism He was driven of the Spirit into the wilderness, and suffered temptation for forty days. Letters have been coming in to me, affirming that Christ could not have had the same nature as man, for if He had, He would have fallen under similar temptations. If He did not have man's nature, He could not be our example. If He was not a partaker of our nature, He could not have been tempted as man has been. If it were not possible for Him to yield to temptation, He could not be our helper. It was a solemn reality that Christ came to fight the battles as man, in man's behalf. His temptation and victory tell us that humanity must copy the Pattern; man must become a partaker of the divine nature. {5BC 1082.1} [5BC 1082.2] In Christ, divinity and humanity were combined. Divinity was not degraded to humanity; divinity held its place, but humanity, by being united to divinity, withstood the fiercest test of temptation in the wilderness. The prince of this world came to Christ after His long fast, when He was an hungered, and suggested to Him to command the stones to become bread. But the plan of God, devised for the salvation of man, provided that Christ should know hunger, and poverty, and every phase of man's experience. He withstood the temptation, through the power that man may command. He laid hold on the throne of God, and there is not a man or woman who may not have access to the same help through faith in God. Man may become a partaker of the divine nature; not a soul lives who may not summon the aid of Heaven in temptation and trial. Christ came to reveal the source of His power, that man might never rely on his unaided human capabilities. {5BC 1082.2} [5BC 1082.3] Those who would overcome must put to the tax every power of their being. They must agonize on their knees before God for divine power. Christ came to be our example, and to make known to us that we may be partakers of the divine nature. How?--By having escaped the corruptions that are in the world through lust. Satan did not gain the victory over Christ. He did not put his foot upon the soul of the Redeemer. He did not touch the head though he bruised the heel. Christ, by His own example, made it evident that man may stand in integrity. Men may have a power to resist evil--a power that neither earth, nor death, nor hell can master; a power that will place them where they may overcome as Christ overcame. Divinity and humanity may be combined in them (RH Feb. 18, 1890). {5BC 1082.3} [5BC 1082.4] (Isaiah 53:6; 2 Corinthians 5:21.) The Terrible Consequences of Transgression.--Unless there is a possibility of yielding, temptation is no temptation. Temptation is resisted when man is powerfully influenced to do a wrong action and, knowing that he can do it, resists, by faith, with a firm hold upon divine power. This was the ordeal through which Christ passed. He could not have been tempted in all points as man is tempted, had there been no possibility of His failing. He was a free agent, placed on probation, as was Adam, and as is every man. In His closing hours, while hanging upon the cross, He experienced to the fullest extent what man must experience when striving against sin. He realized how bad a man may become by yielding to sin. He realized the terrible consequences of the transgression of God's law; for the iniquity of the whole world was upon Him (YI July 20, 1899). {5BC 1082.4} [5BC 1082.5] Christ a Free Moral Agent.--The temptations to which Christ was subjected were a terrible reality. As a free agent, He was placed on probation, with liberty to yield to Satan's temptations and work at cross-purposes with God. If this were not so, if it had not been possible for Him to fall, He could not have been tempted in all points as the human family is tempted (YI Oct. 26, 1899). {5BC 1082.5} [5BC 1082.6] Christ on Probation.--For a period of time Christ was on probation. He took 1083 humanity on Himself, to stand the test and trial which the first Adam failed to endure. Had He failed in His test and trial, He would have been disobedient to the voice of God, and the world would have been lost (ST May 10, 1899). {5BC 1082.6} [5BC 1083.1] 3, 4. An Argument With Satan.--Bear in mind that it is none but God that can hold an argument with Satan (Letter 206, 1906). {5BC 1083.1} [5BC 1083.2] 4 (see EGW on Genesis 3:24). Deviation More Grievous Than Death.-- ［Matthew 4:4 quoted.］ He told Satan that in order to prolong life, obedience to God's requirements was more essential than temporal food. To pursue a course of deviation from the purposes of God, in the smallest degree, would be more grievous than hunger or death (Redemption: or The First Advent of Christ, p. 48). {5BC 1083.2} [5BC 1083.3] 5, 6. Who Can Stand a Dare?--Jesus would not place Himself in peril to please the devil. But how many today can stand a dare (MS 17, 1893)? {5BC 1083.3} [5BC 1083.4] 8-10 (Luke 4:5-8). A View of Real Conditions.--He ［Satan］ asked the Saviour to bow to his authority, promising that if He would do so, the kingdoms of the world would be His. He pointed Christ to his success in the world, enumerating the principalities and powers that were subject to him. He declared that what the law of Jehovah could not do, he had done. {5BC 1083.4} [5BC 1083.5] But Jesus said, "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." This was to Christ just what the Bible declares it to be--a temptation. Before His sight the tempter held the kingdoms of the world. As Satan saw them, they possessed great external grandeur. But Christ saw them in a different aspect, just as they were--earthly dominions under the power of a tyrant. He saw humanity full of woe, suffering under the oppressive power of Satan. He saw the earth defiled by hatred, revenge, malice, lust, and murder. He saw fiends in the possession of the bodies and souls of men (MS 33, 1911). {5BC 1083.5} [5BC 1083.6] 10 (Luke 4:8). Command Compelled Satan.--Jesus said to this wily foe, "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Satan had asked Christ to give him evidence that He was the Son of God, and he had in this instance the proof he had asked. At the divine command of Christ he was compelled to obey. He was repulsed and silenced. He had no power to enable him to withstand the peremptory dismissal. He was compelled without another word to instantly desist and to leave the world's Redeemer (RH Sept. 1, 1874). {5BC 1083.6} [5BC 1083.7] 11 (Luke 4:13). A Council of Strategy.-- Although Satan had failed in his most powerful temptations, yet he had not given up all hope that he might, at some future time, be successful in his efforts. He looked forward to the period of Christ's ministry, when he should have opportunities to try his artifices against Him. Baffled and defeated, he had no sooner retired from the scene of conflict than he began to lay plans for blinding the understanding of the Jews, God's chosen people, that they might not discern in Christ the world's Redeemer. He determined to fill their hearts with envy, jealousy, and hatred against the Son of God, so that they would not receive Him, but would make His life upon earth as bitter as possible. {5BC 1083.7} [5BC 1083.8] Satan held a council with his angels, as to the course they should pursue to prevent the people from having faith in Christ as the Messiah whom the Jews had so long been anxiously expecting. He was disappointed and enraged that he had prevailed nothing against Jesus by his manifold temptations. But he now thought if he could inspire in the hearts of Christ's own people, unbelief as to His being the Promised One, he might discourage the Saviour in His mission and secure the Jews as his agents to carry out his own diabolical purposes. So he went to work in his subtle manner, endeavoring to accomplish by strategy what he had failed to do by direct, personal effort (2SP 97, 98). {5BC 1083.8} [5BC 1083.9] Chapter 5 1-12. Sufficient to Prevent Bewilderment.--A study of Christ's wonderful sermon on the mount will teach the believer what must be the characteristics of those whom the Lord calls "Blessed." ［Matthew 5:1-12 quoted.］ . . . {5BC 1083.9} [5BC 1083.10] I thank the Lord that such plain directions 1084 are given to believers. If we had no other instruction than is contained in these few words, here is sufficient, so that none need become bewildered. But we have a whole Bible full of precious instruction. None need be in darkness and uncertainty. Those who will seek by faith and prayer and earnest study of the Scriptures to obtain the virtues here brought to view, will easily be distinguished from those who walk not in the light. Those who refuse to follow a "Thus saith the Lord" will have no excuse to render for their persistent resistance of the Word of God (Letter 258, 1907). {5BC 1083.10} [5BC 1084.1] Words of a Different Character.--As if enshrouded in a cloud of heavenly brightness, Christ pronounced from the mount of beatitudes His benedictions. The words spoken by Him were of an entirely different character from those which had fallen from the lips of the scribes and pharisees. The ones whom He pronounced blessed were the very ones they would have denounced as cursed of God. To that large concourse of people He declared that He could dispense the treasures of eternity to whomsoever He willed. Although His divinity was clothed with humanity, He thought it not robbery to be equal with God. In this public manner He described the attributes of those who were to share the eternal rewards. He pointed out in particular those who would suffer persecution for His name's sake. They were to be richly blessed, becoming heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. Great would be their reward in heaven (MS 72, 1901). {5BC 1084.1} [5BC 1084.2] A Treasury of Goodness.--Christ longed to fill the world with a peace and joy that would be a similitude of that found in the heavenly world. ［Matthew 5:1-12 quoted.］ . . . {5BC 1084.2} [5BC 1084.3] With clearness and power He spoke the words that were to come down to our time as a treasure of goodness. What precious words they were, and how full of encouragement. From His divine lips there fell with fullness and abundant assurance the benedictions that showed Him to be the fountain of all goodness, and that it was His prerogative to bless and impress the minds of all present. He was engaged in His peculiar, sacred province, and the treasures of eternity were at His command. In the disposal of them He knew no control. It was no robbery with Him to act in the office of God. In His blessings He embraced those who were to compose His kingdom in this world. He had brought into the world every blessing essential to the happiness and joy of every soul, and before that vast assembly He presented the riches of the grace of heaven, the accumulated treasures of the eternal, everlasting Father. {5BC 1084.3} [5BC 1084.4] Here He specified who should be the subjects of His heavenly kingdom. He did not speak one word to flatter the men of the highest authority, the worldly dignitaries. But He presents before all the traits of character which must be possessed by the peculiar people who will compose the royal family in the kingdom of heaven. He specifies those who shall become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Himself. He proclaims publicly His choice of subjects, and assigns them their place in His service as united with Himself. Those who possess the character specified, will share with Him in the blessing and the glory and the honor that will ever come to Him. {5BC 1084.4} [5BC 1084.5] Those who are thus distinguished and blessed will be a peculiar people, trading upon the Lord's gifts. He speaks of those who shall suffer for His name's sake as receiving a great reward in the kingdom of heaven. He spoke with the dignity of One who had unlimited authority, One who had all heavenly advantages to bestow upon those who would receive Him as their Saviour. {5BC 1084.5} [5BC 1084.6] Men may usurp the authority of greatness in this world; but Christ does not recognize them; they are usurpers. {5BC 1084.6} [5BC 1084.7] There were occasions when Christ spoke with an authority that sent His words home with irresistible force, with an overwhelming sense of the greatness of the speaker, and the human agencies shrunk into nothingness in comparison with the One before them. They were deeply moved; their minds were impressed that He was repeating the command from the most excellent glory. As He summoned the world to listen, they were spellbound and entranced and conviction came to their minds. Every word made for itself a place, and the hearers 1085 believed and received the words that they had no power to resist. Every word He uttered seemed to the hearers as the life of God. He was giving evidence that He was the light of the world and the authority of the church, claiming pre-eminence over them all (MS 118, 1905). {5BC 1084.7} [5BC 1085.1] 13, 14 (chs. 15:9; 22:29). Humble Men Are Salt of Earth.--In His teachings, Christ likened His disciples to objects most familiar to them. He compared them to salt and to light. "Ye are the salt of the earth," He said; "ye are the light of the world." These words were spoken to a few poor, humble fishermen. Priests and rabbis were in that congregation of hearers, but these were not the ones addressed. With all their learning, with all their supposed instruction in the mysteries of the law, with all their claims of knowing God, they revealed that they knew Him not. To these leading men had been committed the oracles of God, but Christ declared them to be unsafe teachers. He said to them, Ye teach for doctrine the commandments of men. "Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God." Turning from these men to the humble fishermen, He said, "Ye are the salt of the earth" (RH Aug. 22, 1899). {5BC 1085.1} [5BC 1085.2] No Self-originated Light.--The light that shines from those who receive Jesus Christ is not self-originated. It is all from the Light and Life of the world. He kindles this light, even as He kindles the fire that all must use in doing His service. Christ is the light, the life, the holiness, the sanctification of all who believe, and His light is to be received and imparted in all good works. In many different ways His grace is also acting as the salt of the earth; whithersoever this salt finds its way, to homes or communities, it becomes a preserving power to save all that is good, and to destroy all that is evil (RH Aug. 22, 1899). {5BC 1085.2} [5BC 1085.3] 17-19. Least Among Human Agencies.--［Matthew 5:17-19 quoted.］ This is the judgment pronounced in the kingdom of heaven. Some have thought that the commandment breaker will be there, but will occupy the lowest place. This is a mistake. Sinners will never enter the abode of bliss. The commandment breaker, and all who unite with him in teaching that it makes no difference whether men break or observe the divine law, will by the universe of heaven be called least among the human agencies. For not only have they been disloyal themselves, but they have taught others to break the law of God. Christ pronounces judgment upon those who claim to have a knowledge of the law, but who, by precept and example, lead souls into confusion and darkness (RH Nov. 15, 1898). {5BC 1085.3} [5BC 1085.4] 21, 22, 27, 28 (Revelation 20:12). Features of Character in Books of Heaven.--God's law reaches the feelings and motives, as well as the outward acts. It reveals the secrets of the heart, flashing light upon things before buried in darkness. God knows every thought, every purpose, every plan, every motive. The books of heaven record the sins that would have been committed had there been opportunity. God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing. By His law He measures the character of every man. As the artist transfers to the canvas the features of the face, so the features of each individual character are transferred to the books of heaven. God has a perfect photograph of every man's character, and this photograph He compares with His law. He reveals to man the defects that mar his life, and calls upon him to repent and turn from sin (ST July 31, 1901). {5BC 1085.4} [5BC 1085.5] 48. Perfection in Character-building.--The Lord requires perfection from His redeemed family. He calls for perfection in character-building. Fathers and mothers especially need to understand the best methods of training children, that they may cooperate with God. Men and women, children and youth, are measured in the scales of heaven in accordance with that which they reveal in their home life. A Christian in the home is a Christian everywhere. Religion brought into the home exerts an influence that cannot be measured (MS 34, 1899). {5BC 1085.5} [5BC 1085.6] The Life of a Perfect Man.--Our Saviour took up the true relationship of a human being as the Son of God. We are sons and daughters of God. In order to know how to behave ourselves circumspectly, we must follow where Christ leads the way. 1086 For thirty years He lived the life of a perfect man, meeting the highest standard of perfection (Letter 69, 1897). {5BC 1085.6} [5BC 1086.1] Chapter 6 16 (ch. 9:16). Manufactured Religion Not Life and Light.--There are times before us that will try the souls of men, and there will be need of watchfulness, of the right kind of fasting. This will not be like the fasting of the Pharisees. Their seasons of fasting were occasions of outward ceremony. They did not humble their hearts before God. They were filled with bitterness, envy, malice, strife, selfishness, and self-righteousness. While their heads were bowed in pretended humiliation, they were covetous, full of self-esteem, self-importance. They were oppressive, exacting, proud in spirit. {5BC 1086.1} [5BC 1086.2] Everything in the Jewish service had been misinterpreted and misapplied. The purpose of the sacrificial offerings had been perverted. They were to symbolize Christ and His mission, that when He should come in the flesh, the world might recognize God in Him, and accept Him as the world's Redeemer. But their lack of true heart service for God had blinded the Jews to a knowledge of God. Exactions and ceremonies and traditions were the sum total of their religion. {5BC 1086.2} [5BC 1086.3] The Pharisees had yet to learn that righteousness exalts a nation, that form and ceremony cannot take the place of righteousness. Christ was teaching the people as verily when enshrouded in the pillar of cloud as when seated on the mount. The same compassionate consideration for the poor was enjoined as in the lessons given to the disciples. But the responsibility of every individual in the sight of God, His mercy, love, and compassion, were not included in the lessons given to the people by the rulers in Israel. Said Christ, "No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse." The truth, the life, the light, which should characterize true godliness could not be united with the manufactured religion of the Pharisees (MS 3, 1898). {5BC 1086.3} [5BC 1086.4] 24 (Luke 16:13; James 4:4). Double-minded Men Satan's Allies.--［Matthew 6:24 quoted.］ Those who begin their Christian life by being half and half, will at last be found enlisted on the enemy's side, whatever may have been their first intentions. And to be an apostate, a traitor to the cause of God, is more serious than death; for it means the loss of eternal life. {5BC 1086.4} [5BC 1086.5] Double-minded men and women are Satan's best allies. Whatever favorable opinion they may have of themselves, they are dissemblers. All who are loyal to God and the truth must stand firmly for the right because it is right. To yoke up with those who are unconsecrated, and yet be loyal to the truth, is simply impossible. We cannot unite with those who are serving themselves, who are working on worldly plans, and not lose our connection with the heavenly Counselor. We may recover ourselves from the snare of the enemy, but we are bruised and wounded, and our experience is dwarfed (RH April 19, 1898). {5BC 1086.5} [5BC 1086.6] 28, 29. Toil Cannot Duplicate Simplicity.--Here He shows that notwithstanding that persons may toil with weariness to make themselves objects of admiration, that which they value so highly will not bear comparison with the flowers of the field. Even these simple flowers, with God's adornment, would outvie in loveliness the gorgeous apparel of Solomon (MS 153, 1903). {5BC 1086.6} [5BC 1086.7] An Idea of God's Regard.--If the lilies of the field are objects upon which the great Master Artist has bestowed care, making them so beautiful that they outrival the glory of Solomon, the greatest king that ever wielded a scepter; if the grass of the field is made into a beautiful carpet for the earth, can we form any idea of the regard which God bestows upon man, who was formed in His image (Letter 4, 1896)? {5BC 1086.7} [5BC 1086.8] Every Flower Expresses Love.--The great Master Artist calls our attention to the soulless flowers of the field, pointing out the beautiful tints and the wonderful variety of shades one flower may possess. Thus God has revealed His skill and care. Thus He would show the great love He has for every human being. {5BC 1086.8} [5BC 1086.9] Every flower is an expression of the love of God (Letter 24, 1899). 1087 {5BC 1086.9} [5BC 1087.1] The flowers of the field, in their endless variety, are always ministering to the delight of the children of men. God Himself nourishes every root, that He may express His love to all who will be softened and subdued by the works of His hands. We need no artificial display. God's love is represented by the beautiful things of His creation. These things mean more than many suppose (Letter 84, 1900). {5BC 1087.1} [5BC 1087.2] 28-30. A Lesson of Faith.--Notwithstanding the curse was pronounced upon the earth that it should bring forth thorns and thistles, there is a flower upon the thistle. The world is not all sorrow and misery. God's great book of nature is open for us to study, and from it we are to gain more exalted ideas of His greatness and unexcelled love and glory. He who laid the foundation of the earth, who garnished the heavens and marshaled the stars in their order, He who has clothed the earth with a living carpet, and beautified it with lovely flowers of every shade and variety, would have His children appreciate His works, and delight in the simple, quiet beauty with which He has adorned their earthly home. {5BC 1087.2} [5BC 1087.3] Christ sought to draw the attention of His disciples away from the artificial to the natural: "If God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" Why did not our heavenly Father carpet the earth with brown or gray? He chose the color that was most restful, the most acceptable to the senses. How it cheers the heart and refreshes the weary spirit to look upon the earth, clad in its garments of living green! Without this covering the air would be filled with dust, and the earth would appear like a desert. Every spire of grass, every opening bud and blooming flower is a token of God's love, and should teach us a lesson of faith and trust in Him. Christ calls our attention to their natural loveliness, and assures us that the most gorgeous array of the greatest king that ever wielded an earthly scepter was not equal to that worn by the humblest flower. You who are sighing for the artificial splendor which wealth alone can purchase, for costly paintings, furniture, and dress, listen to the voice of the divine Teacher. He points you to the flower of the field, the simple design of which cannot be equaled by human skill (RH Oct. 27, 1885). {5BC 1087.3} [5BC 1087.4] Chapter 7 1, 2 (Luke 6:37; Romans 2:1; see EGW on 1 Samuel 14:44). Satan Judged by Own Idea of Justice.--Satan will be judged by his own idea of justice. It was his plea that every sin should meet its punishment. If God remitted the punishment, he said, He was not a God of truth or justice. Satan will meet the judgment which he said God should exercise (MS 111, 1897). {5BC 1087.4} [5BC 1087.5] 13, 14. See EGW on ch. 16:24. {5BC 1087.5} [5BC 1087.6] 15. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 11:14. {5BC 1087.6} [5BC 1087.7] 20, 21. See EGW on ch. 24:23, 24. {5BC 1087.7} [5BC 1087.8] 21-23 (ch. 24:24; 11:14, 15; 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10; Revelation 13:13, 14). A Profession Is Not Enough.--Those who claim modern sanctification would have come boastingly forward, saying, "Lord, Lord, do you not know us? Have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?" The people here described, who make these pretentious claims, apparently weaving Jesus into all their doings, fitly represent those who claim modern sanctification, but who are at war with the law of God. Christ calls them workers of iniquity, because they are deceivers, having on the garments of righteousness to hide the deformity of their characters, the inward wickedness of their unholy hearts. Satan has come down in these last days, to work with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish. His satanic majesty works miracles in the sight of false prophets, in the sight of men, claiming that he is indeed Christ Himself. Satan gives his power to those who are aiding him in his deceptions; therefore those who claim to have the great power of God can only be discerned by the great detector, the law of Jehovah. The Lord tells us if it were possible they would deceive the very elect. The sheep's clothing seems so real, so genuine, that the wolf cannot be discerned only as we go to God's great moral standard and there find 1088 that they are transgressors of the law of Jehovah (RH Aug. 25, 1885). {5BC 1087.8} [5BC 1088.1] 29. See EGW on Luke 4:18, 19. {5BC 1088.1} [5BC 1088.2] Chapter 9 9, 10. See EGW on Luke 5:29. {5BC 1088.2} [5BC 1088.3] 11 (Isaiah 58:4; Luke 5:30). Fasting in Pride Versus Eating in Humility.--The Pharisees beheld Christ sitting and eating with publicans and sinners. He was calm and self-possessed, kind, courteous, and friendly; and while they could not but admire the picture presented, it was so unlike their own course of action, they could not endure the sight. The haughty Pharisees exalted themselves, and disparaged those who had not been blessed with such privileges and light as they themselves had had. They hated and despised the publicans and sinners. Yet in the sight of God their guilt was the greater. Heaven's light was flashing across their pathway, saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it"; but they had spurned the gift. Turning to the disciples of Christ they said, "Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?" By this question they hoped to arouse the prejudice which they knew had existed in the minds of the disciples, and thus shake their weak faith. They aimed their arrows where they would be most likely to bruise and wound. {5BC 1088.3} [5BC 1088.4] Proud but foolish Pharisees, who fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness! Christ eats with publicans and sinners that He may draw men to Himself. The world's Redeemer cannot honor the fasts observed by the Jewish nation. They fast in pride and self-righteousness, while Christ eats in humility with publicans and sinners. {5BC 1088.4} [5BC 1088.5] Since the fall, the work of Satan has been accuse, and those who refuse the light which God sends, pursue the same course today. They lay open to others those things which they consider an offense. Thus it was with the Pharisees. When they found something of which they could accuse the disciples, they did not speak to those whom they thought to be in error. They spoke to Christ of the things which they thought to be so grievous in His disciples. When they thought that Christ offended, they accused Him to the disciples. It was their work to alienate hearts (MS 3, 1898). {5BC 1088.5} [5BC 1088.6] 12, 13 (ch. 20:28; Mark 2:17; 10:45; Luke 5:31, 32). Relief in Every Case.--Christ was a physician of the body as well as of the soul. He was minister and missionary and physician. From His childhood He was interested in every phase of human suffering that came under His notice. He could truly say, I came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. In every case of woe He brought relief, His kind words having a healing balm. None could say He had worked a miracle, yet He imparted His virtue to those He saw in suffering and in need. Through the whole thirty years of His private life He was humble, meek, and lowly. He had a living connection with God; for the Spirit of God was upon Him, and He gave evidence to all who were acquainted with Him that He lived to please, honor, and glorify His Father in the common things of life (RH Oct. 24, 1899). {5BC 1088.6} [5BC 1088.7] 13 (Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32). Rejected Pleasantness to Fulfill Need.-- He ［Christ］ might have gone to the pleasant homes of the unfallen worlds, to the pure atmosphere where disloyalty and rebellion had never intruded; and there He would have been received with acclamations of praise and love. But it was a fallen world that needed the Redeemer. "I came not to call the righteous," said He, "but sinners to repentance" (RH Feb. 15, 1898). {5BC 1088.7} [5BC 1088.8] 16. See EGW on ch. 6:16. {5BC 1088.8} [5BC 1088.9] 17 (Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37, 38). New Bottles for New Wine.--The work of Jesus was to reveal the character of the Father, and to unfold the truth which He Himself had spoken through prophets and apostles; but there was found no place for the truth in those wise and prudent men. Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, had to pass by the self-righteous Pharisees, and take his disciples from unlearned fishers and men of humble rank. These who had never been to the rabbis, who had never sat in the schools of the prophets, who had not been members of the Sanhedrin, whose hearts were not bound about with their own ideas,--these He took and educated for His own use. He could make them as new bottles for the new wine of 1089 His kingdom. These were the babes to whom the Father could reveal spiritual things; but the priests and rulers, the scribes and Pharisees, who claimed to be the depositaries of knowledge, could give no room for the principles of Christianity, afterward taught by the apostles of Christ. The chain of truth, link after link, was given to those who realized their own ignorance, and were willing to learn of the great Teacher. {5BC 1088.9} [5BC 1089.1] Jesus knew that He could do the scribes and Pharisees no good, unless they would empty themselves of self-importance. He chose new bottles for His new wine of doctrine, and made fishermen and unlearned believers the heralds of His truth to the world. And yet, though His doctrine seemed new to the people, it was in fact not a new doctrine, but the revelation of the significance of that which had been taught from the beginning. It was His design that His disciples should take the plain, unadulterated truth for the guide of their life. They were not to add to His words, or give a forced meaning to His utterances. They were not to put a mystical interpretation upon the plain teaching of the Scriptures, and draw from theological stores to build up some man-made theory. It was through putting a mystical meaning upon the plain words of God, that sacred and vital truths were made of little significance, while the theories of men were made prominent. It was in this way that men were led to teach for doctrines the commandments of men, and that they rejected the commandment of God, that they might keep their own tradition (RH June 2, 1896). {5BC 1089.1} [5BC 1089.2] 34. See EGW on ch. 12:24-32. {5BC 1089.2} [5BC 1089.3] Chapter 10 32. See EGW on Luke 22:70. {5BC 1089.3} [5BC 1089.4] 34 (Luke 12:51). No Peace Because of Rejected Messages.--Christ declared, "I came not to send peace, but a sword." Why? Because men would not receive the word of life. Because they warred against the message sent them to bring them joy and hope and life. {5BC 1089.4} [5BC 1089.5] We look upon the Jews as inexcusable because they rejected and crucified Christ. But today the messages that the Lord sends are often received in a manner similar to the way in which the Jews received Christ's message. If the instruction of the Lord does not harmonize with the opinions of men, anger takes control of reason, and men play into the enemy's hands by opposing the message that God sends. Satan uses them as sharp instruments to oppose the progress of truth (MS 31, 1889). {5BC 1089.5} [5BC 1089.6] Chapter 11 12 (Genesis 32:26). Spiritual Violence Brings Reward.--With the great truth we have been privileged to receive, we should, and under the Holy Spirit's power we could, become living channels of light. We could then approach the mercy seat; and seeing the bow of promise, kneel with contrite hearts, and seek the kingdom of heaven with a spiritual violence that would bring its own reward. We would take it by force, as did Jacob. Then our message would be the power of God unto salvation. Our supplications would be full of earnestness, full of a sense of our great need; and we would not be denied. The truth would be expressed by life and character, and by lips touched with the living coal from off God's altar. When this experience is ours, we shall be lifted out of our poor, cheap selves, that we have cherished so tenderly. We shall empty our hearts of the corroding power of selfishness, and shall be filled with praise and gratitude to God. We shall magnify the Lord, the God of all grace, who has magnified Christ. And He will reveal His power through us, making us as sharp sickles in the harvest field (RH Feb. 14, 1899). {5BC 1089.6} [5BC 1089.7] 14 (Malachi 4:5; Luke 1:17). The Spirit and Power of Elijah.--In the spirit and with the power of Elijah, John denounced the corruptions of the Jews, and raised his voice in reproving their prevailing sins. His discourses were plain, pointed, and convincing. Many were brought to repentance of their sins, and, as evidence of their repentance, were baptized of him in Jordan. This was the preparatory work for the ministry of Christ. Many were convicted because of the plain truths uttered by this faithful prophet; but, by rejecting the light, they became enshrouded in deeper darkness, so that they were fully 1090 prepared to turn from the evidences attending Jesus, that He was the true Messiah (2SP 48, 49). {5BC 1089.7} [5BC 1090.1] 20-24 (Luke 10:13-15). Witness Rejected.--The deeds of love and compassion performed by Jesus in the cities of Judea, were regarded with wonder by the angels of heaven; and yet multitudes in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum looked on with indifference, and in their hardness of heart they acted as though time or eternity was scarcely worth their attention. The majority of the inhabitants of these cities spent their time in caviling over themes of little importance, and but a few took the position that the Saviour of mankind was the Christ. {5BC 1090.1} [5BC 1090.2] The prophecies of the Scriptures were plain, and gave clear predictions of His life, character, and work; and from the testimony of men who had spoken as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, evidence was sufficient to prove that Jesus was all He claimed to be--the Son of God, the Messiah of whom Moses and the prophets did write, the Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel. But it was in vain that He sought to convince the priests and rulers, and to draw the hearts of common people to His light. Priests and rulers, scribes and Pharisees, clung to their traditions, their ceremonies, customs, and theories, and suffered not their hearts to be touched and cleansed and sanctified by divine grace. The few who did follow Christ came from among the lowly and unlearned (RH June 2, 1896). {5BC 1090.2} [5BC 1090.3] 28-30. The Yoke of Restraint and Obedience.--Christ says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you"--the yoke of restraint and obedience--"and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." We are to find rest by wearing His yoke and bearing His burdens. In being co-workers with Christ in the great work for which He gave His life, we shall find true rest. When we were sinners, He gave His life for us. He wants us to come to Him and learn of Him. Thus we are to find rest. He says He will give us rest. "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart." In doing this you will find in your own experience the rest that Christ gives, the rest that comes from wearing His yoke and lifting His burdens (GCB April 4, 1901). {5BC 1090.3} [5BC 1090.4] In accepting Christ's yoke of restraint and obedience, you will find that it is of the greatest help to you. Wearing this yoke keeps you near the side of Christ, and He bears the heaviest part of the load. {5BC 1090.4} [5BC 1090.5] "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart." To learn the lessons Christ teaches is the greatest treasure students can find. Rest comes to them in the consciousness that they are trying to please the Lord (Letter 144, 1901). {5BC 1090.5} [5BC 1090.6] Help to Bear Every Burden.--There is a condition to the rest and peace here offered us by Christ. It is that of yoking up with Him. All who will accept the condition will find that the yoke of Christ will help them to bear every burden needful for them to carry. Without Christ at our side to bear the heaviest part of the load, we must indeed say that it is heavy. But yoked with Him to the car of duty, the burdens of life may all be lightly carried. And just as a man acts in willing obedience to the requirements of God, will come his peace of mind. . . . {5BC 1090.6} [5BC 1090.7] Meekness and humility will characterize all who are obedient to the law of God, all who will wear the yoke of Christ with submission. And these graces will bring the desirable result of peace in the service of Christ (ST April 16, 1912). {5BC 1090.7} [5BC 1090.8] (Ch. 16:24; 9:23.) Symbol of Submission to God's Will.--We are to bear the yoke of Christ that we may be placed in complete union with Him. "Take my yoke upon you," He says. Obey My requirements. But these requirements may be in direct opposition to the will and purposes of the human agent. What then is to be done? Hear what God says: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." The yoke and the cross are symbols representing the same thing,--the giving up of the will to God. Wearing the yoke unites finite man in companionship with the dearly beloved Son of God. Lifting the cross cuts away self from the soul, and places man where he learns how to bear Christ's burdens. We cannot follow Christ 1091 without wearing His yoke, without lifting the cross and bearing it after Him. If our will is not in accord with the divine requirements, we are to deny our inclinations, give up our darling desires, and step in Christ's footsteps. . . . {5BC 1090.8} [5BC 1091.1] Men frame for their own necks yokes that seem light and pleasant to wear, but they prove galling in the extreme. Christ sees this, and He says, "Take My yoke upon you. The yoke you would place upon your own neck, thinking it a precise fit, will not fit at all. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me the lessons essential for you to learn; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." The Lord never makes a false estimate concerning His heritage. He measures the men with whom He is working. When they submit to His yoke, when they give up the struggle that has been unprofitable for themselves and for the cause of God, they will find peace and rest. When they become sensible of their own weakness, their own deficiencies, they will delight to do God's will. They will submit to the yoke of Christ. Then God can work in them to will and to do of His good pleasure, which is often entirely contrary to the plans of the human mind. When the heavenly anointing comes to us, we shall learn the lesson of meekness and lowliness, which always brings rest to the soul (RH Oct. 23, 1900). {5BC 1091.1} [5BC 1091.2] Christ's Yoke Never Galling.--Your work is not to gather up burdens of your own. As you take the burdens that Christ would have you, then you can realize what burdens He carried. Let us study the Bible, and find out what kind of yoke He bore. He was a help to those around Him. He says: "Come unto me, all ye that labour 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." You see there is a yoke to bear. Now this is the very faith that we want--a faith that will grasp the promises of God, one that will take the yoke of Christ and bear the burdens that He would have us. We often think we are having a hard time in bearing burdens, and it is too often the case, because God has not made any provision for us to carry these burdens; but when we bear His yoke and carry His burdens, we can testify that the yoke of Christ is easy and His burdens are light, because He has made provision for these. But when you feel depressed and discouraged, do not give up the battle; you have a living Saviour that will help you, and you will have rest in Him. You must not put your neck under the yoke of fashion, and yokes that God has never designed that you should bear. It is not our work to study how to meet the world's standard, but the great question with each one should be, How can I meet God's standard? Then it is that you will find rest to the soul; for Christ has said, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." {5BC 1091.2} [5BC 1091.3] When you have a yoke that is galling to the neck, you may know it is not Christ's yoke; for He says His yoke is easy. What God wants of us is to be learning every day of our lives how to build our characters for time and for eternity. He does not want us to get into one channel and never turn out of that; to have fixed ideas, and hold them fast, whether they are right or wrong. He will place us amid trials and difficulties, and when we have learned to overcome obstacles in a right spirit, with high and holy purpose, He will give us another lesson. And if we have not the meekness of Christ to be constantly learning of Jesus in His school, then we must know that we have not the yoke of Christ (RH May 10, 1887). {5BC 1091.3} [5BC 1091.4] 29 (John 15:4, 5). Hard to Give Up Own Will and Way.--If you are willing to learn meekness and lowliness of heart in Christ's school, He will surely give you rest and peace. It is a terribly hard struggle to give up your own will and your own way. But this lesson learned, you will find rest and peace. Pride, selfishness, and ambition must be overcome; your will must be swallowed up in the will of Christ. The whole life may become one constant love sacrifice, every action a manifestation, and every word an utterance of love. As the life of the vine circulates through stem and cluster, descends into the lower fibers, and reaches to the topmost leaf, so will the grace and love of Christ burn and abound 1092 in the soul, sending its virtues to every part of the being, and pervading every exercise of body and mind (Letter 14, 1887). {5BC 1091.4} [5BC 1092.1] How to Wear the Yoke.--Take hold of the arm of God, and say, "I am nothing, and Thou art everything. Thou hast said, 'Without me ye can do nothing.' Now, Lord, I must have Thee abiding in me, that I may abide in Thee." Then advance step by step, by living faith abiding in Jesus Christ. This is wearing His yoke, the yoke of obedience (MS 85, 1901). {5BC 1092.1} [5BC 1092.2] Wearing the yoke with Christ, means to work in His lines, to be a copartner with Him in His sufferings and toils for lost humanity. It means to be a wise instructor of souls. We shall be what we are willing to be made by Christ in these precious hours of probation. We shall be the sort of a vessel that we allow ourselves to be molded into. We must unite with God in the molding and fashioning work, having our wills submitted to the divine will (Letter 71, 1895). {5BC 1092.2} [5BC 1092.3] 30. Easy Yoke Does Not Give Life of Ease.--The Lord calls His yoke easy, and His burden light. Yet that yoke will not give us a life of ease and freedom and selfish indulgence. The life of Christ was one of self-sacrifice and self-denial at every step; and with consistent, Christlike tenderness and love, His true follower will walk in the footsteps of the Master; and as he advances in this life, he will become more and more inspired with the spirit and life of Christ (ST April 16, 1912). {5BC 1092.3} [5BC 1092.4] Chapter 12 24-32 (ch. 9:34; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15). Eyes Closed to Evidence.--They ［the Pharisees］ attributed to satanic agencies the holy power of God, manifested in the works of Christ. Thus the Pharisees sinned against the Holy Ghost. Stubborn, sullen, ironhearted, they determined to close their eyes to all evidence, and thus they committed the unpardonable sin (RH Jan. 18, 1898). {5BC 1092.4} [5BC 1092.5] 29, 30 (Luke 11:21-23). Stronger Than the Strong Man.--"He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth." He who is with Christ, maintaining His unity, enthroning Him in the heart, and obeying His orders, is safe from the snares of the wicked one. He who unites himself with Christ will gather to himself the graces of Christ, and will give strength and efficiency and power to the Lord by winning souls to Christ. When Christ takes possession of the citadel of the soul, the human agent becomes one with Him. By cooperation with the Saviour, he becomes the instrument through which God works. Then when Satan comes and strives to take possession of the soul, he finds that Christ has made him stronger than the strong man armed (MS 78, 1899). {5BC 1092.5} [5BC 1092.6] 30. See EGW on ch. 16:24. {5BC 1092.6} [5BC 1092.7] 31, 32 (Mark 3:28, 29; Luke 12:10; see EGW on Exodus 4:21). Firm, Determined Resistance of Truth.--Christ was not warring against finite men, but against principalities and powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places. He tells His hearers that all manner of sin and blasphemy may be forgiven if done in ignorance. In their great blindness they might speak words of insult and derision against the Son of man, and yet be within the boundary of mercy. But when the power and Spirit of God rested upon His messengers, they were on holy ground. To ignore the Spirit of God, to charge it with being the spirit of the devil, placed them in a position where God had no power to reach their souls. No power in any of God's provisions to correct the erring can reach them. . . . {5BC 1092.7} [5BC 1092.8] To speak against Christ, charging His work to satanic agencies, and attributing the manifestations of the Spirit to fanaticism, is not of itself a damning sin, but the spirit that leads men to make these assertions places them in a position of stubborn resistance, where they cannot see spiritual light. . . . {5BC 1092.8} [5BC 1092.9] They think they are following sound reason, but they are following another leader. They have placed themselves under the control of a power which in their blindness they are wholly ignorant of. They have resisted the only Spirit that could lead them, enlighten them, save them. They are following in the path of guilt for which there can be no forgiveness, in this life or in the life to come. Not that any degree of guilt would exhaust the 1093 mercy of God, but because pride and persistent stubbornness leads them to do despite to the Spirit of God, to occupy a place where no manifestation of the Spirit can convince them of their error. They will not yield their stubborn wills. {5BC 1092.9} [5BC 1093.1] In this our day men have placed themselves where they are wholly unable to fulfill the conditions of repentance and confession: therefore they cannot find mercy and pardon. The sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit does not lie in any sudden word or deed; it is the firm, determined resistance of truth and evidence (MS 30, 1890). {5BC 1093.1} [5BC 1093.2] Sin Against the Holy Ghost.--No one need look upon the sin against the Holy Ghost as something mysterious and indefinable. The sin against the Holy Ghost is the sin of persistent refusal to respond to the invitation to repent (RH June 29, 1897). {5BC 1093.2} [5BC 1093.3] 34-37. See EGW on Psalm 19:14; Isaiah 6:5-7. {5BC 1093.3} [5BC 1093.4] 37. A Sanctified Tongue Needed.--Cease to dwell upon the shortcomings of others. Keep the tongue sanctified unto God. Refrain from saying anything that might detract from the influence of another; for by indulging in these words of criticism, you blaspheme God's holy name as verily as you would were you to swear. . . . {5BC 1093.4} [5BC 1093.5] We need especially to guard against having a tongue that is sanctified to Satan. The tongue that God has given is to be used to glorify Him in speech. Unless it is, we shall be standing directly in the way of God's work in this world, and the judgments of heaven will surely fall upon us (MS 95, 1906). {5BC 1093.5} [5BC 1093.6] 42 (Luke 11:31). A Greater Than Solomon.--Christ knew that the Israelites regarded Solomon as the greatest king that ever wielded a scepter over an earthly kingdom. By special appointment of God, he had built their first magnificent temple, which was a marvel of beauty, richness, and glory, and gave influence and dignity to Israel as a nation. He was endowed with wisdom, and his name had been glorified by them. To be superior to him was, in their eyes, to be more than human, to possess the prerogatives of Deity ［Matthew 12:42 quoted］ (YI Sept. 23, 1897). {5BC 1093.6} [5BC 1093.7] 43-45 (Luke 11:24-26). No Neutrality Possible.--［Matthew 12:43-45 quoted.］ Christ shows that there can be no such thing as neutrality in His service. The soul must not be satisfied with anything short of entire consecration--consecration of thought, voice, spirit, and every organ of mind and body. It is not enough that the vessel be emptied; it must be filled with the grace of Christ (MS 78, 1899). {5BC 1093.7} [5BC 1093.8] (Isaiah 57:12; 2 Peter 2:20, 21.) The Curse of Self-righteousness.--The garnished house represents the self-righteous soul. Satan is driven out by Christ. But he returned, in the hope of finding entrance. He finds the house empty, swept, and garnished. Only self-righteousness is abiding there. "Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first." {5BC 1093.8} [5BC 1093.9] Self-righteousness is a curse, a human embellishment, which Satan uses for his glory. Those who garnish the soul with self-praise and flattery prepare the way for the seven other spirits more wicked than the first. In their very reception of the truth these souls deceive themselves. They are building upon a foundation of self-righteousness. The prayers of congregations may be offered to God with a round of ceremonies, but if they are offered in self-righteousness God is not honored by them. The Lord declares, "I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee." In spite of all their display, their garnished habitation, Satan comes in with a troop of evil angels and takes his place in the soul, to help in the deception. The apostle writes, "If after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them" (MS 78, 1899). {5BC 1093.9} [5BC 1093.10] Chapter 13 15. See EGW on Luke 7:29, 30. {5BC 1093.10} [5BC 1093.11] 24-30. Tares Attract Attention.--The 1094 growth of the tares among the wheat would draw special attention to it. The grain would be subjected to severe criticism. Indeed, the whole field might be set down as worthless by some superficial observer, or by one who delighted to discover evil. The sower might be condemned by him, as one who had mingled the bad seed with the good for his own wicked purpose. Just so the erring and hypocritical ones who profess to follow Jesus bring reproach upon the cause of Christianity, and cause the world to doubt concerning the truths of Christ. As the presence of the tares among the wheat counteracted to a great degree the work of the sower, so sin among the people of God frustrates, in a measure, the plan of Jesus to save fallen man from the power of Satan and render the barren ground of the human heart fruitful of good works (2SP 248, 249). {5BC 1093.11} [5BC 1094.1] 52. Old and New Testaments Inseparable.--［Matthew 13:52 quoted.］ In this parable, Jesus presented before His disciples the responsibility of those whose work it is to give to the world the light which they have received from Him. The Old Testament was all the Scripture then in existence; but it was not written merely for the ancients; it was for all ages and for all people. Jesus would have the teachers of His doctrine diligently search the Old Testament for that light which establishes His identity as the Messiah foretold in prophecy, and reveals the nature of His mission to the world. The Old and the New Testament are inseparable, for both are the teachings of Christ. The doctrine of the Jews, who accept only the Old Testament, is not unto salvation, since they reject the Saviour whose life and ministry was a fulfillment of the law and the prophecies. And the doctrine of those who discard the Old Testament is not unto salvation, because it rejects that which is direct testimony of Christ. Skeptics begin with discounting upon the Old Testament, and it takes but another step to deny the validity of the New, and thus both are rejected. {5BC 1094.1} [5BC 1094.2] The Jews have little influence over the Christian world in showing them the importance of the commandments, including the binding law of the Sabbath, because in bringing forth the old treasures of truth, they throw aside the new ones in the personal teachings of Jesus. On the other hand, the strongest reason why Christians fail to influence the Jews to accept the teachings of Christ as the language of divine wisdom, is because, in bringing forth the treasures of His Word, they treat with contempt the riches of the Old Testament, which are the earlier teachings of the Son of God, through Moses. They reject the law proclaimed from Sinai, and the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, instituted in the Garden of Eden. But the minister of the gospel, who follows the teachings of Christ, will gain a thorough knowledge of both the Old and New Testament, that he may present them in their true light to the people an inseparable whole--the one depending upon and illuminating the other. Thus, as Jesus instructed His disciples, they will bring forth from their treasure "things new and old" (2SP 254, 255). {5BC 1094.2} [5BC 1094.3] Chapter 14 9 (Mark 6:26; 1 Samuel 25:32-34). Wrong to Keep a Wrong Vow.--David had taken an oath that Nabal and his household should perish; but now he saw that it was not only wrong to make such a vow, but it would be wrong to keep it. If Herod had had the moral courage of David, no matter how humiliating it might have been, he would have retracted the oath that devoted John the Baptist's head to the ax of the executioner, that the revenge of an evil woman might be accomplished, and he would not have had upon his soul the guilt of the murder of the prophet of God (ST Oct. 26, 1888). {5BC 1094.3} [5BC 1094.4] Chapter 15 6. See EGW on Jeremiah 23:1. {5BC 1094.4} [5BC 1094.5] 9 (see EGW on ch. 5:13, 14; Jeremiah 8:8). Error as Parasites on Tree of Truth.--Satan has wrought with deceiving power, bringing in a multiplicity of errors that obscure truth. Error could not stand alone, and would soon become extinct, if it did not fasten itself like a parasite upon the tree of truth. Error draws its life from the truth of God. The traditions of men, like floating germs, attach themselves to the 1095 truth of God, and men regard them as a part of the truth. Through false doctrines Satan gains a foothold, and captivates the minds of men, causing them to hold theories that have no foundation in truth. Men boldly teach for doctrines the commandments of men, and as traditions pass on from age to age, they acquire a power over the human mind. But age does not make error truth, neither does its burdensome weight cause the plant of truth to become a parasite. The tree of truth bears its own genuine fruit, showing its true origin and nature. The parasite of error also bears its own fruit, and makes manifest that its character is diverse from the plant of heavenly origin (Letter 43, 1895). {5BC 1094.5} [5BC 1095.1] Chapter 16 6. See EGW on Luke 12:1. {5BC 1095.1} [5BC 1095.2] 18. The True Foundation.--［Matthew 16:18 quoted.］ The word "Peter" signifies a loose stone. Christ did not refer to Peter as being the rock upon which He would found His church. His expression "this rock," applied to Himself as the foundation of the Christian church (ST Oct. 28, 1913). {5BC 1095.2} [5BC 1095.3] 18, 19. See EGW on John 20:23. {5BC 1095.3} [5BC 1095.4] 22, 23 (Luke 22:31, 32). Satan Between Peter and Christ.--See what the Lord said to Peter. . . . He said, "Get thee behind me, Satan." What was Satan doing? He came right up face to face with Peter and between the Lord and Peter, so that Peter even took it upon him to reprove the Lord. But the Lord came close to Peter and Satan was put behind Christ. The Lord told Peter that Satan had desired him, that he might sift him as wheat, but He says, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." If Peter had learned the lessons he ought to have learned, if he had stood right with God at the time of his trial, he would have stood then. If he had not been indifferent to the lessons Christ taught, he would have never denied his Lord (MS 14, 1894). {5BC 1095.4} [5BC 1095.5] Satan Spoke Through Peter.--When Christ revealed to Peter the time of trial and suffering that was just before Him, and Peter replied, "Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee," the Saviour commanded, "Get thee behind me, Satan." Satan was speaking through Peter, making him act the part of the tempter. Satan's presence was unsuspected by Peter, but Christ could detect the presence of the deceiver, and in His rebuke to Peter He addressed the real foe (Letter 244, 1907). {5BC 1095.5} [5BC 1095.6] Satan's work was to discourage Jesus as He strove to save the depraved race, and Peter's words were just what he wished to hear. They were opposed to the divine plan; and whatever bore this stamp of character was an offense to God. They were spoken at the instigation of Satan; for they opposed the only arrangement God could make to preserve His law and control His subjects, and yet save fallen man. Satan hoped they would discourage and dishearten Christ; but Christ addressed the author of the thought, saying, "Get thee behind me, Satan" (RH April 6, 1897). {5BC 1095.6} [5BC 1095.7] 24 (Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; see EGW on Matthew 11:28-30). Travel Christ's Road.--Those who are saved must travel the same road over which Christ journeyed. He says, "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." The character is to be formed according to the Christlikeness (MS 105, 1901). {5BC 1095.7} [5BC 1095.8] The Cross Lifts.--We are to lift the cross, and follow the steps of Christ. Those who lift the cross will find that as they do this, the cross lifts them, giving them fortitude and courage, and pointing them to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world (RH July 13, 1905). {5BC 1095.8} [5BC 1095.9] (Job 19:25.) Up From the Lowlands.--The cross lifts you up from the lowlands of earth, and brings you into sweetest communion with God. Through bearing the cross your experience may be such that you can say, "'I know that my Redeemer liveth,' and because He lives, I shall live also." What an assurance is this (MS 85, 1901)! {5BC 1095.9} [5BC 1095.10] (Ch. 7:13, 14.) At the Dividing of the Way.--The cross stands where two roads diverge. One is the path of obedience leading to heaven. The other leads into the broad road, where man can easily go 1096 with his burden of sin and corruption, but it leads to perdition (MS 50, 1898). {5BC 1095.10} [5BC 1096.1] (Ch. 12:30; Luke 11:23.) Living for Self Dishonors Redeemer.-- Christians who live for self dishonor their Redeemer. They may apparently be very active in the service of the Lord, but they weave self into all that they do. Sowing the seeds of selfishness, they must at last reap a harvest of corruption. . . . Service for self takes a variety of forms. Some of these forms seem harmless. Apparent goodness gives them the appearance of genuine goodness. But they bring no glory to the Lord. By their service His cause is hindered. Christ says, "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." {5BC 1096.1} [5BC 1096.2] Those who bring self into their work cannot be trusted. If they would lose sight of self in Christ, their efforts would be of value to His cause. They would then conform the life to His teachings. They would form their plans in harmony with His great plan of love. Selfishness would be banished from their efforts. . . . Self-denial, humility of mind, nobility of purpose, marked the Saviour's life . . . ［Matthew 16:24 quoted］ (MS 2, 1903). {5BC 1096.2} [5BC 1096.3] Chapter 17 1-3 (Mark 9:2-4; Luke 9:28-31). Fittest to Minister to Christ.-- The Father chose Moses and Elijah to be His messengers to Christ, and glorify Him with the light of heaven, and commune with Him concerning His coming agony, because they had lived upon earth as men; they had experienced human sorrow and suffering, and could sympathize with the trial of Jesus, in His earthly life. Elijah, in his position as a prophet to Israel, had represented Christ, and his work had been, in a degree, similar to that of the Saviour. And Moses, as the leader of Israel, had stood in the place of Christ, communing with Him and following His directions; therefore, these two, of all the hosts that gathered around the throne of God were fittest to minister to the Son of God (2SP 329). {5BC 1096.3} [5BC 1096.4] Chapter 18 6. The Young in Christ.--［Matthew 18:1-6 quoted.］ The little ones here referred to who believe in Christ, are not simply those who are young in years, but little children in Christ. There is a warning contained in these words lest we shall selfishly neglect or hold in contempt our weak brethren; lest we shall be unforgiving and exacting and judge and condemn others, and thus discourage them (RH April 16, 1895). {5BC 1096.4} [5BC 1096.5] 15-17 (Joshua 7:10-26). Some Are Not to Be Retained.--The names of those who sin and refuse to repent should not be retained on the church books, lest the saints be held accountable for their evil deeds. Those who pursue a course of transgression should be visited and labored with, and if they then refuse to repent, they should be separated from church fellowship, in accordance with the rules laid down in the Word of God. . . . {5BC 1096.5} [5BC 1096.6] Those who refuse to hear the admonitions and warnings given by God's faithful messengers are not to be retained in the church. They are to be disfellowshiped; for they will be as Achan in the camp of Israel--deceived and deceiving. {5BC 1096.6} [5BC 1096.7] Who, after reading the record of Achan's sin and punishment, can think it according to the will of God that those who do wickedly, refusing to repent, are to be retained in the church? To retain them would be an insult to the God of heaven (Letter 215, 1902). {5BC 1096.7} [5BC 1096.8] 18. See EGW on John 20:23. {5BC 1096.8} [5BC 1096.9] Chapter 19 13-15 (Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17). Memory Kept Children From Straying.--Could the afterlife of that little group be opened before us, we should see the mothers recalling to the minds of their children the scene of that day, and repeating to them the loving words of the Saviour. We should see, too, how often, in after years, the memory of these words kept the children from straying from the path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord (ST Dec. 18, 1907). {5BC 1096.9} [5BC 1096.10] Chapter 20 28. See EGW on ch. 9:12, 13. {5BC 1096.10} [5BC 1096.11] 30-34. See EGW on Mark 10:46-52. {5BC 1096.11} [5BC 1096.12] Chapter 21 18-20 (Mark 11:12-14). Fruit-bearing Branches.--The Lord was hungry. He 1097 represented a people hungering for fruit that they ought to have had, but did not receive from an apparently flourishing fig tree. The spiritual necessities were not supplied to satisfy the people whom Christ had pledged His life to save by His grace and righteousness. {5BC 1096.12} [5BC 1097.1] When the Lord is with the people who have knowledge and advantages in spiritual enlightenment, and when they impart that which they have received from God, they are fruit-bearing branches. They receive God's rich blessing, and are producers of fruit. As a sure result, in the hand of God and under the influence of the Holy Spirit they are mighty men. Constantly they represent before the world the great goodness of God, not only in spiritual lines, but in temporal lines as well. They shall prevail; for of a truth God is with them (MS 65, 1912). {5BC 1097.1} [5BC 1097.2] 28-31. Nothing to Commend.--Christ did not condemn the first son for refusing the command. At the same time He did not commend him. The class who act the part of the son who said, "I will not," deserve no credit for holding the position they do. This open frankness is not to be commended as a virtue. This openness of character, sanctified by truth and holiness will make bold witnesses for Christ; but used as it is by the sinner it is insulting and defiant, and approaches to blasphemy. Because a man is not a hypocrite he is none the less a sinner. When the appeals of the Holy Spirit come to the heart our only safety lies in responding to them without delay (MS 127, 1899). {5BC 1097.2} [5BC 1097.3] More Than a Promise Is Needed.--The history of Israel as presented in this parable should be studied by all who would practice the teachings of Christ. The vineyard represents the church. The two sons are the two classes of men and women in the world. The Lord calls every member of His church to work in His vineyard. We are to understand our relation to Christ. Christ must abide in our hearts that we may keep before us pure principles, high incentives to moral rectitude. Our work is not merely to promise, but to do. Honesty and integrity must bind us up with God to fulfill His word to the letter. Let those who hear the message God sends today beware, lest they follow the example of the self-exalted Jews. God does not propose to remove from our path everything that creates question or doubt in regard to the working of His servants. He gives ground for faith sufficient to convince the candid, sincere mind; but more evidence than this will never change the inward determination to resist light (MS 127, 1899). {5BC 1097.3} [5BC 1097.4] Chapter 22 2-4 (Luke 14:16, 17). The Heavenly Banquet.--The spiritual banquet has been set before us in rich abundance. We have had presented to us by the messengers of God the richest feast--the righteousness of Christ, justification by faith, the exceeding great and precious promises of God in His Word, free access to the Father by Jesus Christ, the comforts of the Holy Spirit, and the well-grounded assurance of eternal life in the kingdom of God. We ask, What could God do for us that He has not done in preparing the great supper, the heavenly banquet (RH Jan. 17, 1899)? {5BC 1097.4} [5BC 1097.5] 11, 12. Feasting on the Word.--A banquet has been prepared for us. The Lord has spread before us the treasures of His Word. But we must not come to the repast clothed in citizen's dress. We must have on the white robe of Christ's righteousness, which has been prepared for all the guests (MS 70, 1901). {5BC 1097.5} [5BC 1097.6] (Revelation 7:13, 14.) Out of Tribulation.--Remember that every one who shall be found with the wedding garment on will have come out of great tribulation (RH April 17, 1894). {5BC 1097.6} [5BC 1097.7] 29. See EGW on ch. 5:13, 14; Jeremiah 8:8; Luke 4:18, 19. {5BC 1097.7} [5BC 1097.8] 37-39 (Mark 12:30, 31; Luke 10:27; Colossians 2:10). Complete in Christ.-- The law of God requires that man shall love God supremely, and his neighbor as himself. When through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, this is perfectly done, we shall be complete in Christ (Letter 11, 1892). {5BC 1097.8} [5BC 1097.9] Chapter 23 8 (see EGW on John 13:14, 15). No First or Last in Christ.--Those who, in the spirit and love of Jesus, will become one with Him, will be in close fellowship one with 1098 another, bound up by the silken cords of love. Then the ties of human brotherhood would not be always on the strain, ready at any provocation to snap asunder. "All ye are brethren" will be the sentiment of every child of faith. When the followers of Christ are one with Him, there will be no first and last, no less respected or less important ones. A blessed brotherly fellowship one with another will bind all who truly receive the Lord Jesus Christ in a firm loyalty that cannot be broken. All will be equally one with Christ (MS 28, 1897). {5BC 1097.9} [5BC 1098.1] All Ye Are Brethren.--God has made men responsible beings, and placed them in circumstances favorable to obedience to His will. In the dignity of their God-given manhood, they are to be governed and controlled by God Himself, not by any human intelligence in our world. Man is ever to acknowledge that God lives and reigns; men are never to become lords over God's heritage. They are to consider that "all ye are brethren." In the very fact that men are free moral agents, God teaches us not to be forced or compelled into any course of action, also that as responsible beings in copartnership with God we are to represent God in character. We are to have an interest in our brother, in our neighbor, in all around (Letter 65, 1895). {5BC 1098.1} [5BC 1098.2] 8-10. None to Place Spiritual Interests Under Another.--The oft repeated "Rabbi," was very acceptable to the ear, but Jesus warned His disciples against this. He said to them, "But be not ye called rabbi; for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ." {5BC 1098.2} [5BC 1098.3] By these words Christ meant that no man is to place his spiritual interest under another as a child is guided and directed by his earthly father. This has encouraged a spirit to desire ecclesiastical superiority, which has always resulted in the injury of the men who have been trusted, and addressed as "Father." It confuses the sense of the sacredness of the prerogatives of God (MS 71, 1897). {5BC 1098.3} [5BC 1098.4] 12. See EGW on Genesis 39:20. {5BC 1098.4} [5BC 1098.5] 13-33 (Luke 11:42-44). Legal Religion an Abomination.--The rebuke of Christ to the Pharisees is applicable to those who have lost from the heart their first love. A cold, legal religion can never lead souls to Christ; for it is a loveless, Christless religion. When fastings and prayers are practiced in a self-justifying spirit, they are abominable to God. The solemn assembly for worship, the round of religious ceremonies, the external humiliation, the imposed sacrifice, all proclaim to the world the testimony that the doer of these things considers himself as righteous. These things call attention to the observer of rigorous duties, saying, This man is entitled to heaven. But it is all a deception. Works will not buy for us an entrance into heaven. The one great offering that has been made is ample for all who will believe (MS 154, 1897). {5BC 1098.5} [5BC 1098.6] 37-39 (Luke 13:34, 35; 19:42). Loading the Clouds of Vengeance.-- Christ's heart had said "How can I give thee up?" He had dealt with Israel as a loving, forgiving father would deal with an ungrateful, wayward child. With the eye of Omniscience He saw that the city of Jerusalem had decided her own destiny. For centuries there had been a turning away from God. Grace had been resisted, privileges abused, opportunities slighted. The people themselves had been loading the cloud of vengeance which unmingled with mercy was about to burst upon them. With choked, half-broken utterance, Christ exclaimed, "O that thou hadst known, even thou in this thy day, the things that belong unto thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes." The irrevocable sentence was pronounced (MS 30, 1890). {5BC 1098.6} [5BC 1098.7] Chapter 24 2 (Luke 19:44). Angels Did Work of Destruction.--Men will continue to erect expensive buildings, costing millions of money; special attention will be called to their architectural beauty, and the firmness and solidity with which they are constructed; but the Lord has instructed me that despite the unusual firmness and expensive display, these buildings will share the fate of the temple in Jerusalem. That 1099 magnificent structure fell. Angels of God were sent to do the work of destruction, so that one stone was not left one upon another that was not thrown down (MS 35, 1906). {5BC 1098.7} [5BC 1099.1] 23, 24 (ch. 7:20, 21; Isaiah 8:20; Mark 13:21, 22; Luke 21:8; 10:2-5; John 15:10; 1 John 2:4). How to Know a False Christ.--We need to be anchored in Christ, rooted and grounded in the faith. Satan works through agents. He selects those who have not been drinking of the living waters, whose souls are athirst for something new and strange, and who are ever ready to drink at any fountain that may present itself. Voices will be heard, saying, "Lo, here is Christ," or "Lo, there;" but we must believe them not. We have unmistakable evidence of the voice of the True Shepherd, and He is calling upon us to follow Him. He says, "I have kept my Father's commandments." He leads His sheep in the path of humble obedience to the law of God, but He never encourages them in the transgression of that law. {5BC 1099.1} [5BC 1099.2] "The voice of a stranger" is the voice of one who neither respects nor obeys God's holy, just, and good law. Many make great pretensions to holiness, and boast of the wonders they perform in healing the sick, when they do not regard this great standard of righteousness. But through whose power are these cures wrought? Are the eyes of either party opened to their transgressions of the law? and do they take their stand as humble, obedient children, ready to obey all of God's requirements? John testifies of the professed children of God: "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." {5BC 1099.2} [5BC 1099.3] None need be deceived. The law of God is as sacred as His throne, and by it every man who cometh into the world is to be judged. There is no other standard by which to test character. "If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Now, shall the case be decided according to the Word of God, or shall man's pretensions be credited? Says Christ, "By their fruits ye shall know them." If those through whom cures are performed, are disposed, on account of these manifestations, to excuse their neglect of the law of God, and continue in disobedience, though they have power to any and every extent, it does not follow that they have the great power of God. On the contrary, it is the miracle-working power of the great deceiver. He is a transgressor of the moral law, and employs every device that he can master to blind men to its true character. We are warned that in the last days he will work with signs and lying wonders. And he will continue these wonders until the close of probation that he may point to them as evidence that he is an angel of light and not of darkness. {5BC 1099.3} [5BC 1099.4] Brethren, we must beware of the pretended holiness that permits transgression of the law of God. Those cannot be sanctified who trample that law under their feet, and judge themselves by a standard of their own devising (RH Nov. 17, 1885). {5BC 1099.4} [5BC 1099.5] 24. See EGW on ch. 7:21-23; 2 Corinthians 11:14. {5BC 1099.5} [5BC 1099.6] 30. See EGW on ch. 28:2-4. {5BC 1099.6} [5BC 1099.7] Chapter 25 1-10. The Wise Arouse From Sleep.--All who wait for the heavenly Bridegroom are represented in the parable as slumbering because their Lord delayed His coming; but the wise roused themselves at the message of His approach, and responded to the message, and their spiritual discernment was not all gone, and they sprang into line. As they took hold of the grace of Christ, their religious experience became vigorous and abundant, and their affections were set upon things above. They discerned where was the source of their supply, and appreciated the love that God had for them. They opened their hearts to receive the Holy Spirit, by which the love of God was shed abroad in their hearts. Their lights were trimmed and burning, and sent forth steady rays into the moral darkness of the world. They glorified God, because they had the oil of grace in their hearts, and did the very work that their Master did before them--went forth to seek and to save those who were lost (ST June 28, 1910). {5BC 1099.7} [5BC 1099.8] 7 (Luke 12:35). A Trimmed and Burning Lamp.--The very best credentials we can 1100 carry is love for one another. All strife, all dissension, is to cease. God will not accept the talents of the smartest, the most eloquent man if the inner lamp of the soul is not trimmed and burning. There must be a consecrated heart, and consecrated surrender of the soul (Letter 119, 1899). {5BC 1099.8} [5BC 1100.1] 14, 15 (Luke 19:12, 13; see EGW on John 17:20, 21). Talents Not Restricted to a Few.--To every man is committed individual gifts, termed talents. Some regard these talents as being limited to certain men who possess superior mental endowments and genius. But God has not restricted the bestowal of His talents to a favored few. To every one is committed some special endowment, for which he will be held responsible by the Lord. Time, reason, means, strength, mental powers, tenderness of heart--all are gifts from God, entrusted to be used in the great work of blessing humanity. {5BC 1100.1} [5BC 1100.2] Some apparently have but few talents, but by diligent trading on their Lord's goods their endowments will be greatly increased. . . . {5BC 1100.2} [5BC 1100.3] The Lord is watching every one to see whether he will use his talents wisely and unselfishly, or whether he will seek his own advancement. The talents are distributed to every man according to his several ability, that he may add to them by wise investment. Each one must give an account to the Master for his own actions. {5BC 1100.3} [5BC 1100.4] The Lord will not require from those who are poor that which they have not to give; He will not require from the sick the active energies which bodily weakness forbids. No one need mourn because he cannot glorify God with talents that were never entrusted to Him. But if you have only one talent, use it well, and it will accumulate. If the talents are not buried, they will gain yet other talents. {5BC 1100.4} [5BC 1100.5] The goods we receive are not our own. The entrusted capital is to be used, and when the returns are made, they are still the Lord's property. We have no right to hoard these talents; when the Lord Jesus returns He expects to receive His own with usury (Letter 180, 1907). {5BC 1100.5} [5BC 1100.6] 21. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 15:51-55. {5BC 1100.6} [5BC 1100.7] Chapter 26 2 (Mark 14:1; Luke 22:1, 2). Attention Called to Sacrifice.-- Christ was crowned with thorns. His hands and feet were pierced by nails. Every step onward in the shameful scene was one of intense suffering. But it was God's purpose that publicity should be given to the whole transaction, point after point, scene after scene, one phase of humiliation reaching into another. It was appointed that these events should take place on the occasion of the Passover (MS 111, 1897). {5BC 1100.7} [5BC 1100.8] 3 (Mark 14:53; Luke 22:54; John 18:13). A Corrupted Priesthood.-- The priesthood had become so corrupt that the priests had no scruples in engaging in the most dishonest and criminal acts to accomplish their designs. Those who assumed the office of high priest prior to, and at, the time of Christ's first advent, were not men divinely appointed to the sacred work. They had eagerly aspired to the office through love of power and show. They desired a position where they could have authority, and practice fraud under a garb of piety, and thereby escape detection. The high priest held a position of power and importance. He was not only counselor and mediator, but judge; and there was no appeal from his decision. The priests were held in restraint by the authority of the Romans, and were not allowed the power of legally putting anyone to death. This power rested with those who bore rule over the Jews. Men of corrupt hearts sought the distinguished office of high priest, and frequently obtained it by bribery and assassination. The high priest, clad in his consecrated and expensive robes, with the breastplate upon his breast, the light flashing upon the precious stones inlaid in the breastplate, presented a most imposing appearance, and struck the conscientious, true-hearted people with admiration, reverence, and awe. The high priest was designed in an especial manner to represent Christ, who was to become a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec (RH Dec. 17, 1872). {5BC 1100.8} [5BC 1100.9] No High Priest.--With Caiaphas the Jewish high priesthood ended. The service had become base and corrupt. It had 1101 no longer any connection with God. Truth and righteousness were hateful in the eyes of the priests. They were tyrannical and deceptive, full of selfish, ambitious schemes. Such ministration could make nothing perfect; for it was itself utterly corrupt. The grace of God had naught to do with it. {5BC 1100.9} [5BC 1101.1] Virtually Caiaphas was no high priest. He wore the priestly robes, but he had no vital connection with God. He was uncircumcised in heart. Proud and overbearing, he proved his unworthiness ever to have worn the garments of the high priest. He had no authority from heaven for occupying the position. He had not one ray of light from God to show him what the work of the priest was, or for what the office was instituted (RH June 12, 1900). {5BC 1101.1} [5BC 1101.2] 6-13 (Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8). An Illustration of God's Methods.-- There are gifts that we rightly proportion to the character and necessities of the ones upon whom we bestow them. Not many of the poor would appreciate Mary's offering, or our Lord's sacrifice of Himself, which gift was the highest that could be given. That ointment was a symbol of the overflowing heart of the giver. It was an outward demonstration of a love fed by heavenly streams until it overflowed. And that ointment of Mary, which the disciples called waste, is repeating itself a thousand times in the susceptible hearts of others. {5BC 1101.2} [5BC 1101.3] The Lord God is profuse in His gifts to our world. The question may be asked, Why does the Lord show such waste, such extravagance in the multitude of His gifts that cannot be enumerated? The Lord would be so bountiful toward His human family that it cannot be said of Him that He could do more. When He gave Jesus to our world, He gave all heaven. His love is without a parallel. It did not stop short of anything. . . . {5BC 1101.3} [5BC 1101.4] To human reasoning the whole plan of salvation is a waste of mercies and resources. They are provided to accomplish the restoration of the moral image of God in man. The atonement is abundantly able to secure to all who will receive it, mansions in heaven. The supposed prodigality of Mary is an illustration of the methods of God in the plan of salvation; for nature and grace, related to each other, manifest the ennobling fullness of the Source from which they flow (MS 28, 1897). {5BC 1101.4} [5BC 1101.5] 14-16 (Mark 14:10, 11; Luke 22:3-5; 1 Timothy 6:10). No Outbreaking Sin.--The love of money in the heart of Judas was growing with the exercise of his shrewd abilities. His practical financiering ability if exercised and enlightened and moulded by the Holy Spirit, would have been of great service to the little church, and by the sanctification of his spirit he would have had a clear insight, a correct discernment to appreciate heavenly things. But worldly policy plans were constantly cherished by Judas. There was no outbreaking sin on his part, but his sharp scheming, the selfish, parsimonious spirit that took possession of him, finally led him to sell his Lord for a small sum of money (MS 28, 1897). {5BC 1101.5} [5BC 1101.6] Two Kinds of Experience Confused by Judas.--There are two kinds of experience--the outside showing and the inward working. The divine and human were at work in the character of Judas. Satan was working the human, Christ the divine. The Lord Jesus longed to see Judas rise to his appointed privileges. But the human side of Judas' character was confused with his religious sentiments, and treated by him as essential attributes. By taking this view of things, he left an open door for Satan to enter and take possession of the entire man. If Judas had practiced the lessons of Christ, he would have surrendered to Christ, he would have consecrated his heart fully to God; but his confused experience was misleading him (MS 28, 1897). {5BC 1101.6} [5BC 1101.7] A Religious Fraud.--The case of Judas has been presented to me as a lesson for all. Judas was with Christ through the entire period of the Saviour's public ministry. He had all that Christ could give him. Had he used his capabilities with earnest diligence, he could have accumulated talents. Had he sought to be a blessing, instead of a questioning, criticizing, selfish man, the Lord would have used him to advance His kingdom. But Judas was a speculator. He thought that he could manage the finances of the church, and by his sharpness in business get gain. He was 1102 divided in heart. He loved the praise of the world. He refused to give up the world for Christ. He never committed his eternal interests to Christ. He had a superficial religion, and therefore he speculated upon his Master and betrayed Him to the priests, being fully persuaded that Christ would not allow Himself to be taken. {5BC 1101.7} [5BC 1102.1] Judas was a religious fraud. He held up a high standard for others, but he himself utterly failed to reach the Bible standard. He did not bring the religion of Christ into his life. How many today are, like Judas, betraying their Lord? Those who follow dishonest practices in business, sacrifice Christ for gain and reveal a wisdom that is after Satan's order. Speculation for selfish gain will not be brought into the life of the man who has that faith which works by love and purifies the soul (Letter 40, 1901). {5BC 1102.1} [5BC 1102.2] (Mark 3:19.) Jesus Dealt Wisely With Judas.--Christ knew, when He permitted Judas to connect with Him as one of the twelve, that Judas was possessed of the demon of selfishness. He knew that this professed disciple would betray Him, and yet He did not separate him from the other disciples, and send him away. He was preparing the minds of these men for His death and ascension, and He foresaw that should He dismiss Judas, Satan would use him to spread reports that would be difficult to meet and explain. {5BC 1102.2} [5BC 1102.3] The leaders of the Jewish nation were watching and searching for something that they could use to make of no effect the words of Christ. The Saviour knew that Judas, if dismissed, could so misconstrue and mystify His statements that the Jews would accept a false version of His words, using this version to bring terrible harm to the disciples, and to leave on the minds of Christ's enemies the impression that the Jews were justified in taking the attitude that they did toward Jesus and His disciples. {5BC 1102.3} [5BC 1102.4] Christ did not, therefore, send Judas from His presence, but kept him by His side, where He could counteract the influence that he might exert against His work (RH May 12, 1903). {5BC 1102.4} [5BC 1102.5] 26-29. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 11:18-34, 23-26. {5BC 1102.5} [5BC 1102.6] 28 (1 Corinthians 11:25; see EGW on Leviticus 17:11). The Peace-making Cup.--The atoning sacrifice is full and sufficient. It is the new covenant, sealed with His blood, which was shed for many for the remission of sins. This Christ declared at the last supper. In this cup there is to those who drink in faith, peace-making, soul-cleansing efficacy. It is the balm of Gilead, which God has provided to restore health and soundness to the sin-stricken soul (Letter 108, 1899). {5BC 1102.6} [5BC 1102.7] 31-35 (Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-34; 13:36-38; 1 Corinthians 10:12). The Self-sufficient Go On in Supposed Strength.--Many today stand where Peter stood when in self-confidence he declared that he would not deny his Lord. And because of their self-sufficiency, they fall an easy prey to Satan's devices. Those who realize their weakness trust in a power higher than self. And while they look to God, Satan has no power against them. But those who trust in self are easily defeated. Let us remember that if we do not heed the cautions that God gives us, a fall is before us. Christ will not save from wounds the one who places himself unbidden on the enemy's ground. He lets the self-sufficient one, who acts as if he knew more than his Lord, go on in his supposed strength. Then comes suffering and a crippled life, or perhaps defeat and death (MS 115, 1902). {5BC 1102.7} [5BC 1102.8] 36-46 (Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46; see EGW on Ecclesiastes 8:11). Satan Sought to Crush Christ.--At the thought of the grievous character of the guilt of the world, Christ felt that He must go apart, and be alone. The hosts of darkness are there to make sin appear as extensive, deep, and horrible as possible. In his hatred of God, in falsifying His character, in manifesting irreverence, contempt, and hatred toward the laws of His government, Satan had made iniquity reach unto the heavens, and it was his purpose to swell iniquity to such great proportions, that it would make atonement seem impossible, so that the Son of God, who sought to save a lost world, should be crushed beneath the curse of sin. The working of the vigilant foe in presenting to Christ the vast proportions of transgression, caused such poignant pain 1103 that He felt that He could not remain in the immediate presence of any human being. He could not bear that even His disciples should witness His agony as He contemplated the woe of the world. Even His most dearly loved friends must not be in His companionship. The sword of justice was unsheathed, and the wrath of God against iniquity rested upon man's substitute, Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father. {5BC 1102.8} [5BC 1103.1] In the Garden of Gethsemane Christ suffered in man's stead, and the human nature of the Son of God staggered under the terrible horror of the guilt of sin, until from His pale and quivering lips was forced the agonizing cry, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:" but if there is no other way by which the salvation of fallen man may be accomplished, then "not as I will, but as thou wilt." Human nature would then and there have died under the horror of the sense of sin, had not an angel from heaven strengthened Him to bear the agony. {5BC 1103.1} [5BC 1103.2] The power that inflicted retributive justice upon man's substitute and surety, was the power that sustained and upheld the suffering One under the tremendous weight of wrath that would have fallen upon a sinful world. Christ was suffering the death that was pronounced upon the transgressors of God's law. {5BC 1103.2} [5BC 1103.3] It is a fearful thing for the unrepenting sinner to fall into the hands of the living God. This is proved by the history of the destruction of the old world by a flood, by the record of the fire which fell from heaven and destroyed the inhabitants of Sodom. But never was this proved to so great an extent as in the agony of Christ, the Son of the infinite God, when He bore the wrath of God for a sinful world. It was in consequence of sin, the transgression of God's law, that the Garden of Gethsemane has become pre-eminently the place of suffering to a sinful world. No sorrow, no agony, can measure with that which was endured by the Son of God. {5BC 1103.3} [5BC 1103.4] Man has not been made a sin-bearer, and he will never know the horror of the curse of sin which the Saviour bore. No sorrow can bear any comparison with the sorrow of Him upon whom the wrath of God fell with overwhelming force. Human nature can endure but a limited amount of test and trial. The finite can only endure the finite measure, and human nature succumbs; but the nature of Christ had a greater capacity for suffering; for the human existed in the divine nature, and created a capacity for suffering to endure that which resulted from the sins of a lost world. The agony which Christ endured, broadens, deepens, and gives a more extended conception of the character of sin, and the character of the retribution which God will bring upon those who continue in sin. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ to the repenting, believing sinner (MS 35, 1895). {5BC 1103.4} [5BC 1103.5] (Genesis 3:1-24.) Eden and Gethsemane.--The Garden of Eden with its disobedience and the Garden of Gethsemane with its obedience are presented before us. What a costly work was that in Eden! How much was involved in the fatal eating of the forbidden tree! But many are following in the very same footprints, in disobedience, in breaking away from the law of God. When men selfishly enter a course of disobedience to God they go on imperceptibly. They do not calculate what the sure result will be when they enter the path of temptation, and make but feeble efforts to resist, and some make none at all. But when the scroll is unrolled, and God looks over it, He will find that He has been denied in that place, dishonored in another place; and as the roll is opened more and more, the results of un-Christlike actions are revealed. The Word of God was not fed upon, therefore their actions were not the result of eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God (Letter 69, 1897). {5BC 1103.5} [5BC 1103.6] The Garden of Eden with its foul blot of disobedience, is to be carefully studied and compared with the Garden of Gethsemane, where the world's Redeemer suffered superhuman agony when the sins of the whole world were rolled upon Him. . . . Adam did not stop to calculate the result of His disobedience (MS 1, 1892). {5BC 1103.6} [5BC 1103.7] 39. See EGW on Romans 8:11. {5BC 1103.7} [5BC 1103.8] 42 (Mark 14:36; Luke 12:50; 22:42, 53; 1104 Philippians 2:7). Stronger Than Human Desire.--The human nature of Christ was like unto ours, and suffering was more keenly felt by Him; for His spiritual nature was free from every taint of sin. Therefore His desire for the removal of suffering was stronger than human beings can experience. How intense was the desire of the humanity of Christ to escape the displeasure of an offended God, how His soul longed for relief, is revealed in the words, "O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." {5BC 1103.8} [5BC 1104.1] Yet Christ had not been forced to take this step. He had contemplated this struggle. To His disciples He had said, "I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" "Now is your hour, and the power of darkness." He had volunteered to lay down His life to save the world (ST Dec. 9, 1897). {5BC 1104.1} [5BC 1104.2] 43 (Mark 14:40; Luke 22:45). Picture of a Sleeping Church.--In this fearful hour of trial Christ's human nature longed even for the sympathy of His disciples. A second time He rose from the earth and went to them and found them sleeping. This was not a deep sleep. They were in a drowse. They had a limited sense of their Lord's suffering and anguish. In tenderness Jesus stood for a moment bending over them, and regarding them with mingled feelings of love and pity. In these sleeping disciples He sees a representation of a sleeping church. When they should be watching, they are asleep (Sufferings of Christ, pp. 19, 20). {5BC 1104.2} [5BC 1104.3] 57 (John 18:13, 14). Need Not Be Instruments of Unrighteousness.--Caiaphas was the one who was to be in office when type met antitype, when the true High Priest came into office. Each actor in history stands in his lot and place; for God's great work after His own plan will be carried out by men who have prepared themselves to fill positions for good or evil. In opposition to righteousness, men become instruments of unrighteousness. But they are not forced to take this course of action. They need not become instruments of unrighteousness, any more than Cain needed to (RH June 12, 1900). {5BC 1104.3} [5BC 1104.4] 63, 64 (Mark 14:61, 62; Luke 22:70). A Wonderful Moment.--This is one of the times when Christ publicly confessed His claim to be the Messiah, the One for whom the Jews had long looked. Weighted with such great results, it was to Christ one of the most wonderful moments of His life. He realized that all disguise must be swept away. The declaration that He was one with God must be openly made. His judges looked upon Him as only a man, and they thought Him guilty of blasphemous presumption. But He proclaimed Himself as the Son of God. He fully asserted His divine character before the dignitaries who had arraigned Him before their earthly tribunal. His words, spoken calmly, yet with conscious power, showed that He claimed for Himself the prerogatives of the Son of God (MS 111, 1897). {5BC 1104.4} [5BC 1104.5] 65 (Mark 14:63). Priestly Robes Not to Be Rent.--The pattern of the priestly robes was made known to Moses in the mount. Every article the high priest was to wear, and the way it should be made, were specified. These garments were consecrated to a most solemn purpose. By them was represented the character of the great antitype, Jesus Christ. They covered the priest with glory and beauty, and made the dignity of his office to appear. When clothed with them, the priest presented himself as a representative of Israel, showing by his garments the glory that Israel should reveal to the world as the chosen people of God. Nothing but perfection, in dress and attitude, in spirit and word, would be acceptable to God. He is holy; and His glory and perfection must be represented in the earthly service. Nothing but perfection could properly represent the sacredness of the heavenly service. Finite man might rend his own heart by showing a contrite and humble spirit; but no rent must be made in the priestly robes (YI June 7, 1900). {5BC 1104.5} [5BC 1104.6] An Outward Appearance.--So perverted had the priesthood become that when Christ declared Himself the Son of God, Caiaphas, in pretended horror, rent his robe, and accused the Holy One of Israel of blasphemy. {5BC 1104.6} [5BC 1104.7] Many today who claim to be Christians are in danger of rending their garments, 1105 making an outward show of repentance, when their hearts are not softened nor subdued. This is why so many continue to make failures in the Christian life. An outward appearance of sorrow is shown for wrong, but their repentance is not that which needs not to be repented of (RH June 12, 1900). {5BC 1104.7} [5BC 1105.1] Christ's Heart Rent.--How different was the true High Priest from the false and corrupted Caiaphas. Christ stood before the false high priest, pure and undefiled, without a taint of sin. {5BC 1105.1} [5BC 1105.2] Christ mourned for the transgression of every human being. He bore even the guiltiness of Caiaphas, knowing the hypocrisy that dwelt in his soul, while for pretense he rent his robe. Christ did not rend His robe, but His soul was rent. His garment of human flesh was rent as He hung on the cross, the sin-bearer of the race. By His suffering and death a new and living way was opened (RH June 12, 1900). {5BC 1105.2} [5BC 1105.3] (Leviticus 10:6.) A Positive Prohibition.--It was the general custom for the garments to be rent at the death of friends. The only exception to this was in the case of the high priest. Even Aaron, when he lost his two sons because they did not glorify God as had been specified, was forbidden to show sorrow and mourning by rending his garments. The prohibition was positive ［Leviticus 10:6 quoted］ (MS 102, 1897). {5BC 1105.3} [5BC 1105.4] The Condemned Pronounced Sentence on the Innocent.--For thus rending his garment in pretended zeal, the high priest might have been arraigned before the Sanhedrin. He had done the very thing that the Lord had commanded should not be done. Standing under the condemnation of God, he pronounced sentence on Christ as a blasphemer. He performed all his actions toward Christ as a priestly judge, as an officiating high priest, but he was not this by the appointment of God. The priestly robe he rent in order to impress the people with his horror of the sin of blasphemy covered a heart full of wickedness. He was acting under the inspiration of Satan. Under a gorgeous priestly dress, he was fulfilling the work of the enemy of God. This has been done again and again by priests and rulers. {5BC 1105.4} [5BC 1105.5] The rent garment ended Caiaphas' priesthood. By his own action he disqualified himself for the priestly office. After the condemnation of Christ he was unable to act without showing the most unreasonable passion. His tortured conscience scourged him, but he did not feel that sorrow that leads to repentance. {5BC 1105.5} [5BC 1105.6] The religion of those that crucified Christ was a pretense. The supposed holy vestments of the priests covered hearts that were full of corruption, malignity, and crime. They interpreted gain to be godliness. The priests were appointed, not by God, but by an unbelieving government. The position of priest was bought and sold like goods of merchandise. Thus it was that Caiaphas obtained the office. He was not a priest after the order of Melchisedec, by God's appointment. He was bought and sold to work wickedness. He never knew what it was to be obedient to God. He had the form of godliness, and this gave him the power to oppress (MS 102, 1897). {5BC 1105.6} [5BC 1105.7] Chapter 27 15-26 (Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:18-25; 18:39, 40). A Symbol of Last Days.--The scene in the judgment hall in Jerusalem is a symbol of what will take place in the closing scenes of this earth's history. The world will accept Christ, the Truth, or they will accept Satan, the first great rebel, a robber, apostate, and murderer. They will either reject the message of mercy in regard to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, or they will accept the truth as it is in Jesus. If they accept Satan and his falsehoods, they identify themselves with the chief of all liars, and with all who are disloyal, while they turn from no less a personage than the Son of the infinite God (RH Jan. 30, 1900). {5BC 1105.7} [5BC 1105.8] A Matter of Choice.--When Jesus was on earth, Satan led the people to reject the Son of God, and to choose Barabbas, who in character represented Satan, the god of this world. The Lord Jesus Christ came to dispute the usurpation of Satan in the kingdoms of the world. The conflict is not yet ended; and as we draw near the close of time, the battle waxes more intense. As the second appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ draws near, satanic agencies 1106 are moved from beneath. Satan will not only appear as a human being, but he will personate Jesus Christ; and the world that has rejected the truth will receive him as the Lord of lords and King of kings. He will exercise his power, and work upon the human imagination. He will corrupt both the minds and the bodies of men, and will work through the children of disobedience, fascinating and charming, as does a serpent. What a spectacle will the world be for heavenly intelligences! What a spectacle for God, the Creator of the world, to behold! {5BC 1105.8} [5BC 1106.1] The form Satan assumed in Eden when leading our first parents to transgress, was of a character to bewilder and confuse the mind. He will work in as subtle a manner as we near the end of earth's history. All his deceiving power will be brought to bear upon human subjects, to complete the work of deluding the human family. So deceptive will be his working, that men will do as they did in the days of Christ; and when asked, Whom shall I release unto you, Christ or Barabbas? the almost universal cry will be, Barabbas, Barabbas! And when the question is asked, "What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?" the cry again will be, "Crucify him!" {5BC 1106.1} [5BC 1106.2] Christ will be represented in the person of those who accept the truth, and who identify their interest with that of their Lord. The world will be enraged at them in the same way that they were enraged at Christ, and the disciples of Christ will know that they are to be treated no better than was their Lord. But Christ will surely identify His interest with that of those who accept Him as their personal Saviour. Every insult, every reproach, every false accusation made against them by those who have turned their ears away from the truth and are turned unto fables, will be charged upon the guilty ones as done to Christ in the person of His saints (RH April 14, 1896). {5BC 1106.2} [5BC 1106.3] When Christ was upon this earth, the world preferred Barabbas. And today the world and the churches are making the same choice. The scenes of the betrayal, the rejection, and the crucifixion of Christ have been re-enacted, and will again be re-enacted on an immense scale. People will be filled with the attributes of the enemy, and with them his delusions will have great power. Just to that degree that light is refused will there be misconception and misunderstanding. Those who reject Christ and choose Barabbas work under a ruinous deception. Misrepresentation and false witness will grow to open rebellion. The eye being evil, the whole body will be full of darkness. Those who give their affections to any leader but Christ will find themselves under the control, body, soul, and spirit, of an infatuation that is so entrancing that under its power souls turn away from hearing the truth to believe a lie. They are ensnared and taken, and by their every action they cry, Release unto us Barabbas, but crucify Christ. {5BC 1106.3} [5BC 1106.4] Even now this decision is being made. The scenes enacted at the cross are being re-enacted. In the churches that have departed from truth and righteousness it is being revealed what human nature can do and will do when the love of God is not an abiding principle in the soul. We need not be surprised at anything that may take place now. We need not marvel at any developments of horror. Those who trample under their unholy feet the law of God have the same spirit as had the men who insulted and betrayed Jesus. Without any compunction of conscience, they will do the deeds of their father, the devil. They will ask the question that came from the traitorous lips of Judas, What will you give me if I betray unto you Jesus the Christ? Even now Christ is being betrayed in the person of His saints. {5BC 1106.4} [5BC 1106.5] In view of the history of the life and death of Christ, can we be surprised if the world is hollow and insincere? Can we in our day trust in man, or make flesh our arm? Shall we not choose Christ as our Leader? He alone can save us from sin. {5BC 1106.5} [5BC 1106.6] When the world is at last brought up for trial before the great white throne, to account for its rejection of Jesus Christ, God's own messenger to our world, what a solemn scene it will be! What a reckoning will have to be made for nailing to the 1107 cross One who came to our world as a living epistle of the law. God will ask each one the question, What have you done with My only-begotten Son? What will those answer who have refused to accept the truth? They will be obliged to say, We hated Jesus, and cast Him out. We cried, Crucify Him, crucify Him. We chose Barabbas in His stead. If those to whom the light of Heaven is presented reject it, they reject Christ. They reject the only provision whereby they may be cleansed from pollution. They crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame. To them it will be said, "I never knew you: depart from me." God will assuredly avenge the death of His Son (RH Jan. 30, 1900). {5BC 1106.6} [5BC 1107.1] 21. See EGW on Romans 3:19. {5BC 1107.1} [5BC 1107.2] 21, 22, 29 (Philippians 2:9; Hebrews 2:9; Revelation 6:16; 14:10). Two Kinds of Crowns.--On whose side are we? The world cast Christ out, the heavens received Him. Man, finite man, rejected the Prince of life; God, our sovereign Ruler, received Him into the heavens. God has exalted Him. Man crowned Him with a crown of thorns, God has crowned Him with a crown of royal majesty. We must all think candidly. Will you have this man Christ Jesus to rule over you, or will you have Barabbas? The death of Christ brings to the rejecter of His mercy the wrath and judgments of God, unmixed with mercy. This is the wrath of the Lamb. But the death of Christ is hope and eternal life to all who receive Him and believe in Him (Letter 31, 1898). {5BC 1107.2} [5BC 1107.3] Under Satan's Black Banner.--Each son and daughter of Adam chooses either Christ or Barabbas as his general. And all who place themselves on the side of the disloyal are standing under Satan's black banner, and are charged with rejecting and despitefully using Christ. They are charged with deliberately crucifying the Lord of life and glory (RH Jan. 30, 1900). {5BC 1107.3} [5BC 1107.4] 22, 23 (Mark 15:12-14; Luke 23:20-23; John 19:14, 15). A Representative Scene.--The scene transacted in Jerusalem at the betrayal and rejection of Christ represents the scene which will take place in the future history of the world, when Christ is finally rejected. The religious world will take sides with the first great rebel, and will reject the message of mercy in regard to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (MS 40, 1897). {5BC 1107.4} [5BC 1107.5] 25, 26 (Mark 15:14, 15; Luke 23:23, 24; 19:15, 16). Angels Could Not Interfere.--Be astonished, O heaven, and be everlastingly ashamed, O inhabitants of earth! With sorrow and indignation the angels heard the choice made by the people and the sentence passed upon Christ. But they could not interfere; for in the great controversy between good and evil, Satan must be given every opportunity to develop his true character, that the heavenly universe and the race for whom Christ was giving His life might see the righteousness of God's purposes. Those under the control of the enemy must be allowed to reveal the principles of his government (MS 136, 1899). {5BC 1107.5} [5BC 1107.6] 32 (Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26). A Means of Conversion.--The cross he ［Simon］ was forced to bear became the means of his conversion. His sympathies were deeply stirred in favor of Jesus; and the events of Calvary, and the words uttered by the Saviour, caused him to acknowledge that He was the Son of God (Undated MS 127). {5BC 1107.6} [5BC 1107.7] 37 (Psalm 85:10; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19). An Arranged Superscription.--Look at the superscription written above the cross. The Lord arranged it. Written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, it is a call for all, Jew and Gentile, barbarian and Scythian, bond and free, hopeless, helpless, and perishing, to come. Christ has made of none effect the power of Satan. He laid hold of the pillars of Satan's kingdom, and passed through the conflict, destroying him that had the power of death. A way was now opened whereby mercy and truth could meet together, and righteousness and peace kiss each other (MS 111, 1897). {5BC 1107.7} [5BC 1107.8] 38 (Mark 15:27; Luke 23:33; 19:18). Christ Placed as Most Notorious Criminal.--Joseph and Nicodemus watched every development at the condemnation and crucifixion of Christ. Not an action escaped them. These men were diligent searchers of the Scriptures, and they were deeply indignant 1108 as they saw this man, whom the judges had pronounced to be entirely without fault, placed in the center of two thieves, "on either side one, and Jesus in the midst." This instruction had been given by the chief priests and rulers, that by his position all might judge that Christ was the most notorious of the three (MS 103, 1897). {5BC 1107.8} [5BC 1108.1] 42. See EGW on Luke 24:13-15. {5BC 1108.1} [5BC 1108.2] 45 (Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44). In Sympathy and Confirmation.--The darkness upon the face of nature expressed her sympathy with Christ in His expiring agony. It evidenced to humanity that the Sun of Righteousness, the Light of the world, was withdrawing His beams from the once favored city of Jerusalem, and from the world. It was a miraculous testimony given of God, that the faith of after generations might be confirmed (3SP 167). {5BC 1108.2} [5BC 1108.3] God and Angels Clothed in Darkness.--The dark cloud of human transgression came between the Father and the Son. The interruption of the communion between God and His Son caused a condition of things in the heavenly courts which cannot be described by human language. Nature could not witness such a scene as Christ dying in agony while bearing the penalty of man's transgression. God and the angels clothed themselves with darkness, and hid the Saviour from the gaze of the curious multitude while He drank the last dregs of the cup of God's wrath (Letter 139, 1898). {5BC 1108.3} [5BC 1108.4] 45, 46 (verse 54; Mark 15:33, 34, 39; Luke 23:46, 47; John 19:30). Circumstances Sowed Seed.--The conviction forced upon many at the time of Christ's trial, at the time when the three hours' darkness enshrouded the cross, without any natural cause for it, and when the last sentences were uttered, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" "It is finished," "Into thy hands I commend my spirit," was seed sown that ripened into harvest when at a future date the gospel was boldly proclaimed by His disciples. The shaking earth, the piercing cry, the sudden death which called forth in no whispered tones the cry, "It is finished," forced from many the words, "Assuredly this man was righteous"; "Truly this was the Son of God." Many who had scoffed and jeered at, and taunted the Son of God were terribly afraid that the shaking earth, the rent and trembling rocks would put an end to their own lives. They hastened away from the scene, beating upon their breasts, stumbling, falling, in awful terror lest the earth should open and swallow them up. The veil of the temple rent so mysteriously, changed the religious ideas of many of the Jewish priests, and a large company changed their faith. After the day of Pentecost, we read that "the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people (MS 91, 1897). {5BC 1108.4} [5BC 1108.5] Father Suffered With Son.--In the scenes that transpired in the judgment hall and at Calvary, we see what the human heart is capable of when under the influence of Satan. Christ submitted to crucifixion, although the heavenly host could have delivered Him. The angels suffered with Christ. God Himself was crucified with Christ; for Christ was one with the Father. Those who reject Christ, those who will not have this man to rule over them, choose to place themselves under the rule of Satan, to do his work as his bondslaves. Yet for them Christ yielded up His life on Calvary (BE Aug. 6, 1894). {5BC 1108.5} [5BC 1108.6] 50 (Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46; John 19:30; Hebrews 2:14). Satan Overcome by Christ's Human Nature.--When Christ bowed His head and died, He bore the pillars of Satan's kingdom with Him to the earth. He vanquished Satan in the same nature over which in Eden Satan obtained the victory. The enemy was overcome by Christ in His human nature. The power of the Saviour's Godhead was hidden. He overcame in human nature, relying upon God for power. This is the privilege of all. In proportion to our faith will be our victory (YI April 25, 1901). {5BC 1108.6} [5BC 1108.7] 51 (Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45; Ephesians 2:14, 15; Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 10:19, 20; See EGW on John 19:30). The Mercy Seat Opened to All.--Christ was nailed to the cross between the third and sixth hour, that is, between nine and twelve o'clock. In the afternoon He died. This was the hour of the evening 1109 sacrifice. Then the veil of the temple, that which hid God's glory from the view of the congregation of Israel, was rent in twain from top to bottom. {5BC 1108.7} [5BC 1109.1] Through Christ the hidden glory of the holy of holies was to stand revealed. He had suffered death for every man, and by this offering the sons of men were to become the sons of God. With open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, believers in Christ were to be changed into the same image, from glory to glory. The mercy seat, upon which the glory of God rested in the holiest of all, is opened to all who accept Christ as the propitiation for sin, and through its medium, they are brought into fellowship with God. The veil is rent, the partition walls broken down, the handwriting of ordinances canceled. By virtue of His blood the enmity is abolished. Through faith in Christ Jew and Gentile may partake of the living bread (Letter 230, 1907). {5BC 1109.1} [5BC 1109.2] (Ch. 26:65; Daniel 5:5, 25-28; Hebrews 10:19, 20.) Israel a Nation Unchurched.--In Christ the shadow reached its substance, the type its antitype. Well might Caiaphas rend his clothes in horror for himself and for the nation; for they were separating themselves from God, and were fast becoming a people unchurched by Jehovah. Surely the candlestick was being removed out of its place. {5BC 1109.2} [5BC 1109.3] It was not the hand of the priest that rent from top to bottom the gorgeous veil that divided the holy from the most holy place. It was the hand of God. When Christ cried out, "It is finished," the Holy Watcher that was an unseen guest at Belshazzar's feast pronounced the Jewish nation to be a nation unchurched. The same hand that traced on the wall the characters that recorded Belshazzar's doom and the end of the Babylonian kingdom, rent the veil of the temple from top to bottom, opening a new and living way for all, high and low, rich and poor, Jew and Gentile. From henceforth people might come to God without priest or ruler (MS 101, 1897). {5BC 1109.3} [5BC 1109.4] (Hebrews 6:19; 8:6, 7; Hebrews 10:19, 20.) God's Presence Withdrawn From Earthly Sanctuary.--By the rending of the veil of the temple, God said, I can no longer reveal My presence in the most holy place. A new and living Way, before which there hangs no veil, is offered to all. No longer need sinful, sorrowing humanity await the coming of the high priest. {5BC 1109.4} [5BC 1109.5] Type had met antitype in the death of God's Son. The Lamb of God had been offered as a sacrifice. It was as if a voice had said to the worshipers, "There is now an end to all sacrifices and offerings" (YI June 21, 1900). {5BC 1109.5} [5BC 1109.6] A New Way Opened to Fallen Man.--When Christ on the cross cried out, "It is finished," the veil of the temple was rent in twain. This veil was significant to the Jewish nation. It was of most costly material, of purple and gold, and was of great length and breadth. At the moment when Christ breathed His last, there were witnesses in the temple who beheld the strong, heavy material rent by unseen hands from top to bottom. This act signified to the heavenly universe, and to a world corrupted by sin, that a new and living way had been opened to the fallen race, that all sacrificial offerings terminated in the one great offering of the Son of God. He who had hitherto dwelt in the temple made with hands, had gone forth never again to grace it with His presence (ST Dec. 8, 1898). {5BC 1109.6} [5BC 1109.7] 52, 53 (see EGW on ch. 28:2-4). Resurrection Known to Priests and Rulers.--The captives brought up from the graves at the time of the resurrection of Jesus were His trophies as a conquering Prince. Thus He attested His victory over death and the grave; thus He gave a pledge and an earnest of the resurrection of all the righteous dead. Those who were called from their graves went into the city, and appeared unto many in their resurrected forms, and testified that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead, and that they had risen with Him. . . . {5BC 1109.7} [5BC 1109.8] It was well known to the priests and rulers that certain persons who were dead had risen at the resurrection of Jesus. Authentic reports were brought to them of different ones who had seen and conversed with these resurrected ones, and heard their testimony that Jesus, the Prince of life, whom the priests and rulers had slain, was risen from the dead (3SP 223). {5BC 1109.8} [5BC 1109.9] 54 (Mark 15:39; Luke 23:47; see EGW on 1110 verses 45, 46; 1:1-3, 14). The Sermon in Action.--［Matthew 27:54 quoted.］ . . . What so enlightened and convinced these men that they could not refrain from confessing their faith in Jesus? It was the sermon that was given in every action of Christ and in His silence under cruel abuse. At His trial one seemed to vie with the other in making His humiliation as degrading as possible. But His silence was eloquence. In that lacerated, bruised, broken body hanging on the cross, the centurion recognized the form of the Son of God (MS 115, 1897). {5BC 1109.9} [5BC 1110.1] Chapter 28 1. See EGW on Mark 16:1, 2. {5BC 1110.1} [5BC 1110.2] 2. Mightiest Angel Caused Earthquake.--Before anyone had reached the sepulcher, there was a great earthquake. The mightiest angel from heaven, he who held the position from which Satan fell, received his commission from the Father, and clothed with the panoply of heaven, he parted the darkness from his track. His face was like the lightning, and his garments white as snow. As soon as his feet touched the ground it quaked beneath his tread. The Roman guard were keeping their weary watch when this wonderful scene took place, and they were enabled to endure the sight, for they had a message to bear as witnesses of the resurrection of Christ. The angel approached the grave, rolled away the stone as though it had been a pebble, and sat upon it. The light of heaven encircled the tomb, and the whole heaven was lighted by the glory of the angels. Then his voice was heard, "Thy Father calls Thee; come forth" (MS 115, 1897). {5BC 1110.2} [5BC 1110.3] 2-4 (chs. 24:30; 27:52, 53; Isaiah 24:20; John 5:28, 29; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 6:14-17). A Lively Image of Glory.--In this scene of the resurrection of the Son of God is given a lively image of the glory that will be revealed at the general resurrection of the just at the second appearing of Christ in the clouds of heaven. Then the dead that are in their graves shall hear His voice and come forth to life; and not only the earth, but the heavens themselves, shall be shaken. A few graves were opened at the resurrection of Christ; but at His second coming all the precious dead, from righteous Abel to the last saint that dies, shall awake to glorious, immortal life. {5BC 1110.3} [5BC 1110.4] If the soldiers at the sepulcher were so filled with terror at the appearance of one angel clothed with heavenly light and strength, that they fell as dead men to the ground, how will His enemies stand before the Son of God, when He comes in power and great glory, accompanied by ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels from the courts of heaven? Then the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and be removed as a cottage. The elements shall be in flames, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll (ST April 22, 1913). {5BC 1110.4} [5BC 1110.5] 5, 6. See EGW on Mark 16:6. {5BC 1110.5} [5BC 1110.6] 17. Doubt Closes Door to Blessings.--But some doubted. So it will ever be. There are those who find it hard to exercise faith, and they place themselves on the doubting side. These lose much because of their unbelief. If they would control their feelings, and refuse to allow doubt to bring a shadow over their own minds and the minds of others, how much happier and more helpful they would be. They close the door to many blessings that they might enjoy if they would refuse to place themselves on the doubting side, and would, instead, talk hope and courage (Letter 115, 1904). {5BC 1110.6} [5BC 1110.7] 18 (Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1; see EGW on John 20:16, 17). A Friend at Court.--What a Friend we have at court. After His resurrection Christ spoke to His disciples, saying, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." These words were spoken to all who will receive them as a living assurance (MS 13, 1899). {5BC 1110.7} [5BC 1110.8] 19 (Romans 6:4). Facilities of Heaven Pledged.--The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the three holy dignitaries of heaven, have declared that they will strengthen men to overcome the powers of darkness. All the facilities of heaven are pledged to those who by their baptismal vows have entered into a covenant with God (MS 92, 1901). {5BC 1110.8} [5BC 1110.9] 19, 20. See EGW on Romans 1:14. {5BC 1110.9} [5BC 1110.10] 20. See EGW on Acts 1:11. {5BC 1110.10} [5BC 1111.1] Mark Chapter 1 9-11. See EGW on Matthew 3:13-17. {5BC 1111.1} [5BC 1111.2] 10-13. See EGW on Matthew 4:1-11. {5BC 1111.2} [5BC 1111.3] Chapter 2 14, 15. See EGW on Luke 5:29. {5BC 1111.3} [5BC 1111.4] 17. See EGW on Matthew 9:12, 13. {5BC 1111.4} [5BC 1111.5] 22. See EGW on Matthew 9:17. {5BC 1111.5} [5BC 1111.6] Chapter 3 1-3. See EGW on Luke 1:76, 77. {5BC 1111.6} [5BC 1111.7] 22. See EGW on Matthew 12:24-32. {5BC 1111.7} [5BC 1111.8] 28, 29. See EGW on Matthew 12:31, 32. {5BC 1111.8} [5BC 1111.9] Chapter 4 30 (Luke 13:18). Not Like Earthly Governments.--The government of the kingdom of Christ is like no earthly government. It is a representation of the characters of those who compose the kingdom. "Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God?" Christ asked, "or with what comparison shall we compare it?" He could find nothing on earth that would serve as a perfect comparison. His court is one where holy love presides, and whose offices and appointments are graced by the exercise of charity. He charges His servants to bring pity and loving-kindness, His own attributes, into all their office work, and to find their happiness and satisfaction in reflecting the love and tender compassion of the divine nature on all with whom they associate (RH March 19, 1908). {5BC 1111.9} [5BC 1111.10] Chapter 6 26. See EGW on Matthew 14:9. {5BC 1111.10} [5BC 1111.11] Chapter 8 34. See EGW on Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23. {5BC 1111.11} [5BC 1111.12] Chapter 9 2-4. See EGW on Matthew 17:1-3. {5BC 1111.12} [5BC 1111.13] Chapter 10 13-16. See EGW on Matthew 19:13-15. {5BC 1111.13} [5BC 1111.14] 45. See EGW on Matthew 9:12, 13. {5BC 1111.14} [5BC 1111.15] 46-52 (Matthew 20:30-34; Luke 18:35-43). Some With Eyes See Nothing.-- It is only when the sinner feels the need of a Saviour, that his heart goes after the One who can help him. When Jesus walked among men, it was the sick that wanted a physician. The poor, the afflicted and distressed, followed after Him, to receive the help and comfort which they could not find elsewhere. Blind Bartimaeus is waiting by the wayside; he has waited long to meet Christ. Throngs of people who possess their sight are passing to and fro, but they have no desire to see Jesus. One look of faith would touch His heart of love, and bring them the blessings of His grace; but they know not the sickness and poverty of their souls, and they feel no need of Christ. Not so with the poor blind man. His only hope is in Jesus. As he waits and watches, he hears the tread of many feet, and he eagerly inquires, What means this noise of travel? The by-standers answer that "Jesus of Nazareth passeth by." With the eagerness of intense desire, he cries, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" They try to silence him, but he cries the more vehemently, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" This appeal is heard. His persevering faith is rewarded. Not only is physical sight restored, but the eyes of his understanding are opened. In Christ he sees his Redeemer, and the Sun of Righteousness shines into his soul. All who feel their need of Christ as did blind Bartimaeus, and who will be as earnest and determined as he was, will, like him, receive the blessing which they crave. {5BC 1111.15} [5BC 1111.16] The afflicted, suffering ones who sought Christ as their helper, were charmed with the divine perfection, the beauty of holiness, that shone forth in His character. But the Pharisees could see no beauty in Him that they should desire Him. His simple attire, and humble life, devoid of outward show, rendered Him to them as a root out of dry ground (RH March 15, 1887). 1112 {5BC 1111.16} [5BC 1112.1] Chapter 11 12-14. See EGW on Matthew 21:18-20. {5BC 1112.1} [5BC 1112.2] Chapter 12 30 (Ecclesiastes 9:10; Luke 10:27; Romans 12:11; Colossians 3:23). The Service of Every Power.--The physical powers are to be brought into service from love to God. The Lord requires the physical strength, and you can reveal your love for Him by the right use of your physical powers, doing the very work which needs to be done. There is no respect of persons with God. . . . {5BC 1112.2} [5BC 1112.3] There is science in the humblest kind of work, and if all would thus regard it, they would see nobility in labor. Heart and soul are to be put into work of any kind; then there is cheerfulness and efficiency. In agricultural or mechanical occupations, men may give evidence to God that they appreciate His gift in the physical powers, and the mental faculties as well. Let the educated ability be employed devising improved methods of work. This is just what the Lord wants. There is honor in any class of work that is essential to be done. Let the law of God be made the standard of action and it ennobles and sanctifies all labor. Faithfulness in the discharge of every duty makes the work noble, and reveals a character that God can approve. {5BC 1112.3} [5BC 1112.4] "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength." God desires the love that is expressed in heart service, in soul service, in the service of the physical powers. We are not to be dwarfed in any kind of service for God. Whatever He has lent us is to be used intelligently for Him. The man who exercises his faculties will surely strengthen them; but he must seek to do his best. There is need of intelligence and educated ability to devise the best methods in farming, in building, and in every other department, that the worker may not labor in vain. . . . {5BC 1112.4} [5BC 1112.5] It is the duty of every worker not merely to give his strength but his mind and intellect to that which he undertakes to do. . . .You can choose to become stereo-typed in a wrong course of action because you have not the determination to take yourselves in hand and reform, or you may cultivate your powers to do the very best kind of service, and then you will find yourselves in demand anywhere and everywhere. You will be appreciated for all that you are worth. "Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord" (MS 8, 1894). {5BC 1112.5} [5BC 1112.6] 30, 31. See EGW on Matthew 22:37-39. {5BC 1112.6} [5BC 1112.7] 37. See EGW on Luke 4:18, 19. {5BC 1112.7} [5BC 1112.8] Chapter 13 21, 22. See EGW on Matthew 24:23, 24. {5BC 1112.8} [5BC 1112.9] 34. See EGW on John 17:20, 21. {5BC 1112.9} [5BC 1112.10] Chapter 14 1. See EGW on Matthew 26:2. {5BC 1112.10} [5BC 1112.11] 3-9. See EGW on Matthew 26:6-13; 12:3. {5BC 1112.11} [5BC 1112.12] 10, 11. See EGW on Matthew 26:14-16; Luke 22:3-5. {5BC 1112.12} [5BC 1112.13] 27-31. See EGW on Matthew 26:31-35. {5BC 1112.13} [5BC 1112.14] 29-31. See EGW on Luke 22:31-34. {5BC 1112.14} [5BC 1112.15] 32-42. See EGW on Matthew 26:36-46. {5BC 1112.15} [5BC 1112.16] 36. See EGW on Matthew 26:42; Luke 22:42; Romans 8:11. {5BC 1112.16} [5BC 1112.17] 40. See EGW on Matthew 26:43. {5BC 1112.17} [5BC 1112.18] 53. See EGW on Matthew 26:3. {5BC 1112.18} [5BC 1112.19] 61, 62. See EGW on Matthew 26:63, 64; Luke 22:70. {5BC 1112.19} [5BC 1112.20] 63. See EGW on Matthew 26:65. {5BC 1112.20} [5BC 1112.21] Chapter 15 6-15. See EGW on Matthew 27:15-26. {5BC 1112.21} [5BC 1112.22] 12-14. See EGW on Matthew 27:22, 23. {5BC 1112.22} [5BC 1112.23] 14, 15. See EGW on Matthew 27:25, 26. {5BC 1112.23} [5BC 1112.24] 21. See EGW on Matthew 27:32. {5BC 1112.24} [5BC 1112.25] 26. See EGW on Matthew 27:37. {5BC 1112.25} [5BC 1112.26] 27. See EGW on Matthew 27:38. {5BC 1112.26} [5BC 1112.27] 31. See EGW on Luke 24:13-15. {5BC 1112.27} [5BC 1112.28] 33. See EGW on Matthew 27:45. {5BC 1112.28} [5BC 1112.29] 33, 34, 39. See EGW on Matthew 27:45, 46. {5BC 1112.29} [5BC 1112.30] 37. See EGW on Matthew 27:50; John 19:30. {5BC 1112.30} [5BC 1112.31] 38. See EGW on Matthew 27:51; 19:30. {5BC 1112.31} [5BC 1112.32] 39. See EGW on Matthew 27:54. 1113 {5BC 1112.32} [5BC 1113.1] Chapter 16 1, 2 (Matthew 28:1; Luke 24:1; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:26). Resurrection Did Not Consecrate First Day.--Christ rested in the tomb on the Sabbath day, and when holy beings of both heaven and earth were astir on the morning of the first day of the week, He rose from the grave to renew His work of teaching His disciples. But this fact does not consecrate the first day of the week, and make it a Sabbath. Jesus, prior to His death, established a memorial of the breaking of His body and the spilling of His blood for the sins of the world, in the ordinance of the Lord's supper, saying "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." And the repentant believer, who takes the steps required in conversion, commemorates in his baptism the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. He goes down into the water in the likeness of Christ's death and burial, and he is raised out of the water in the likeness of His resurrection--not to take up the old life of sin, but to live a new life in Christ Jesus (3SP 204). {5BC 1113.1} [5BC 1113.2] 6 (John 1:1-3, 14; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:6, 8; 2:14-17; Hebrews 4:15). Deity Did Not Die.--Was the human nature of the Son of Mary changed into the divine nature of the Son of God? No; the two natures were mysteriously blended in one person--the man Christ Jesus. In Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. When Christ was crucified, it was His human nature that died. Deity did not sink and die; that would have been impossible. Christ, the sinless One, will save every son and daughter of Adam who accepts the salvation proffered them, consenting to become the children of God. The Saviour has purchased the fallen race with His own blood. {5BC 1113.2} [5BC 1113.3] This is a great mystery, a mystery that will not be fully, completely understood in all its greatness until the translation of the redeemed shall take place. Then the power and greatness and efficacy of the gift of God to man will be understood. But the enemy is determined that this gift shall be so mystified that it will become as nothingness (Letter 280, 1904). {5BC 1113.3} [5BC 1113.4] (Matthew 28:5, 6; Luke 24:5, 6; 2:19; John 10:17, 18; Acts 13:32, 33.) When the voice of the angel was heard saying, "Thy Father calls thee," He who had said, "I lay down my life, that I might take it again," "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," came forth from the grave to life that was in Himself. Deity did not die. Humanity died, but Christ now proclaims over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, "I am the resurrection, and the life." In His divinity Christ possessed the power to break the bonds of death. He declares that He had life in Himself to quicken whom He will. {5BC 1113.4} [5BC 1113.5] "I am the resurrection, and the life." This language can be used only by the Deity. All created things live by the will and power of God. They are dependent recipients of the life of the Son of God. However able and talented, however large their capabilities, they are replenished with life from the Source of all life. Only He who alone hath immortality, dwelling in light and life, could say, "I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again." All the human beings in our world take their life from Him. He is the spring, the fountain of life (MS 131, 1897). {5BC 1113.5} [5BC 1113.6] "I am the resurrection, and the life." He who had said, "I lay down my life, that I might take it again," came forth from the grave to life that was in Himself. Humanity died: divinity did not die. In His divinity, Christ possessed the power to break the bonds of death. He declares that He has life in Himself to quicken whom He will. {5BC 1113.6} [5BC 1113.7] All created beings live by the will and power of God. They are recipients of the life of the Son of God. However able and talented, however large their capacities, they are replenished with life from the Source of all life. He is the spring, the fountain, of life. Only He who alone hath immortality, dwelling in light and life, could say, "I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again." . . . {5BC 1113.7} [5BC 1113.8] Christ was invested with the right to give immortality. The life which He had laid down in humanity, He again took 1114 up and gave to humanity. "I am come," He says, "that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (YI Aug. 4, 1898). {5BC 1113.8} [5BC 1114.1] Only the Father Could Release Christ.--He who died for the sins of the world was to remain in the tomb the allotted time. He was in that stony prison house as a prisoner of divine justice. He was responsible to the Judge of the universe. He was bearing the sins of the world, and His Father only could release Him. A strong guard of mighty angels kept watch over the tomb, and had a hand been raised to remove the body, the flashing forth of their glory would have laid him who ventured powerless on the earth. {5BC 1114.1} [5BC 1114.2] There was only one entrance to the tomb, and neither human force nor fraud could tamper with the stone that guarded the entrance. Here Jesus rested during the Sabbath. But prophecy had pointed out that on the third day Christ would rise from the dead. Christ Himself had assured His disciples of this. "Destroy this temple," He said, "and in three days I will raise it up." Christ never committed sin, neither was guile found in His mouth. His body was to come forth from the tomb untarnished by corruption (MS 94, 1897). - {5BC 1114.2} [5BC 1114.3] Luke Chapter 1 1-4. See EGW on Acts 1:1-5. {5BC 1114.3} [5BC 1114.4] 5-17. An Answer to Prayer.--Throughout his married life, Zacharias had prayed for a son. He and his wife were now old, and as yet their prayer had remained unanswered; but he murmured not. God had not forgotten. He had his appointed time for answering this prayer, and when the case seemed hopeless, Zacharias received his answer. . . . {5BC 1114.4} [5BC 1114.5] As Zacharias entered the holy place, and performed the required service with solemn reverence, another form appeared, standing between the altar and the table of shewbread. It was Gabriel, the mighty messenger of God . . . ［Luke 1:12-17 quoted］. {5BC 1114.5} [5BC 1114.6] The answer had come. God had not forgotten the prayer of His servants. He had written it in His record book, to be answered in His own good time. Looking at outward appearances, Zacharias and Elisabeth had buried their hopes; but the Lord had not forgotten. He knew of the long years of disappointment, and when His own name could best be glorified, their son was born. How tender, how kind, how full of love and compassion, is the great heart of infinite love. God gave Zacharias as a son no ordinary person, but one who should hold a high place in His work, and from whom the light from heaven should shine in clear, distinct rays (MS 27, 1898). {5BC 1114.6} [5BC 1114.7] 17. See EGW on Matthew 11:14. {5BC 1114.7} [5BC 1114.8] 22. Shining With Reflected Light.--When Zacharias came out of the temple, his countenance was shining with the light which the heavenly angel had reflected upon him. But he could not speak to the people. He made signs to them that an angel had appeared to him in the temple, and because of his unbelief he was deprived of the power of speech, until the prediction of the angel should be fulfilled (2SP 45). {5BC 1114.8} [5BC 1114.9] 31-35. See EGW on John 1:1-3, 14. {5BC 1114.9} [5BC 1114.10] 35 (see EGW on John 1:1-3, 14). The Son of God in a New Sense.--Christ brought men and women power to overcome. He came to this world in human form, to live a man amongst men. He assumed the liabilities of human nature, to be proved and tried. In His humanity He was a partaker of the divine nature. In His incarnation He gained in a new sense the title of the Son of God. Said the angel to Mary, "The power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." While the Son of a human being, He 1115 became the Son of God in a new sense. Thus He stood in our world--the Son of God, yet allied by birth to the human race. . . . {5BC 1114.10} [5BC 1115.1] From all eternity Christ was united with the Father, and when He took upon Himself human nature, He was still one with God. He is the link that unites God with humanity ［Hebrews 2:14 quoted］ (ST Aug. 2, 1905). {5BC 1115.1} [5BC 1115.2] 76, 77 (ch. 3:2-4; Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:1-3; Mark 1:1-3; 1:19-23). John Born for a Special Work.--In every stage of this earth's history God has had His agencies to carry forward His work, which must be done in His appointed way. John the Baptist had a special work, for which he was born and to which he was appointed--the work of preparing the way of the Lord. . . . His wilderness ministry was a most striking, literal fulfillment of prophecy (MS 112, 1901). {5BC 1115.2} [5BC 1115.3] 80. No Suitable School.--There was a great work appointed for the prophet John, but there was no school on the earth with which he could connect. His learning must be obtained away from the cities, in the wilderness. The Old Testament Scriptures, God, and the nature which God had created, were to be his study books. God was fitting John for his work of preparing the way of the Lord. His food was simply locusts and wild honey. The customs and practices of men were not to be the education of this man. Worldly engrossment was to act no part in the formation of his character (MS 131, 1901). {5BC 1115.3} [5BC 1115.4] Satan Had Access Despite Closed Avenues.--John did not feel strong enough to stand the great pressure of temptation he would meet in society. He feared his character would be molded according to the prevailing customs of the Jews, and he chose the wilderness as his school, in which his mind could be properly educated and disciplined from God's great book of nature. In the wilderness, John could the more readily deny himself and bring his appetite under control, and dress in accordance to natural simplicity. And there was nothing in the wilderness that would take his mind from meditation and prayer. Satan had access to John, even after he had closed every avenue in his power through which he would enter. But his habits of life were so pure and natural that he could discern the foe, and had strength of spirit and decision of character to resist him. {5BC 1115.4} [5BC 1115.5] The book of nature was open before John with its inexhaustible store of varied instruction. He sought the favor of God, and the Holy Spirit rested upon him, and kindled in his heart a glowing zeal to do the great work of calling the people to repentance, and to a higher and holier life. John was fitting himself, by the privations and hardships of his secluded life, to so control all his physical and mental powers that he could stand among the people as unmoved by surrounding circumstances as the rocks and mountains of the wilderness that had surrounded him for thirty years (2SP 47). {5BC 1115.5} [5BC 1115.6] Satan Could Not Move John.--The childhood, youth, and manhood of John, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah to do a special work in preparing the way for the world's Redeemer, was marked with firmness and moral power. Satan could not move him from his integrity (RH March 3, 1874). {5BC 1115.6} [5BC 1115.7] Chapter 2 9. Strengthened to Endure Greater Light.--［Luke 2:8, 9 quoted.］ . . . Suddenly the heavens are lighted up with a brightness which alarms the shepherds. They know not the reason of this grand display. They do not at first discern the myriads of angels that are congregated in the heavens. The brightness and glory from the heavenly host illuminate and glorify the entire plain. While the shepherds are terrified at the glory of God, the leading angel of the throng quiets their fears by revealing himself to them, saying, "Fear not. . . ." {5BC 1115.7} [5BC 1115.8] As their fears are dispelled, joy takes the place of astonishment and terror. They could not, at first, bear the radiance of glory, which attended the whole heavenly host, to break upon them suddenly. One angel only appears to the gaze of the watching shepherds to dissipate their fears, and make known their mission. As the light of the angel encircles them, the glory rests upon them, and they are strengthened to endure the greater light and glory attending the myriads of heavenly angels (2SP 17, 18). 1116 {5BC 1115.8} [5BC 1116.1] 13, 14, 29-32. Satan Filled With Frenzy.--The heavenly heralds aroused all the wrath of the synagogue of Satan. He followed the steps of those who had charge of the infant Jesus. He heard the prophecy of Simeon in the temple courts, who had long been waiting for the consolation of Israel. The Holy Ghost was upon him and he came by the Spirit into the temple. Taking the infant Saviour in his arms, he blessed God, and said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." Satan was filled with frenzy as he saw that the aged Simeon recognized the divinity of Christ (RH Oct. 29, 1895). {5BC 1116.1} [5BC 1116.2] 25-32. In the Atmosphere of Heaven.--Simeon no sooner saw the infant in the priest's arms than he was divinely impressed . . . ［Luke 2:29-32 quoted］. {5BC 1116.2} [5BC 1116.3] Simeon realized that he held in his arms One who was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There was at this time nothing in Christ's outward appearance to give him this assurance, but Simeon had lived in the atmosphere of heaven. The bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness gave him spiritual discernment. His one desire had been to see Christ. The purity of his life corresponded to the light he had received, and he was prepared for the revelation of the great truth that this helpless infant was the Lord's anointed, even the Messiah. Joy and exultation transfigured his face as he held in his arms God's most precious gift to men. His illumined mind received the light flowing from the Source of all light. He saw that Christ was to be the hope of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews. The walls of tradition built up by Jewish prejudice did not exist in his mind. He realized that the Messiah was to bring redemption to all (RH April 2, 1901). {5BC 1116.3} [5BC 1116.4] Two Classes Represented.--Simeon and the priests represent two classes--those who are guided by the Spirit of God because they are willing to be instructed, and those who, refusing to receive the light which would lead them into all truth, are guided by the spirit of the power of darkness, and are daily being led into deeper darkness. {5BC 1116.4} [5BC 1116.5] By divine illumination Simeon understood Christ's mission. The Holy Spirit impressed his heart. But the priests and rulers were imbued with the spirit of the enemy of God; and today the same spirit influences human minds, controlling with power the hearts of men, and making of none effect the appeals of the Spirit (RH April 2, 1901). {5BC 1116.5} [5BC 1116.6] 38. Pious Jews Waited Day and Night.--The pious Jews were looking, believing, and earnestly praying, for the coming of the Messiah. God could not manifest His glory and power to His people through a corrupt priesthood. The set time to favor His people had come. The faith of the Jews had become clouded, in consequence of their departure from God. Many of the leaders of the people brought in their own traditions, and enforced them upon the Jews, as the commandments of God. The pious Jews believed, and trusted in God that He would not leave His people in this condition, to be a reproach to the heathen. He had, in time past, raised them up a deliverer when in their distress they had called upon Him. From the predictions of the prophets, they thought the time appointed of God had arrived when Messiah would come. And when He should come, they would have a clear revelation of the divine will, and that their doctrines would be freed from the traditions and needless ceremonies which had confused their faith. The pious, aged Jews waited day and night for the coming Messiah, praying that they might see the Saviour before they died. They longed to see the cloud of ignorance and bigotry dispelled from the minds of the people (2SP 41, 42). {5BC 1116.6} [5BC 1116.7] 40. An Example of What Children May Strive to Be.--It is not correct to say, as many writers have said, that Christ was like all children. He was not like all children. Many children are misguided and mismanaged. But Joseph, and especially Mary, kept before them the remembrance of their child's divine Fatherhood. Jesus was instructed in accordance with the sacred character of His mission. His 1117 inclination to right was a constant gratification to His parents. The questions He asked them led them to study most earnestly the great elements of truth. His soul-stirring words about nature and the God of nature opened and enlightened their minds. {5BC 1116.7} [5BC 1117.1] On the rocks and knolls about His home the eye of the Son of God often rested. He was familiar with the things of nature. He saw the sun in the heavens, the moon and the stars fulfilling their mission. With the voice of singing He welcomed the morning light. He listened to the lark caroling forth music to its God, and joined His voice with the voice of praise and thanksgiving. . . . {5BC 1117.1} [5BC 1117.2] ［Luke 2:40 quoted.］ He was an example of what all children may strive to be if parents will seek the Lord most earnestly, and if children will cooperate with their parents. In His words and actions He manifested tender sympathy for all. His companionship was as a healing, soothing balm to the disheartened and depressed. {5BC 1117.2} [5BC 1117.3] No one, looking upon the childlike countenance, shining with animation, could say that Christ was just like other children. He was God in human flesh. When urged by His companions to do wrong, divinity flashed through humanity, and He refused decidedly. In a moment He distinguished between right and wrong, and placed sin in the light of God's commands, holding up the law as a mirror which reflected light upon wrong. It was this keen discrimination between right and wrong that often provoked Christ's brothers to anger. Yet His appeals and entreaties, and the sorrow expressed in His countenance, revealed such a tender, earnest love for them that they were ashamed of having tempted Him to deviate from His strict sense of justice and loyalty (YI Sept. 8, 1898). {5BC 1117.3} [5BC 1117.4] 40, 52. Growth in Knowledge and Service.--Though He increased in knowledge, and the grace of God was upon Him, yet He did not become lifted up in pride, or feel that He was above doing the most humble toil. He took His share of the burden, together with His father, mother, and brethren. He toiled to sustain the family, and shared in the work that would meet the expenses of the household. Though His wisdom had astonished the doctors, yet He meekly subjected Himself to His human guardians, bore His part in the family burdens, and worked with His own hands as any toiler would work. It is stated of Jesus that (as He advanced in years) He "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." {5BC 1117.4} [5BC 1117.5] The knowledge He was daily obtaining of His wonderful mission did not disqualify Him for performing the most humble duties. He cheerfully took up the work that devolves upon youth who dwell in humble households pressed by poverty. He understood the temptations of children; for He bore their sorrows and trials. Firm and steadfast was His purpose to do the right. Though enticed to evil, He refused to depart in a single instance from the strictest truth and rectitude. He maintained perfect filial obedience; but His spotless life aroused the envy and jealousy of His brethren. His childhood and youth were anything but smooth and joyous. His brethren did not believe on Him, and were annoyed because He did not in all things act as they did, and become one of them in the practice of evil. In His home life He was cheerful, but never boisterous. He ever maintained the attitude of a learner. He took great delight in nature, and God was His teacher (ST July 30, 1896). {5BC 1117.5} [5BC 1117.6] The Light and Joy of the Family.--Christ is the ideal for all humanity. He has left a perfect example for childhood, youth, and manhood. He came to this earth, and passed through the different phases of human life. He talked and acted like other children and youth, except that He did no wrong. Sin found no place in His life. Ever He lived in an atmosphere of heavenly purity. From childhood to manhood He preserved unsullied His trust in God. The Word says of Him, . . . He "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." {5BC 1117.6} [5BC 1117.7] In the sanctuary of the home, Jesus received His education, not merely from His parents, but from His heavenly Father. As He grew older, God opened to Him more and more of the great work before Him. But notwithstanding His knowledge of this, He assumed no airs of superiority. Never 1118 did He by disrespect cause His parents pain or anxiety. He delighted to honor and obey them. Although He was not ignorant of His great mission, He consulted their wishes, and submitted to their authority. {5BC 1117.7} [5BC 1118.1] Christ had been Commander of the heavenly host; but He did not because of this excuse Himself from labor, allowing His parents to support Him. While still quite young, He learned a trade, and faithfully discharged His daily duties, contributing to the support of the family. {5BC 1118.1} [5BC 1118.2] Christ was the light and joy of the family circle (YI Aug. 22, 1901). {5BC 1118.2} [5BC 1118.3] 41-49. No Lesson to Be Lost.--Not one act in the life of Christ was unimportant. Every event of His life was for the benefit of His followers in future time. This circumstance of the tarry of Christ in Jerusalem teaches an important lesson to those who should believe on Him. . . . {5BC 1118.3} [5BC 1118.4] Jesus was acquainted with hearts. He knew that, as the crowd returned in company from Jerusalem, there would be much talking and visiting which would not be seasoned with humility and grace, and the Messiah and His mission would be nearly forgotten. It was His choice to return from Jerusalem with His parents alone; for in being retired, His father and mother would have more time for reflection, and for meditation upon the prophecies which referred to His future sufferings and death. He did not wish the painful events which they were to experience in His offering up His life for the sins of the world, to be new and unexpected to them. He was separated from them in their return to Jerusalem. After the celebration of the Passover, they sought Him sorrowing three days. When He should be slain for the sins of the world, He would be separated from them, lost to them, for three days. But after that, He would reveal Himself to them, and be found of them, and their faith rely upon Him as the Redeemer of the fallen race, the advocate with the Father in their behalf. {5BC 1118.4} [5BC 1118.5] Here is a lesson of instruction to all the followers of Christ. He designed that none of these lessons should be lost, but be written for the benefit of future generations. There is necessity of carefulness of words and actions when Christians are associated together, lest Jesus be forgotten of them, and they pass along careless of the fact that Jesus is not among them. When they are aroused to their condition, they discover that they have journeyed without the presence of Him who could give peace and joy to their hearts, and days are occupied in returning, and searching for Him whom they should have retained with them every moment. Jesus will not be found in the company of those who are careless of His presence, and who engage in conversation having no reference to their Redeemer, in whom they profess their hopes of eternal life are centered. Jesus shuns the company of such, so also do the angels who do His commands. These heavenly messengers are not attracted to the crowd where minds are diverted from heavenly things. These pure and holy spirits cannot remain in the company where Jesus' presence is not desired and encouraged, and His absence not marked. For this reason, great mourning, grief, and discouragement exist. Through lack of meditation, watchfulness, and prayer, they have lost all that is valuable. The divine rays of light emanating from Jesus are not with them, cheering them with their loving, elevating influence. They are enshrouded in gloom, because their careless, irreverent spirit has separated Jesus from their company, and driven the ministering angels from them. Many who attend meetings of devotion, and have been instructed by the servants of God, and been greatly refreshed and blessed in seeking Jesus, have returned to their homes no better than they left them, because they did not feel the importance of praying and watching thereunto, as they returned to their homes. They frequently feel inclined to complain of others, because they realize their loss. Some murmur against God, and do not reproach themselves as being the cause of their own darkness, and sufferings of mind. These should not reflect upon others. The fault is in themselves. They talked and jested, and visited away the heavenly Guest, and themselves they have only to blame. It is the privilege of all to retain Jesus with them. If they do this, their words must be select, seasoned with grace. 1119 The thoughts of their hearts must be disciplined to meditate upon heavenly and divine things (2SP 35-38). {5BC 1118.5} [5BC 1119.1] 46. A Pattern in Courtesy.--After Joseph and Mary had searched for Him for three days, they found Him in the court of the temple, "sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers." He asked His questions with a grace that charmed these learned men. He was a perfect pattern for all youth. Ever He manifested deference and respect for age. The religion of Jesus will never lead any child to be rude and uncourteous (YI Sept. 8, 1898). {5BC 1119.1} [5BC 1119.2] 50, 51. A Constant Ministry.--［Luke 2:50, 51 quoted.］ Christ did not enter upon His public ministry for eighteen years after this, but He was constantly ministering to others, improving every opportunity offered Him. Even in His childhood He spoke words of comfort and tenderness to young and old. His mother could not but mark His words, His spirit, His willing obedience to all her requirements (YI Sept. 8, 1898). {5BC 1119.2} [5BC 1119.3] 51. See EGW on John 2:1, 2. {5BC 1119.3} [5BC 1119.4] Chapter 3 2-4. See EGW on ch. 1:76, 77. {5BC 1119.4} [5BC 1119.5] 7-9. See EGW on Matthew 3:7, 8. {5BC 1119.5} [5BC 1119.6] 15, 16 (John 1:26, 27). No Worldly Aspirations.--The people thought that John might be the promised Messiah. His life was so unselfish, marked with humility and self-denial. His teachings, exhortations, and reproofs, were fervent, sincere, and courageous. In his mission, he turned not to the right or to the left to court the favors or applause of any. He did not aspire to worldly honor or worldly dignity, but was humble in heart and life, and did not assume honors that did not belong to him. He assured his followers that he was not the Christ (2SP 57). {5BC 1119.6} [5BC 1119.7] 21, 22. See EGW on Matthew 3:13-17; 4:1-11. {5BC 1119.7} [5BC 1119.8] Chapter 4 1-4. See EGW on Matthew 4:1-4. {5BC 1119.8} [5BC 1119.9] 1-13. See EGW on Matthew 4:1-11; 2:1, 2. {5BC 1119.9} [5BC 1119.10] 2. See EGW on Matthew 4:1, 2. {5BC 1119.10} [5BC 1119.11] 5-8 (Matthew 4:8-10). Satan Tried to Make a Contract With Christ.-- ［Luke 4:5-8 quoted.］ This presumptuous blasphemy, and insult to Jehovah, excited the indignation of Christ, and led Him to exercise His divine authority, and command Satan in an authoritative, dignified manner to desist. Here Satan, in his pride and arrogance, declared himself to be the rightful and permanent ruler of the world, the possessor of all its glory, as though he had created the world and all the riches and glory contained in it. He endeavored to make a special contract with Christ, to make over to Him at once the whole of his claim, if He would worship him. {5BC 1119.11} [5BC 1119.12] Here Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world. They were presented in the most attractive light. He offered them to Jesus if He would there worship him. He told Jesus that he would relinquish his claims of the possessions of earth. Satan knew that his power must be limited, and finally taken away, if the plan of salvation should be carried out. He knew that if Jesus should die to redeem man, his power would end after a season, and he would be destroyed. Therefore it was his studied plan to prevent, if possible, the completion of the great work which had been commenced by the Son of God. If the plan of man's redemption should fail, he would retain the kingdom which he then claimed. And if he should succeed, he flattered himself that he would reign in opposition to the God of heaven (Redemption: or The First Advent of Christ, pp. 50, 51). {5BC 1119.12} [5BC 1119.13] 6. Two Parties and Two Banners.--Satan has called this world his territory. Here his seat is, and he holds in allegiance to himself all who refuse to keep God's commandments, who reject a plain, "Thus saith the Lord." They stand under the enemy's banner; for there are but two parties in the world. All rank either under the banner of the obedient or under the banner of the disobedient (MS 41, 1898). {5BC 1119.13} [5BC 1119.14] 8. See EGW on Matthew 4:10. {5BC 1119.14} [5BC 1119.15] 13. See EGW on Matthew 4:11. {5BC 1119.15} [5BC 1119.16] 18, 19. (Matthew 7:29; 22:29; Mark 12:37). The Gospel to the Poor.-- Christ came to 1120 preach the gospel to the poor. He reached the people where they were. He brought plain, simple truth to their comprehension. How simple His language! Even the poorest, the unlearned and ignorant, could understand Him. Not one needed go to a dictionary to obtain the meaning of the high-sounding titles or words that fell from the lips of the greatest Teacher the world ever knew. While the priests, the rulers, and the expounders of the law were considering themselves as the only teachers of the people, He told these learned rabbis that they were both ignorant of the Scriptures and of the power of God (RH July 19, 1887). {5BC 1119.16} [5BC 1120.1] Chapter 5 29 (Matthew 9:9, 10; Mark 2:14, 15). Matthew Honored Christ Before Friends.--In his grateful humility, Matthew desired to show his appreciation of the honor bestowed upon him, and, calling together those who had been his associates in business, in pleasure, and sin, he made a great feast for the Saviour. If Jesus would call him, who was so sinful and unworthy, He would surely accept his former companions who were, thought Matthew, far more deserving than himself. Matthew had a great longing that they should share the benefits of the mercies and grace of Christ. He desired them to know that Christ did not, as did the scribes and Pharisees, despise and hate the publicans and sinners. He wanted them to know Christ as the blessed Saviour. {5BC 1120.1} [5BC 1120.2] At the feast the Saviour occupied the most honored seat. Matthew was now the servant of Christ, and he would have his friends know in what light he regarded his Leader and Master. He would have them know that he felt highly honored in entertaining so royal a guest. {5BC 1120.2} [5BC 1120.3] Jesus never refused an invitation to such a feast. The object ever before Him was to sow in the hearts of His hearers the seeds of truth, through His winning conversation to draw hearts to Himself. In His every act Christ had a purpose, and the lesson which He gave on this occasion was timely and appropriate. By this act He declared that even publicans and sinners were not excluded from His presence. Publicans and sinners could now bear the testimony that Christ honored them with His presence and conversed with them (MS 3, 1898). {5BC 1120.3} [5BC 1120.4] 30. See EGW on Matthew 9:11. {5BC 1120.4} [5BC 1120.5] 31, 32. See EGW on Matthew 9:12, 13. {5BC 1120.5} [5BC 1120.6] 32. See EGW on Matthew 9:13. {5BC 1120.6} [5BC 1120.7] 37, 38. See EGW on Matthew 9:17. {5BC 1120.7} [5BC 1120.8] Chapter 6 37. See EGW on Matthew 7:1, 2. {5BC 1120.8} [5BC 1120.9] Chapter 7 29, 30 (Matthew 13:15; John 12:39, 40). Pharisees Did Not Blindly Oppose Christ.--The scribes, Pharisees, and rulers were determined that they would not see the evidences of truth, and they evaded the most manifest conclusions. To justify their course of stubborn unbelief, they lost no possible opportunity of seizing upon anything in the teaching of Jesus that they could misconstrue, misapply, or falsify. When there was no possibility of misapplying the truth of Christ's words, these men who rejected the counsel of God against themselves, started questions that had no reference to the matter in hand, so as to attract the attention of the people away from the lesson that Jesus sought to teach, and adroitly evade the truth. The Pharisees were not blindly opposing the doctrines of Christ; for the truth made deep impressions upon their minds; but they resisted truth, and went contrary to their convictions, closing their eyes lest they should see, hardening the heart, lest they should perceive, and be converted, and Christ should heal them (RH Oct. 18, 1892). {5BC 1120.9} [5BC 1120.10] Chapter 8 46. See EGW on Acts 19:11, 12, 17. {5BC 1120.10} [5BC 1120.11] Chapter 9 23 (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; see EGW on Matthew 11:28-30). Shunning Cross Means Shunning Reward.--［Luke 9:23 quoted.］ These words are spoken to every one who desires to be a Christian. He who shuns the cross shuns the reward promised to the faithful (Letter 144, 1901). {5BC 1120.11} [5BC 1120.12] 28-31. See EGW on Matthew 17:1-3. 1121 {5BC 1120.12} [5BC 1121.1] Chapter 10 13-15. See EGW on Matthew 11:20-24. {5BC 1121.1} [5BC 1121.2] 27. See EGW on Matthew 22:37-39; Mark 12:30. {5BC 1121.2} [5BC 1121.3] Chapter 11 15. See EGW on Matthew 12:24-32. {5BC 1121.3} [5BC 1121.4] 21-23. See EGW on Matthew 12:29, 30. {5BC 1121.4} [5BC 1121.5] 23. See EGW on Matthew 16:24. {5BC 1121.5} [5BC 1121.6] 24-26. See EGW on Matthew 12:43-45. {5BC 1121.6} [5BC 1121.7] 31. See EGW on Matthew 12:42. {5BC 1121.7} [5BC 1121.8] 42-44. See EGW on Matthew 23:13-33. {5BC 1121.8} [5BC 1121.9] Chapter 12 1 (Matthew 16:6). Hypocrisy Is Like Leaven.--［Luke 12:1 quoted.］ . . . Our Saviour presented before the people of that time the character of their sins. His plain words aroused the consciences of the hearers, but Satan's counter-working agencies were seeking for a place for their theories, to attract minds from the plainly spoken truth. As the great Teacher would speak impressive truth, the scribes and Pharisees, under pretense of being interested, would assemble around the disciples and Christ, and divert the minds of the disciples by starting questions to create controversy. They pretended that they wanted to know the truth. Christ was interrupted on this occasion as on many similar occasions. And He wished His disciples to listen to the words He had to say, and not allow anything to attract and hold their attention. Therefore He warned them, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." They feigned a desire to get as close as possible to the inner circle. As the Lord Jesus presented truth in contrast to error, the Pharisees pretended to be desirous of understanding the truth, yet they were trying to lead His mind in other channels. {5BC 1121.9} [5BC 1121.10] Hypocrisy is like leaven or yeast. Leaven may be hidden in the flour, and its presence is not known until it produces its effect. By insinuating itself, it soon pervades the whole mass. Hypocrisy works secretly, and if indulged, it will fill the mind with pride and vanity. There are deceptions practiced now similar to those practiced by the Pharisees. When the Saviour gave this caution, it was to warn all who believe in Him to be on guard. Watch against imbibing this spirit, and becoming like those who tried to ensnare the Saviour (MS 43, 1896). {5BC 1121.10} [5BC 1121.11] 10. See EGW on Matthew 12:31, 32. {5BC 1121.11} [5BC 1121.12] 16-21. See EGW on 1 Samuel 25:10, 11. {5BC 1121.12} [5BC 1121.13] 35. See EGW on Matthew 25:7. {5BC 1121.13} [5BC 1121.14] 48 (John 15:22). God's Tests Differ.-- God's test of the heathen, who have not the light, and of those living where the knowledge of truth and light has been abundant, is altogether different. He accepts from those in heathen lands a phase of righteousness which does not satisfy Him when offered by those of Christian lands. He does not require much where much has not been bestowed (MS 130, 1899). {5BC 1121.14} [5BC 1121.15] 50. See EGW on Matthew 26:42. {5BC 1121.15} [5BC 1121.16] 51. See EGW on Matthew 10:34. {5BC 1121.16} [5BC 1121.17] Chapter 13 18. See EGW on Mark 4:30. {5BC 1121.17} [5BC 1121.18] 34, 35. See EGW on Matthew 23:37-39. {5BC 1121.18} [5BC 1121.19] Chapter 14 16, 17. See EGW on Matthew 22:2-4. {5BC 1121.19} [5BC 1121.20] 28-33. The Weak May Do Deeds of Omnipotence.--To us as well as to the disciples, Christ has given the work of carrying the truth to the world. But before engaging in this great and aggressive warfare, upon which eternal results depend, Christ invites all to count the cost. He assures them that if they take hold of the work with undivided hearts, giving themselves as light bearers to the world, if they will take hold of His strength, they will make peace with Him, and obtain supernatural assistance that will enable them in their weakness to do the deeds of Omnipotence. If they go forward with faith in God, they will not fail nor become discouraged, but will have the assurance of infallible success (RH March 15, 1898). {5BC 1121.20} [5BC 1121.21] Chapter 16 13. See EGW on Matthew 6:24. {5BC 1121.21} [5BC 1121.22] Chapter 17 5. Increasing Faith.--You have to talk faith, you have to live faith, you have to act faith, that you may have an increase of faith; and thus exercising that living 1122 faith you will grow to strong men and women in Christ Jesus (MS 1, 1889). {5BC 1121.22} [5BC 1122.1] 10 (Ephesians 1:6; 2:8-10; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 2:14; 3:5; James 2:22). Good Works No Plea for Salvation.--Our acceptance with God is sure only through His beloved Son, and good works are but the result of the working of His sin-pardoning love. They are no credit to us, and we have nothing accorded to us for our good works by which we may claim a part in the salvation of our souls. Salvation is God's free gift to the believer, given to him for Christ's sake alone. The troubled soul may find peace through faith in Christ, and his peace will be in proportion to his faith and trust. He cannot present his good works as a plea for the salvation of his soul. {5BC 1122.1} [5BC 1122.2] But are good works of no real value? Is the sinner who commits sin every day with impunity, regarded of God with the same favor as the one who through faith in Christ tries to work in his integrity? The Scripture answers, "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." In His divine arrangement, through His unmerited favor, the Lord has ordained that good works shall be rewarded. We are accepted through Christ's merit alone; and the acts of mercy, the deeds of charity, which we perform, are the fruits of faith; and they become a blessing to us; for men are to be rewarded according to their works. It is the fragrance of the merit of Christ that makes our good works acceptable to God, and it is grace that enables us to do the works for which He rewards us. Our works in and of themselves have no merit. When we have done all that it is possible for us to do, we are to count ourselves as unprofitable servants. We deserve no thanks from God. We have only done what it was our duty to do, and our works could not have been performed in the strength of our own sinful natures. {5BC 1122.2} [5BC 1122.3] The Lord has bidden us to draw nigh to Him and He will draw nigh to us; and drawing nigh to Him, we receive the grace by which to do those works which will be rewarded at His hands (RH Jan. 29, 1895). {5BC 1122.3} [5BC 1122.4] 28-30 (Genesis 19:24, 25). Rocked in Cradle of Carnal Security.--As the sun arose for the last time upon the cities of the plain, the people thought to commence another day of godless riot. All were eagerly planning their business or their pleasure, and the messenger of God was derided for his fears and his warnings. Suddenly as the thunder peal from an unclouded sky, fell balls of fire on the doomed capital. "So shall also the coming of the Son of man be." The people will be eating and drinking, planting and building, marrying and giving in marriage, until the wrath of God shall be poured out without mixture of mercy. The world will be rocked to sleep in the cradle of carnal security . . . . The multitudes are striving to forget God, and they eagerly accept fables, that they may pursue the path of self-indulgence undisturbed (RH Oct. 26, 1886). {5BC 1122.4} [5BC 1122.5] Chapter 18 15-17. See EGW on Matthew 19:13-15. {5BC 1122.5} [5BC 1122.6] 35-43. See EGW on Mark 10:46-52. {5BC 1122.6} [5BC 1122.7] Chapter 19 12, 13. See EGW on Matthew 25:14, 15. {5BC 1122.7} [5BC 1122.8] 41-44. Present Sins Fix Guilt.--The generation that Jesus denounced was not responsible for the sins of their fathers, only so far as they followed their evil practices, and thus made themselves accountable for their course of hatred and revenge in persecuting the ancient messengers of God. It was the present mercies and warnings which that generation were rejecting that fastened upon them guilt which the blood of bulls and goats could not wash away. Proud, self-righteous, and independent, they had separated farther and farther from heaven until they had become willing subjects of Satan. The Jewish nation for centuries had been forging the fetters which that generation were irrevocably fastening upon themselves. (3SP 10, 11). {5BC 1122.8} [5BC 1122.9] 42. See EGW on Matthew 23:37-39. {5BC 1122.9} [5BC 1122.10] 44. See EGW on Matthew 24:2. {5BC 1122.10} [5BC 1122.11] Chapter 21 8. See EGW on Matthew 24:23, 24. {5BC 1122.11} [5BC 1122.12] 16-19. A Desperate Companionship for Evil.--Christ shows that without the controlling power of the Spirit of God humanity is a terrible power for evil. Unbelief, 1123 hatred of reproof, will stir up satanic influences. Principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places will unite in a desperate companionship. They will be leagued against God in the person of His saints. By misrepresentation and falsehood they will demoralize both men and women who to all appearances believe the truth. False witnesses will not be wanting in this terrible work ［Luke 21:16-19 quoted］ (MS 40, 1897). {5BC 1122.12} [5BC 1123.1] 20. Scenes to Be Repeated.--After speaking of the end of the world, Jesus comes back to Jerusalem, the city then sitting in pride and arrogance, and saying, "I sit a queen, ... and shall see no sorrow." As His prophetic eye rested upon Jerusalem, He sees that as she was given up to destruction, the world will be given up to its doom. The scenes that transpired at the destruction of Jerusalem will be repeated at the great and terrible day of the Lord, but in a more fearful manner (MS 40, 1897). {5BC 1123.1} [5BC 1123.2] Chapter 22 1, 2. See EGW on Matthew 26:3. {5BC 1123.2} [5BC 1123.3] 3-5 (Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10, 11; John 13:2, 27). Christ Purchased by Temple Money.--At the Passover the case of Judas was decided. Satan took control of heart and mind. He thought that Christ was either to be crucified, or would have to deliver Himself out of the hands of His enemies. At all events, he would make something out of the transaction, and make a sharp bargain by betraying his Lord. He went to the priests and offered to aid them in searching for Him who was accounted the troubler of Israel. Thus it was that the Lord was sold as a slave, purchased by the temple money used for the buying of the sacrifices (ST Dec. 17, 1912). {5BC 1123.3} [5BC 1123.4] 31, 32. See EGW on Matthew 16:22, 23. {5BC 1123.4} [5BC 1123.5] 31-34 (Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:29-31). Peter Tempted the Devil.-- ［Luke 22:31 quoted.］ How true was the Saviour's friendship for Peter! how compassionate His warning! But the warning was resented. In self-sufficiency Peter declared confidently that he would never do what Christ had warned him against. "Lord," he said, "I am ready to go with thee to prison and to death." His self-confidence proved his ruin. He tempted Satan to tempt him, and he fell under the arts of the wily foe. When Christ needed him most, he stood on the side of the enemy, and openly denied his Lord (MS 115, 1902). {5BC 1123.5} [5BC 1123.6] 39-46. See EGW on Matthew 26:36-46. {5BC 1123.6} [5BC 1123.7] 42 (Matthew 26:42; Mark 14:36; see EGW on Romans 8:11). Father Is Beside Every Struggling Soul.--Christ conquered by divine strength, and so must every tempted soul overcome. God was with Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, and by the experience of Christ we are to learn to trust our heavenly Father; at all times and in all places we are to believe that He is tender, true, and faithful, able to keep that which is committed to His care. In the agonizing struggle of Christ, our Substitute and Surety, the Father was beside His son, and He is beside every soul that struggles with discouragement and difficulty (Letter 106, 1896). {5BC 1123.7} [5BC 1123.8] 42, 43. Gabriel Strengthened Christ.--In the supreme crisis, when heart and soul are breaking under the load of sin, Gabriel is sent to strengthen the divine sufferer, and brace Him to tread His bloodstained path. And while the angel supports His fainting form, Christ takes the bitter cup, and consents to drink its contents. Before the suffering One comes up the wail of a lost and perishing world, and the words come from the blood-stained lips, "Nevertheless, if man must perish unless I drink this bitter cup, Thy will, not Mine, be done" (ST Dec. 9, 1897). {5BC 1123.8} [5BC 1123.9] 43. Life Hid in Christ Cannot Be Touched.--The strength given to Christ in the hour of bodily suffering and mental anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane, has been and will be given to those who suffer for His dear name's sake. The same grace given to Jesus, the same comfort, the more than mortal steadfastness, will be given to every believing child of God, who is brought into perplexity and suffering, and threatened with imprisonment and death, by Satan's agents. Never has a soul that trusts in Christ been left to perish. The rack, the stake, the many inventions of 1124 cruelty, may kill the body, but they cannot touch the life that is hid with Christ in God (ST June 3, 1897). {5BC 1123.9} [5BC 1124.1] 44 (Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 2:14-17). Christ Took No Make-believe Humanity.--Of Christ it is said, "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." We need to realize the truth of Christ's manhood in order to appreciate the truth of the above words. It was not a make-believe humanity that Christ took upon Himself. He took human nature and lived human nature. Christ worked no miracles in His own behalf. He was compassed with infirmities, but His divine nature knew what was in man. He needed not that any should testify to Him of this. The Spirit was given Him without measure; for His mission on earth demanded this. {5BC 1124.1} [5BC 1124.2] Christ's life represents a perfect manhood. Just that which you may be, He was in human nature. He took our infirmities. He was not only made flesh, but He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. His divine attributes were withheld from relieving His soul anguish or His bodily pains (Letter 106, 1896). {5BC 1124.2} [5BC 1124.3] 44, 53 (See EGW on Matthew 26:42). Passing Into the Hands of the Powers of Darkness.--Could mortals view the amazement and sorrow of the angels as they watched in silent grief the Father separating His beams of light, love, and glory, from His Son, they would better understand how offensive is sin in His sight. As the Son of God in the Garden of Gethsemane bowed in the attitude of prayer, the agony of His Spirit forced from His pores sweat like great drops of blood. It was here that the horror of great darkness surrounded Him. The sins of the world were upon Him. He was suffering in man's stead, as a transgressor of His Father's law. Here was the scene of temptation. The divine light of God was receding from His vision, and He was passing into the hands of the powers of darkness. In the agony of His soul He lay prostrate on the cold earth. He was realizing His Father's frown. The cup of suffering Christ had taken from the lips of guilty man, and proposed to drink it Himself, and, in its place, give to man the cup of blessing. The wrath that would have fallen upon man, was now falling upon Christ (Sufferings of Christ, pp. 17, 18). {5BC 1124.3} [5BC 1124.4] 45. See EGW on Matthew 26:43. {5BC 1124.4} [5BC 1124.5] 54. See EGW on Matthew 26:3. {5BC 1124.5} [5BC 1124.6] 70 (Matthew 10:32; 26:63, 64; Mark 14:61, 62). A Time to Speak.-- When Jesus was asked the question, Art thou the Son of God? He knew that to answer in the affirmative would make His death certain; a denial would leave a stain upon His humanity. There was a time to be silent, and a time to speak. He had not spoken until plainly interrogated. In His lessons to His disciples He had declared: "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven." When challenged, Jesus did not deny His relationship with God. In that solemn moment His character was at stake and must be vindicated. He left on that occasion an example for man to follow under similar circumstances. He would teach him not to apostatize from his faith to escape suffering or even death (3SP 127). {5BC 1124.6} [5BC 1124.7] Chapter 23 18-25. See EGW on Matthew 27:15-26. {5BC 1124.7} [5BC 1124.8] 20-23. See EGW on Matthew 27:22, 23. {5BC 1124.8} [5BC 1124.9] 23, 24. See EGW on Matthew 27:25, 26. {5BC 1124.9} [5BC 1124.10] 26. See EGW on Matthew 27:32. {5BC 1124.10} [5BC 1124.11] 33. See EGW on Matthew 27:38. {5BC 1124.11} [5BC 1124.12] 38. See EGW on Matthew 27:37. {5BC 1124.12} [5BC 1124.13] 40-43. Salvation in the Last Hours of Life.--Some among the redeemed will have laid hold of Christ in the last hours of life, and in heaven instruction will be given to these, who, when they died, did not understand perfectly the plan of salvation. Christ will lead the redeemed ones beside the river of life, and will open to them that which while on this earth they could not understand (Letter 203, 1905). {5BC 1124.13} [5BC 1124.14] 42, 43. Dying Sinner Lays Hold on Dying Saviour.--To the last of His work Christ is a sin-pardoner. At deepest midnight, as the Star of Bethlehem was about to sink into oblivion, lo there shines amid the moral darkness with distinct brightness the faith of a dying sinner as he lays hold upon a dying Saviour. 1125 {5BC 1124.14} [5BC 1125.1] Such faith may be represented by the eleventh hour laborers who receive as much reward as do those who have labored for many hours. The thief asked in faith, in penitence, in contrition. He asked in earnestness, as if he fully realized that Jesus could save him if He would. And the hope in his voice was mingled with anguish as he realized that if He did not, he would be lost, eternally lost. He cast his helpless, dying soul and body on Jesus Christ (MS 52, 1897). {5BC 1125.1} [5BC 1125.2] 44. See EGW on Matthew 27:45. {5BC 1125.2} [5BC 1125.3] 45. See EGW on Matthew 27:51. {5BC 1125.3} [5BC 1125.4] 46. See EGW on Matthew 27:50; 19:30. {5BC 1125.4} [5BC 1125.5] 46, 47. See EGW on Matthew 27:45, 46. {5BC 1125.5} [5BC 1125.6] 47. See EGW on Matthew 27:54. {5BC 1125.6} [5BC 1125.7] Chapter 24 1. See EGW on Mark 16:1, 2. {5BC 1125.7} [5BC 1125.8] 5, 6. See EGW on Mark 16:6. {5BC 1125.8} [5BC 1125.9] 13-15 (Matthew 27:42; Mark 15:31). Grief, Fear, and Wonder Mingled.--Those strong men were so burdened with grief that they wept as they traveled on. Christ's pitying heart of love saw here a sorrow which He could relieve. The disciples were reasoning with each other concerning the events of the past few days, and marveling how the fact of Jesus yielding Himself up to a shameful death could be reconciled with His claims as the Son of God. {5BC 1125.9} [5BC 1125.10] One maintained that He could be no pretender, but had been Himself deceived in regard to His mission and His future glory. They both feared that what His enemies had flung in His teeth was too true--"He saved others; himself he cannot save." Yet they wondered how He could be so mistaken in Himself, when He had given them such repeated evidence that He could read the hearts of others. And the strange reports of the women threw them into still greater uncertainty (3SP 207). {5BC 1125.10} [5BC 1125.11] 13-31. Understanding Bible of First Importance.--Jesus did not first reveal Himself in His true character to them, and then open the Scriptures to their minds; for He knew that they would be so overjoyed to see Him again, risen from the dead, that their souls would be satisfied. They would not hunger for the sacred truths which He wished to impress indelibly upon their minds, that they might impart them to others, who should in their turn spread the precious knowledge, until thousands of people should receive the light given that day to the despairing disciples as they journeyed to Emmaus. {5BC 1125.11} [5BC 1125.12] He maintained His disguise till He had interpreted the Scriptures, and had led them to an intelligent faith in His life, His character, His mission to earth, and His death and resurrection. He wished the truth to take firm root in their minds, not because it was supported by His personal testimony, but because the typical law, and the prophets of the Old Testament, agreeing with the facts of His life and death, presented unquestionable evidence of that truth. When the object of His labors with the two disciples was gained, He revealed Himself to them, that their joy might be full, and then vanished from their sight (ST Oct. 6, 1909). {5BC 1125.12} [5BC 1125.13] 15, 16. Jesus Smooths Hard Paths.--This mighty conqueror of death, who had reached to the very depths of human misery to rescue a lost world, assumed the humble task of walking with the two disciples to Emmaus, to teach and comfort them. Thus He ever identifies Himself with His suffering and perplexed people. In our hardest and most trying paths, lo, Jesus is with us to smooth the way. He is the same Son of man, with the same sympathies and love which He had before He passed through the tomb and ascended to His Father (3SP 212). {5BC 1125.13} [5BC 1125.14] 39 (Acts 1:9-11). Christ Took Humanity With Him.--Christ ascended to heaven, bearing a sanctified, holy humanity. He took this humanity with Him into the heavenly courts, and through the eternal ages He will bear it, as the One who has redeemed every human being in the city of God, the One who has pleaded before the Father, "I have graven them upon the palms of my hands." The palms of His hands bear the marks of the wounds that He received. If we are wounded and bruised, if we meet with difficulties that are hard to manage, let us remember how much Christ suffered for us. Let us sit together with our brethren in heavenly places in Christ. Let us bring heaven's 1126 blessing into our hearts (RH March 9, 1905). {5BC 1125.14} [5BC 1126.1] Jesus took the nature of humanity, in order to reveal to man a pure, unselfish love, to teach us how to love one another. {5BC 1126.1} [5BC 1126.2] As a man Christ ascended to heaven. As a man He is the substitute and surety for humanity. As a man He liveth to make intercession for us. He is preparing a place for all who love Him. As a man He will come again with power and glory, to receive His children. And that which should cause us joy and thanksgiving is, that God "hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained." Then we may have the assurance forever that the whole unfallen universe is interested in the grand work Jesus came to our world to accomplish, even the salvation of man (MS 16, 1890). {5BC 1126.2} [5BC 1126.3] 50, 51. See EGW on Acts 1:9-11. - {5BC 1126.3} [5BC 1126.4] John Chapter 1 1-3 (Proverbs 8:22-27; Romans 9:5; Philippians 2:6; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:8). The Eternity of Christ.--If Christ made all things, He existed before all things. The words spoken in regard to this are so decisive that no one need be left in doubt. Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity. God over all, blessed forevermore. {5BC 1126.4} [5BC 1126.5] The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father. He was the surpassing glory of heaven. He was the commander of the heavenly intelligences, and the adoring homage of the angels was received by Him as His right. This was no robbery of God ［Proverbs 8:22-27 quoted］. {5BC 1126.5} [5BC 1126.6] There are light and glory in the truth that Christ was One with the Father before the foundation of the world was laid. This is the light shining in a dark place, making it resplendent with divine, original glory. This truth, infinitely mysterious in itself, explains other mysterious and otherwise unexplainable truths, while it is enshrined in light unapproachable and incomprehensible (RH April 5, 1906). {5BC 1126.6} [5BC 1126.7] 1-3, 14 (Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:6, 8; 2:14-17; see EGW on Mark 16:6). Divine-Human Saviour.--The apostle would call our attention from ourselves to the Author of our salvation. He presents before us His two natures, divine and human. Here is the description of the divine: "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." He was "the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person." {5BC 1126.7} [5BC 1126.8] Now, of the human: He "was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death." He voluntarily assumed human nature. It was His own act, and by His own consent. He clothed His divinity with humanity. He was all the while as God, but He did not appear as God. He veiled the demonstrations of Deity, which had commanded the homage, and called forth the admiration, of the universe of God. He was God while upon earth, but He divested Himself of the form of God, and in its stead took the form and fashion of a man. He walked the earth as a man. For our sakes He became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich. He laid aside His glory and His majesty. He was God, but the glories of the form of God He for a while relinquished. Though He walked among men in poverty, scattering His blessings wherever He went, at His word legions of angels would surround their Redeemer, and do Him homage. But He walked the earth unrecognized, unconfessed, with but few exceptions, by His creatures. The atmosphere was polluted with sin and curses, in place of the anthem of praise. His lot was poverty 1127 and humiliation. As He passed to and fro upon His mission of mercy to relieve the sick, to lift up the depressed, scarce a solitary voice called Him blessed, and the very greatest of the nation passed Him by with disdain. {5BC 1126.8} [5BC 1127.1] Contrast this with the riches of glory, the wealth of praise pouring forth from immortal tongues, the millions of rich voices in the universe of God in anthems of adoration. But He humbled Himself, and took mortality upon Him. As a member of the human family, He was mortal; but as a God, He was the fountain of life to the world. He could, in His divine person, ever have withstood the advances of death, and refused to come under its dominion; but He voluntarily laid down His life, that in so doing He might give life and bring immortality to light. He bore the sins of the world, and endured the penalty, which rolled like a mountain upon His divine soul. He yielded up His life a sacrifice, that man should not eternally die. He died, not through being compelled to die, but by His own free will. This was humility. The whole treasure of heaven was poured out in one gift to save fallen man. He brought into His human nature all the life-giving energies that human beings will need and must receive. {5BC 1127.1} [5BC 1127.2] Wondrous combination of man and God! He might have helped His human nature to withstand the inroads of disease by pouring from His divine nature vitality and undecaying vigor to the human. But He humbled Himself to man's nature. He did this that the Scripture might be fulfilled; and the plan was entered into by the Son of God, knowing all the steps in His humiliation, that He must descend to make an expiation for the sins of a condemned, groaning world. What humility was this! It amazed angels. The tongue can never describe it; the imagination cannot take it in. The eternal Word consented to be made flesh! God became man! It was a wonderful humility. {5BC 1127.2} [5BC 1127.3] But He stepped still lower; the man must humble Himself as a man to bear insult, reproach, shameful accusations, and abuse. There seemed to be no safe place for Him in His own territory. He had to flee from place to place for His life. He was betrayed by one of His disciples; He was denied by one of His most zealous followers. He was mocked. He was crowned with a crown of thorns. He was scourged. He was forced to bear the burden of the cross. He was not insensible to this contempt and ignominy. He submitted, but, oh! He felt the bitterness as no other being could feel it. He was pure, holy, and undefiled, yet arraigned as a criminal! The adorable Redeemer stepped down from the highest exaltation. Step by step He humbled Himself to die--but what a death! It was the most shameful, the most cruel the death upon the cross as a malefactor. He did not die as a hero in the eyes of the world, loaded with honors, as men in battle. He died as a condemned criminal, suspended between the heavens and the earth--died a lingering death of shame, exposed to the tauntings and revilings of a debased, crime-loaded, profligate multitude! "All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head." Psalm 22:7. He was numbered with the transgressors, He expired amid derision, and His kinsmen according to the flesh disowned Him. His mother beheld His humiliation, and He was forced to see the sword pierce her heart. He endured the cross, despised the shame. He made it of small account in consideration of the results that He was working out in behalf of, not only the inhabitants of this speck of a world, but the whole universe, every world which God had created. {5BC 1127.3} [5BC 1127.4] Christ was to die as man's substitute. Man was a criminal under the sentence of death for transgression of the law of God, as a traitor, a rebel; hence a substitute for man must die as a malefactor, because He stood in the place of the traitors, with all their treasured sins upon His divine soul. It was not enough that Jesus should die in order to fully meet the demands of the broken law, but He died a shameful death. The prophet gives to the world His words, "I hid not my face from shame and spitting. {5BC 1127.4} [5BC 1127.5] In consideration of this, can men have one particle of exaltation? As they trace down the life and sufferings and humiliation of Christ, can they lift their proud heads as if they were to bear no trials, 1128 no shame, no humiliation? I say to the followers of Christ, Look to Calvary, and blush for shame at your self-important ideas. All this humiliation of the Majesty of heaven was for guilty, condemned man. He went lower and lower in His humiliation, until there were no lower depths that He could reach, in order to lift man up from his moral defilement. All this was for you who are striving for the supremacy--striving for human praise, for human exaltation; you who are afraid you will not receive all that deference, that respect from human minds, that you think is your due. Is this Christlike? {5BC 1127.5} [5BC 1128.1] "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." He died to make an atonement, and to become a pattern for every one who would be His disciple. Shall selfishness come into your hearts? And will those who set not before them the pattern, Jesus, extol your merits? You have none except as they come through Jesus Christ. Shall pride be harbored after you have seen Deity humbling Himself, and then as man debasing Himself, till there was no lower point to which He could descend? "Be astonished, O ye heavens," and be amazed, ye inhabitants of the earth, that such returns should be made to our Lord! What contempt! what wickedness! what formality! what pride! what efforts made to lift up man and glorify self, when the Lord of glory humbled Himself, agonized, and died the shameful death upon the cross in our behalf (RH Sept. 4, 1900)!. {5BC 1128.1} [5BC 1128.2] Christ could not have come to this earth with the glory that He had in the heavenly courts. Sinful human beings could not have borne the sight. He veiled His divinity with the garb of humanity, but He did not part with His divinity. A divine-human Saviour, He came to stand at the head of the fallen race, to share in their experience from childhood to manhood (RH June 15, 1905). {5BC 1128.2} [5BC 1128.3] Christ had not exchanged His divinity for humanity; but He had clothed His divinity in humanity (RH Oct. 29, 1895). {5BC 1128.3} [5BC 1128.4] (Ch. 14:30; Luke 1:31-35; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 45; Hebrews 4:15.) Be careful, exceedingly careful as to how you dwell upon the human nature of Christ. Do not set Him before the people as a man with the propensities of sin. He is the second Adam. The first Adam was created a pure, sinless being, without a taint of sin upon him; he was in the image of God. He could fall, and he did fall through transgressing. Because of sin his posterity was born with inherent propensities of disobedience. But Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God. He took upon Himself human nature, and was tempted in all points as human nature is tempted. He could have sinned; He could have fallen, but not for one moment was there in Him an evil propensity. He was assailed with temptations in the wilderness, as Adam was assailed with temptations in Eden. {5BC 1128.4} [5BC 1128.5] Bro. _____, avoid every question in relation to the humanity of Christ which is liable to be misunderstood. Truth lies close to the track of presumption. In treating upon the humanity of Christ, you need to guard strenuously every assertion, lest your words be taken to mean more than they imply, and thus you lose or dim the clear perceptions of His humanity as combined with divinity. His birth was a miracle of God; for, said the angel, "Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." {5BC 1128.5} [5BC 1128.6] These words do not refer to any human being, except to the Son of the infinite God. Never, in any way, leave the slightest impression upon human minds that a taint of, or inclination to, corruption rested upon Christ, or that He in any way yielded to corruption. He was tempted in all points like as man is tempted, yet He is called "that holy thing." It is a mystery that is left unexplained to mortals that 1129 Christ could be tempted in all points like as we are, and yet be without sin. The incarnation of Christ has ever been, and will ever remain a mystery. That which is revealed, is for us and for our children, but let every human being be warned from the ground of making Christ altogether human, such an one as ourselves; for it cannot be. The exact time when humanity blended with divinity, it is not necessary for us to know. We are to keep our feet on the Rock Christ Jesus, as God revealed in humanity. {5BC 1128.6} [5BC 1129.1] I perceive that there is danger in approaching subjects which dwell on the humanity of the Son of the infinite God. He did humble Himself when He saw He was in fashion as a man, that He might understand the force of all temptations wherewith man is beset. {5BC 1129.1} [5BC 1129.2] The first Adam fell; the second Adam held fast to God and His Word under the most trying circumstances, and His faith in His Father's goodness, mercy, and love did not waver for one moment. "It is written" was His weapon of resistance, and it is the sword of the Spirit which every human being is to use. "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me"--nothing to respond to temptation. On not one occasion was there a response to his manifold temptations. Not once did Christ step on Satan's ground, to give him any advantage. Satan found nothing in Him to encourage his advances (Letter 8, 1895). {5BC 1129.2} [5BC 1129.3] (Matthew 27:54; 1 Timothy 3:16.) But although Christ's divine glory was for a time veiled and eclipsed by His assuming humanity, yet He did not cease to be God when He became man. The human did not take the place of the divine, nor the divine of the human. This is the mystery of godliness. The two expressions "human" and "divine" were, in Christ, closely and inseparably one, and yet they had a distinct individuality. Though Christ humbled Himself to become man, the Godhead was still His own. His deity could not be lost while He stood faithful and true to His loyalty. Surrounded with sorrow, suffering, and moral pollution, despised and rejected by the people to whom had been intrusted the oracles of heaven, Jesus could yet speak of Himself as the Son of man in heaven. He was ready to take once more His divine glory when His work on earth was done. {5BC 1129.3} [5BC 1129.4] There were occasions when Jesus stood forth while in human flesh as the Son of God. Divinity flashed through humanity, and was seen by the scoffing priests and rulers. Was it acknowledged? Some acknowledged that He was the Christ, but the larger portion of those who upon these special occasions were forced to see that He was the Son of God, refused to receive Him. Their blindness corresponded to their determined resistance of conviction. {5BC 1129.4} [5BC 1129.5] When Christ's indwelling glory flashed forth, it was too intense for His pure and perfect humanity entirely to conceal. The scribes and Pharisees did not speak in acknowledgment of Him, but their enmity and hatred were baffled as His majesty shone forth. The truth, obscured as it was by a veil of humiliation, spoke to every heart with unmistakable evidence. This led to the words of Christ, "Ye know who I am." Men and devils were compelled, by the shining forth of His glory, to confess, "Truly, this is the Son of God." Thus God was revealed; thus Christ was glorified (ST May 10, 1899). {5BC 1129.5} [5BC 1129.6] Christ left His position in the heavenly courts, and came to this earth to live the life of human beings. This sacrifice He made in order to show that Satan's charge against God is false--that it is possible for man to obey the laws of God's kingdom. Equal with the Father, honored and adored by the angels, in our behalf Christ humbled Himself, and came to this earth to live a life of lowliness and poverty--to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Yet the stamp of divinity was upon His humanity. He came as a divine Teacher, to uplift human beings, to increase their physical, mental, and spiritual efficiency. {5BC 1129.6} [5BC 1129.7] There is no one who can explain the mystery of the incarnation of Christ. Yet we know that He came to this earth and lived as a man among men. The man Christ Jesus was not the Lord God Almighty, yet Christ and the Father are one. The Deity did not sink under the agonizing torture of Calvary, yet it is nonetheless 1130 true that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." {5BC 1129.7} [5BC 1130.1] In every possible way Satan sought to prevent Jesus from developing a perfect childhood, a faultless manhood, a holy ministry, and an unblemished sacrifice. But he was defeated. He could not lead Jesus into sin. He could not discourage Him, or drive Him from the work He had come to this earth to do. From the desert to Calvary the storm of Satan's wrath beat upon Him, but the more mercilessly it fell, the more firmly did the Son of God cling to the hand of His Father, and press on in the blood-stained path (MS 140, 1903). {5BC 1130.1} [5BC 1130.2] When Jesus took human nature, and became in fashion as a man, He possessed all the human organism. His necessities were the necessities of a man. He had bodily wants to be supplied, bodily weariness to be relieved. By prayer to the Father He was braced for duty and for trial (Letter 32, 1899). {5BC 1130.2} [5BC 1130.3] 4 (chs. 10:18; 17:3). Christ's Life Was Unborrowed.--"In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." It is not physical life that is here specified, but eternal life, the life which is exclusively the property of God. The Word, who was with God, and who was God, had this life. Physical life is something which each individual received. It is not eternal or immortal; for God, the Lifegiver, takes it again. Man has no control over his life. But the life of Christ was unborrowed. No one can take this life from Him. "I lay it down of myself," He said. In Him was life, original, unborrowed, underived. This life is not inherent in man. He can possess it only through Christ. He cannot earn it; it is given him as a free gift if he will believe in Christ as his personal Saviour. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3. This is the open fountain of life for the world (ST Feb. 13, 1912). {5BC 1130.3} [5BC 1130.4] 12, 13. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 5:17. {5BC 1130.4} [5BC 1130.5] 14 (Philippians 2:6-8; Colossians 1:26, 27; 2:9; Hebrews 1:3; 2:14-18; see EGW on Luke 2:40, 52). The Incarnation an Unfathomable Mystery.--In contemplating the incarnation of Christ in humanity, we stand baffled before an unfathomable mystery, that the human mind cannot comprehend. The more we reflect upon it, the more amazing does it appear. How wide is the contrast between the divinity of Christ and the helpless infant in Bethlehem's manger! How can we span the distance between the mighty God and a helpless child? And yet the Creator of worlds, He in whom was the fullness of the Godhead bodily, was manifest in the helpless babe in the manger. Far higher than any of the angels, equal with the Father in dignity and glory, and yet wearing the garb of humanity! Divinity and humanity were mysteriously combined, and man and God became one. It is in this union that we find the hope of our fallen race. Looking upon Christ in humanity, we look upon God, and see in Him the brightness of His glory, the express image of His person (ST July 30, 1896). {5BC 1130.5} [5BC 1130.6] (Hebrews 2:14; 3:3.) The Wonderful Condescension of God.--The doctrine of the incarnation of Christ in human flesh is a mystery, "even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations." It is the great and profound mystery of godliness. "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Christ took upon Himself human nature, a nature inferior to His heavenly nature. Nothing so shows the wonderful condescension of God as this. . . . {5BC 1130.6} [5BC 1130.7] Christ did not make-believe take human nature; He did verily take it. He did in reality possess human nature. "As the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same." He was the Son of Mary; He was of the seed of David according to human descent. He is declared to be a man, even the man Christ Jesus. "This man," writes Paul, "was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house" (RH April 5, 1906). {5BC 1130.7} [5BC 1130.8] (See EGW on Romans 5:12-19; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 1:1-3.) The Human Characteristics of Jesus.--Jesus was the Commander of heaven, one equal with God, and yet He condescended to lay aside His kingly crown, His royal robe, and clothed His divinity 1131 with humanity. The incarnation of Christ in human flesh is a mystery. He could have come to earth as one with a remarkable appearance, unlike the sons of men. His countenance could have shone with glory, and His form could have been of remarkable grace. He could have presented such an appearance as to charm the beholder; but this was not according to the plan devised in the courts of God. He was to bear the characteristics of the human family, and the Jewish race. In all respects the Son of God was to wear the same features as did other human beings. He was not to have such beauty of person as would make Him singular among men. He was to manifest no wonderful charms by which to attract attention to Himself. He came as a representative of the human family before heaven and earth. He was to stand as man's substitute and surety. He was to live the life of humanity in such a way as to contradict the assertion that Satan had made that humanity was his everlasting possession, and that God Himself could not take man out of His adversary's hands (ST July 30, 1896). {5BC 1130.8} [5BC 1131.1] Veiled Glory of Christ.--Had Christ come in His divine form, humanity could not have endured the sight. The contrast would have been too painful, the glory too overwhelming. Humanity could not have endured the presence of one of the pure, bright angels from glory; therefore Christ took not on Him the nature of angels; He came in the likeness of men. {5BC 1131.1} [5BC 1131.2] But thirty years was all that the world could endure of its Redeemer. For thirty years He dwelt in a world all seared and marred with sin, doing the work that no other one ever had done or ever could do (ST Feb. 15, 1899). {5BC 1131.2} [5BC 1131.3] (Genesis 3:15; Matthew 8:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 1:19.) Perfect Sinlessness of Christ's Human Nature.--In taking upon Himself man's nature in its fallen condition, Christ did not in the least participate in its sin. He was subject to the infirmities and weaknesses by which man is encompassed, "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." He was touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and was in all points tempted like as we are. And yet He "knew no sin." He was the lamb "without blemish and without spot." Could Satan in the least particular have tempted Christ to sin, he would have bruised the Saviour's head. As it was, he could only touch His heel. Had the head of Christ been touched, the hope of the human race would have perished. Divine wrath would have come upon Christ as it came upon Adam. Christ and the church would have been without hope. {5BC 1131.3} [5BC 1131.4] We should have no misgivings in regard to the perfect sinlessness of the human nature of Christ. Our faith must be an intelligent faith, looking unto Jesus in perfect confidence, in full and entire faith in the atoning sacrifice (ST June 9, 1898). {5BC 1131.4} [5BC 1131.5] 16. See EGW on Colossians 2:9, 10. {5BC 1131.5} [5BC 1131.6] 18. Manifestation of the Father.--What speech is to thought, so is Christ to the invisible Father. He is the manifestation of the Father, and is called the Word of God. God sent His Son into the world, His divinity clothed with humanity, that man might bear the image of the invisible God. He made known in His words, His character, His power and majesty, the nature and attributes of God. Divinity flashed through humanity in softening, subduing light. He was the embodiment of the law of God, which is the transcript of His character (MS 77, 1899). {5BC 1131.6} [5BC 1131.7] 19-23. See EGW on Luke 1:76, 77. {5BC 1131.7} [5BC 1131.8] 26, 27. See EGW on Luke 3:15, 16. {5BC 1131.8} [5BC 1131.9] 29 (Leviticus 14:4-8; Revelation 7:14; see EGW on John 12:32). Washing and Ironing Time.--Remember that just as you are in your family, so will you be in the church. Just as you treat your children, so will you treat Christ. If you cherish an un-Christlike spirit, you are dishonoring God. . . . Position does not make the man. It is Christ formed within that makes a man worthy of receiving the crown of life, that fadeth not away. . . . {5BC 1131.9} [5BC 1131.10] This is our washing and ironing time--the time when we are to cleanse our robes of character in the blood of the Lamb. John says, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." . . . Shall we not let Him take them away? Shall we not let our sins go (GCB April 6, 1903, p. 89)? {5BC 1131.10} [5BC 1131.11] 32, 33. See EGW on Matthew 3:13-17. 1132 {5BC 1131.11} [5BC 1132.1] Chapter 2 1, 2 (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 2:51; 4:1-13). Between the Temptation of Christ and the Marriage at Cana.--There was to be a marriage in Cana of Galilee. The parties were relatives of Joseph and Mary. Christ knew of this family gathering, and that many influential persons would be brought together there, so, in company with His newly made disciples, He made His way to Cana. As soon as it was known that Jesus had come to the place, a special invitation was sent to Him and His friends. This was what He had purposed, and so He graced the feast with His presence. {5BC 1132.1} [5BC 1132.2] He had been separated from His mother for quite a length of time. During this period He had been baptized by John and had endured the temptations in the wilderness. Rumors had reached Mary concerning her son and His sufferings. John, one of the new disciples, had searched for Christ and had found Him in His humiliation, emaciated, and bearing the marks of great physical and mental distress. Jesus, unwilling that John should witness His humiliation, had gently yet firmly dismissed him from His presence. He wished to be alone; no human eye must behold His agony, no human heart be called out in sympathy with His distress. {5BC 1132.2} [5BC 1132.3] The disciple had sought Mary in her home and related to her the incidents of this meeting with Jesus, as well as the event of His baptism, when the voice of God was heard in acknowledgment of His Son, and the prophet John had pointed to Christ, saying "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." For thirty years this woman had been treasuring up evidences that Jesus was the Son of God, the promised Saviour of the world. Joseph was dead, and she had no one in whom to confide the cherished thoughts of her heart. She had fluctuated between hope and perplexing doubts, but always feeling more or less of an assurance that her son was indeed the Promised One (2SP 99, 100). {5BC 1132.3} [5BC 1132.4] 19. See EGW on Mark 16:6. {5BC 1132.4} [5BC 1132.5] Chapter 3 3-7. See EGW on Ezekiel 36:25, 26. {5BC 1132.5} [5BC 1132.6] 5-8. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 5:17. {5BC 1132.6} [5BC 1132.7] 14, 15. See EGW on John 12:32. {5BC 1132.7} [5BC 1132.8] 14-17(ch. 1:29; Galatians 6:14; Hebrews 2:14). The Efficacy of the Cross.--The death of Christ upon the cross made sure the destruction of him who has the power of death, who was the originator of sin. When Satan is destroyed, there will be none to tempt to evil; the atonement will never need to be repeated; and there will be no danger of another rebellion in the universe of God. That which alone can effectually restrain from sin in this world of darkness, will prevent sin in heaven. The significance of the death of Christ will be seen by saints and angels. Fallen men could not have a home in the paradise of God without the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Shall we not then exalt the cross of Christ? The angels ascribe honor and glory to Christ, for even they are not secure except by looking to the sufferings of the Son of God. It is through the efficacy of the cross that the angels of heaven are guarded from apostasy. Without the cross they would be no more secure against evil than were the angels before the fall of Satan. Angelic perfection failed in heaven. Human perfection failed in Eden, the paradise of bliss. All who wish for security in earth or heaven must look to the Lamb of God. {5BC 1132.8} [5BC 1132.9] The plan of salvation, making manifest the justice and love of God, provides an eternal safeguard against defection in unfallen worlds, as well as among those who shall be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Our only hope is perfect trust in the blood of Him who can save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. The death of Christ on the cross of Calvary is our only hope in this world, and it will be our theme in the world to come. Oh, we do not comprehend the value of the atonement! If we did, we would talk more about it. The gift of God in His beloved Son was the expression of an incomprehensible love. It was the utmost that God could do to preserve the honor of His law, and still save the transgressor. Why should man not study the theme of redemption? It is the greatest subject that can engage the human mind. If men would contemplate the love of Christ, displayed in the cross, their faith would be strengthened to appropriate the merits of His shed blood, and they would 1133 be cleansed and saved from sin (ST Dec. 30, 1889). {5BC 1132.9} [5BC 1133.1] (1 Corinthians 2:2; Colossians 1:20.) Light From the Cross.--Without the cross, man could have no connection with the Father. On it hangs our every hope. In view of it the Christian may advance with the steps of a conqueror; for from it streams the light of the Saviour's love. When the sinner reaches the cross, and looks up to the One who died to save him, he may rejoice with fullness of joy; for his sins are pardoned. Kneeling at the cross, he has reached the highest place to which man can attain. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God is revealed in the face of Jesus Christ; and the words of pardon are spoken: Live, O ye guilty sinners, live. Your repentance is accepted; for I have found a ransom. {5BC 1133.1} [5BC 1133.2] Through the cross we learn that our heavenly Father loves us with an infinite and everlasting love, and draws us to Him with more than a mother's yearning sympathy for a wayward child. Can we wonder that Paul exclaimed, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ"? It is our privilege also to glory in the cross of Calvary, our privilege to give ourselves wholly to Him who gave Himself for us. Then with the light of love that shines from His face on ours, we shall go forth to reflect it to those in darkness (RH April 29, 1902). {5BC 1133.2} [5BC 1133.3] Love Is Stronger Than Death.--Jesus placed the cross in line with the light coming from heaven, for it is there that it shall catch the eye of man. The cross is in direct line with the shining of the divine countenances, so that by beholding the cross men may see and know God and Jesus Christ, whom He hath sent. In beholding God we behold the One who poured out His soul unto death. In beholding the cross the view is extended to God, and His hatred of sin is discerned. But while we behold in the cross God's hatred of sin, we also behold His love for sinners, which is stronger than death. To the world the cross is the incontrovertible argument that God is truth and light and love (ST March 7, 1895). {5BC 1133.3} [5BC 1133.4] 16. The Science of Redemption.--The scheme of redemption far exceeds the comprehension of the human mind. The great condescension on the part of God is a mystery that is beyond our fathoming. The greatness of the plan cannot be fully comprehended, nor could infinite Wisdom devise a plan that would surpass it. It could only be successful by the clothing of divinity with humanity, by Christ becoming man, and suffering the wrath which sin has made because of the transgression of God's law. Through this plan the great, the dreadful God can be just, and yet be the justifier of all who believe in Jesus, and who receive Him as their personal Saviour. This is the heavenly science of redemption, of saving men from eternal ruin, and can be carried out only through the incarnation of the Son of God in humanity, through His triumph over sin and death, and in seeking to fathom this plan all finite intelligences are baffled (Letter 43, 1895). {5BC 1133.4} [5BC 1133.5] (Genesis 9:13-17; Revelation 4:3.) Bow Shows Righteousness of Christ, Mercy, and Justice.--In the rainbow above the throne is an everlasting testimony that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish. . . ." Whenever the law is presented before the people, let the teacher of truth point to the throne arched with the rainbow of promise, the righteousness of Christ. The glory of the law is Christ; He came to magnify the law, and to make it honorable. Make it appear distinct that mercy and peace have met together in Christ, and righteousness and truth have embraced each other. . . . {5BC 1133.5} [5BC 1133.6] As the bow in the cloud is formed by the union of the sunlight and the shower, so the rainbow encircling the throne represents the combined power of mercy and justice. It is not justice alone that is to be maintained; for this would eclipse the glory of the rainbow of promise above the throne; men could see only the penalty of the law. Were there no justice, no penalty, there would be no stability to the government of God. It is the mingling of judgment and mercy that makes salvation complete. It is the blending of the two that leads us, as we view the world's Redeemer, and the law of Jehovah, to exclaim, "Thy gentleness hath made me great" (RH Dec. 13, 1892). 1134 {5BC 1133.6} [5BC 1134.1] Chapter 4 14. No Thirst for the World.--"Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst"--never crave the world's advantages and attractions--"but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life" (Letter 5, 1900). {5BC 1134.1} [5BC 1134.2] A Channel.--You must seek to have an indwelling Saviour, who will be to you as a well of water, springing up into everlasting life. The water of life flowing from the heart always waters the hearts of others (MS 69, 1912). {5BC 1134.2} [5BC 1134.3] A Revelation of Grace.--The water that Christ referred to was the revelation of His grace in His Word. His Spirit, His teaching, is as a satisfying fountain to every soul. . . . In Christ is fullness of joy forevermore. . . . Christ's gracious presence in His Word is ever speaking to the soul, representing Him as the well of living water to refresh the thirsting. It is our privilege to have a living, abiding Saviour. He is the source of spiritual power implanted within us, and His influence will flow forth in words and actions, refreshing all within the sphere of our influence, begetting in them desires and aspirations for strength and purity, for holiness and peace, and for that joy which brings with it no sorrow. This is the result of an indwelling Saviour (Letter 73, 1897). {5BC 1134.3} [5BC 1134.4] 35. Christ Was Above All Prejudice.--［John 4:35 quoted.］ He here referred to the gospel field, to the work of Christianity among the poor, despised Samaritans. His hand reached out to gather them into the garner; they were ready for the harvest. {5BC 1134.4} [5BC 1134.5] The Saviour was above all prejudice of nation or people; He was willing to extend the blessings and privileges of the Jews to all who would accept the light which He came to the world to bring. It caused Him great joy to behold even one soul reaching out to Him from the night of spiritual blindness. That which Jesus had withheld from the Jews and enjoined upon His disciples to keep secret, was distinctly opened before the inquiring woman of Samaria; for He who knew all things perceived that she would make a right use of her knowledge and be the means of leading others to the true faith (2SP 147). {5BC 1134.5} [5BC 1134.6] Chapter 5 17. See EGW on Acts 17:28. {5BC 1134.6} [5BC 1134.7] 22 (see EGW on 2 Corinthians 5:10). Christ Appointed as Judge.--To His Son the Father has committed all judgment. Christ will declare the reward of loyalty. "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. . . . And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man." Christ accepted humanity and lived on this earth a pure, sanctified life. For this reason He has received the appointment of judge. He who occupies the position of judge is God manifest in the flesh (RH June 18, 1901). {5BC 1134.7} [5BC 1134.8] He Alone Is the Judge.--To Christ has been committed all judgment, because He is the Son of man. Nothing escapes His knowledge. However high the rank and great the power of spiritual apostates, One higher and greater has borne the sin of the whole world. He is infinite in righteousness, in goodness, and in truth. He has power to withstand principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. Armed and equipped as the Captain of the Lord's host, He comes to the front in defense of His people. His righteousness covers all who love and trust Him. The General of armies, He leads out the heavenly host to stand as a wall of fire about His people. He alone is the judge of their righteousness, for He created them, and at infinite cost to Himself redeemed them. He will see that obedience to God's commandments is rewarded, and that transgressors receive according to their works (Letter 19, 1901). {5BC 1134.8} [5BC 1134.9] 28, 29. See EGW on Matthew 28:2-4. {5BC 1134.9} [5BC 1134.10] 39 (Revelation 22:2). Scriptures Testify of Christ.--In the Word the Saviour is revealed in all His beauty and loveliness. Every soul will find comfort and consolation in the Bible, which is full of promises concerning what God will do for the one who comes into right relation to Him. Especially will the sick be comforted by hearing the Word; for in giving the Scriptures God has given to mankind a leaf from the tree of life, which is for the 1135 healing of the nations. How can anyone who reads the Scriptures or who has heard them read, lose his interest in heavenly things, and find pleasure in amusements and enchantments of the world (MS 105, 1901)? {5BC 1134.10} [5BC 1135.1] 40. See EGW on ch. 15:22. {5BC 1135.1} [5BC 1135.2] Chapter 6 35. A Heaven-sent Teacher.--"I am the bread of life," the Author, Nourisher, and Supporter of eternal, spiritual life. In the thirty-fifth verse of the sixth chapter of John, Christ represents Himself under the similitude of heavenly bread. To eat His flesh and to drink His blood means to receive Him as a heaven-sent teacher. Belief in Him is essential to spiritual life. Those who feast on the Word never hunger, never thirst, never desire any higher or more exalted good (MS 81, 1906). {5BC 1135.2} [5BC 1135.3] 53-57. Eating and Drinking Represents Nearness to Christ.--Christ explained the meaning of His words so clearly that none need stumble over them. His statement regarding eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God, is to be taken in a spiritual sense. We eat Christ's flesh and drink His blood when by faith we lay hold upon Him as our Saviour. {5BC 1135.3} [5BC 1135.4] Christ used the figure of eating and drinking to represent that nearness to Him which all must have who are at last partakers with Him in His glory. The temporal food we eat is assimilated, giving strength and solidity to the body. In a similar manner, as we believe and receive the words of the Lord Jesus, they become a part of our spiritual life, bringing light and peace, hope and joy, and strengthening the soul as physical food strengthens the body (MS 33, 1911). {5BC 1135.4} [5BC 1135.5] (Revelation 22:2.) A Practical Application.--It is not enough for us to know and respect the words of the Scriptures. We must enter into the understanding of them, studying them earnestly, eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God. Christians will reveal the degree to which they do this by the healthiness of their spiritual character. We must know the practical application of the Word to our own individual character-building. We are to be holy temples, in which God can live and walk and work. Never must we strive to lift ourselves above the servants whom God has chosen to do His work and to honor His holy name. "All ye are brethren." Let us apply this Word to our individual selves, comparing scripture with scripture. {5BC 1135.5} [5BC 1135.6] In our daily lives, before our brethren and before the world, we are to be living interpreters of the Scriptures, doing honor to Christ by revealing His meekness and His lowliness of heart. Christ's teachings are to be to us as the leaves of the tree of life. As we eat and digest the bread of life, we shall reveal a symmetrical character. By our unity, by esteeming others better than ourselves, we are to bear to the world a living testimony of the power of the truth. . . . {5BC 1135.6} [5BC 1135.7] When men submit entirely to God, eating the bread of life and drinking the water of salvation, they will grow up into Christ. Their characters are composed of that which the mind eats and drinks. Through the Word of life, which they receive and obey, they become partakers of the divine nature. Then their entire service is after the divine similitude, and Christ, not man, is exalted (Letter 64, 1900). {5BC 1135.7} [5BC 1135.8] 53-57, 63. Eating of the Tree of Life.--"Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood," says Christ, "hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. . . . It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." This is eating the fruit of the tree of life (MS 112, 1898). {5BC 1135.8} [5BC 1135.9] 63. See EGW on Genesis 3:24. {5BC 1135.9} [5BC 1135.10] Chapter 7 1-5. Relatives Dimly Understood Christ's Mission.--［John 7:1-5 quoted.］ The brethren here referred to were the sons of Joseph, and their words were spoken in irony. It was very painful to Christ that His nearest relatives should so dimly understand His mission, and should entertain 1136 the ideas suggested by His enemies. But the Saviour did not answer the cruel sarcasm with words of like character. He pitied the spiritual ignorance of His brethren, and longed to give them a clear understanding of His mission (MS 33, 1911). {5BC 1135.10} [5BC 1136.1] 1-53. See EGW on Exodus 23:16. {5BC 1136.1} [5BC 1136.2] 16. Rescued From Error.--"Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." My words are in perfect harmony with the Old Testament Scriptures, and with the law spoken from Sinai. I am not preaching a new doctrine. I am presenting old truths rescued from the framework of error, and placed in a new setting (MS 33, 1911). {5BC 1136.2} [5BC 1136.3] 41, 50-52. Priests and Rulers Deceived.--［John 7:51 quoted.］ The lesson that Christ had given to Nicodemus had not been in vain. Conviction had fastened upon his mind, and in his heart he had accepted Jesus. Since his interview with the Saviour, he had earnestly searched the Old Testament Scriptures, and he had seen truth placed in the true setting of the gospel. {5BC 1136.3} [5BC 1136.4] The question asked by him was wise, and would have commended itself to those presiding at the council had they not been deceived by the enemy. But they were so filled with prejudice that no argument in favor of Jesus of Nazareth, however convincing, had any weight with them. The answer that Nicodemus received, was, "Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet." {5BC 1136.4} [5BC 1136.5] The priests and rulers had been deceived, as Satan meant them to be, into believing that Christ came out of Galilee. Some who knew that he was born in Bethlehem, kept silent, that the falsehood might not be robbed of its power (MS 33, 1911). {5BC 1136.5} [5BC 1136.6] Chapter 8 31-38. Some Under Satan's Training.--［John 8:31-37 quoted.］ What stern truth is here spoken. How many there are who boast that they are not in bondage to any one, when they are bound to the most cruel of all tyrants. They have placed themselves under Satan's training, and they treat God's people as he directs them to. How many there are who hear the word of truth, but hate the message and the messenger, because the truth disturbs them in their deceptive practices! {5BC 1136.6} [5BC 1136.7] "I speak that which I have seen with my Father," Christ continued, "and ye do that which ye have seen with your father." Two classes are plainly brought to view in these words--the children of light, who obey the truth, and the children of darkness, who reject the truth (MS 136, 1899). {5BC 1136.7} [5BC 1136.8] 44 (see EGW on Genesis 2:17; Malachi 4:1). Satan's Masterpiece.--The forces of the powers of darkness will unite with human agents who have given themselves unto the control of Satan, and the same scenes that were exhibited at the trial, rejection and crucifixion of Christ will be revived. Through yielding to satanic influences men will be merged into fiends, and those who were created in the image of God, who were formed to honor and glorify their Creator, will become the habitation of dragons, and Satan will see in an apostate race his masterpiece of evil--men who reflect his own image (MS 39, 1894). {5BC 1136.8} [5BC 1136.9] Devilish Songs.--When a soul is captured from the ranks of Christ the synagogue of Satan sing in hellish triumph (Letter 12a, 1893). {5BC 1136.9} [5BC 1136.10] Chapter 10 2-5. See EGW on Matthew 24:23, 24. {5BC 1136.10} [5BC 1136.11] 4. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 11:14. {5BC 1136.11} [5BC 1136.12] 17, 18 (Isaiah 6:8; Philippians 2:6-8; see EGW on Mark 16:6). Christ Man's Surety.--Not one of the angels could have become surety for the human race: their life is God's; they could not surrender it. The angels all wear the yoke of obedience. They are the appointed messengers of Him who is the Commander of all heaven. But Christ is equal with God, infinite and omnipotent. He could pay the ransom for man's freedom. He is the eternal self-existing Son, on whom no yoke had come; and when God asked, "Whom shall I send?" He could reply, "Here am I; send Me." He could pledge Himself to become man's surety; for He could say that which the highest angel could not say,--I have power over My own life, "power to lay it down, and . . . power to take it again" (YI June 21, 1900). {5BC 1136.12} [5BC 1136.13] 18. See EGW on ch. 1:4; 20:17. 1137 {5BC 1136.13} [5BC 1137.1] Chapter 11 50, 51 (John 18:14). Caiaphas Prophesied Unknowingly.--［John 11:50, 51 quoted.］ These words were uttered by one who knew not their significance. He had lost the sense of the sacredness of the sacrifices and offerings. But his words meant more than he or those connected with him knew. By them he bore testimony that the time had come for the Aaronic priesthood to cease forever. He was condemning One who had been prefigured in every sacrifice made, but One whose death would end the need of types and shadows. Unknowingly he was declaring that Christ was about to fulfill that for which the system of sacrifices and offerings had been instituted (RH June 12, 1900). {5BC 1137.1} [5BC 1137.2] Chapter 12 1-8. See EGW on Matthew 26:6-13. {5BC 1137.2} [5BC 1137.3] 3 (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9). Love and Talents Blended.--Pure, sanctified love, expressed by Christ's lifework, is as sacred perfume. Like an opened bottle of perfume, it fills the whole house with fragrance. Eloquence, an extended knowledge of the truth, outward devotion, rare talents, if mingled with sacred, humble love, will become as fragrant as the opened box of ointment. But gifts alone, ability alone, the choicest endowments alone, cannot take the place of love ［1 Corinthians 13:1-3 quoted］ (MS 22, 1897). {5BC 1137.3} [5BC 1137.4] 12-15, 19. Multitudes Acclaim Christ.--The dignitaries of the temple are dumb with astonishment. Where now is the boasted power of priests and rulers over the people! The authorities had announced that whoever should acknowledge Jesus to be the Christ was to be put out of the synagogue and deprived of its sacred privileges. Yet here are the enthusiastic multitude shouting loud hosannas to the Son of David, and recounting the titles given Him by the prophets. As well might the priests and rulers attempt to deprive the earth of the shining face of the sun, as to shut from the world the beams of glory from the Sun of Righteousness. In spite of all opposition, the kingdom of Christ was confessed by the people. {5BC 1137.4} [5BC 1137.5] When the priests and rulers recovered their voices, they murmured among themselves, "Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? Behold, the world is gone after Him." But they soon shook off the paralyzing effect of the strange exhibition which they had witnessed, and tried to intimidate the crowd by threatening to complain of them to the civil authorities as raising an insurrection (3SP 14, 15). {5BC 1137.5} [5BC 1137.6] 32 (ch. 1:29; 3:14, 15; see EGW on Galatians 6:14). No Rest for Some.--Never before was there such a general knowledge of Jesus as when He hung upon the cross. He was lifted up from the earth, to draw all to Him. Into the hearts of many who beheld that crucifixion scene, and who heard Christ's words, was the light of truth to shine. With John they would proclaim, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." There were those who never rested until, searching the Scriptures and comparing passage with passage, they saw the meaning of Christ's mission. They saw that free forgiveness was provided by Him whose tender mercy embraced the whole world. They read the prophecies regarding Christ, and the promises so free and full, pointing to a fountain opened for Judah and Jerusalem (MS 45, 1897). {5BC 1137.6} [5BC 1137.7] Study All in Light From Cross.--The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light which streams from the cross of Calvary, and in connection with the wondrous, central truth of the Saviour's atonement. Those who study the Redeemer's wonderful sacrifice grow in grace and knowledge. {5BC 1137.7} [5BC 1137.8] I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption--the Son of God uplifted on the cross of Calvary. This is to be the theme of every discourse. Christ declares, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (MS 70, 1901). {5BC 1137.8} [5BC 1137.9] The Cross Planted Between Earth and Heaven.--When Christ came to this world, He found that Satan had everything as he wanted it. The adversary of God and 1138 man thought that he was indeed the prince of the earth, but Jesus laid hold of the world to take it out of the power of Satan. He came to redeem it from the curse of sin and the penalty of transgression, that the transgressor might be forgiven. He planted the cross between earth and heaven, and between divinity and humanity; and as the Father beheld the cross, He was satisfied. He said, "It is enough, the offering is complete." God and man may be reconciled. Those who have lived in rebellion against God, may become reconciled, if as they see the cross, they become repentant, and accept the great propitiation that Christ has made for their sins. In the cross they see that "mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (ST Sept. 30, 1889). {5BC 1137.9} [5BC 1138.1] (Galatians 6:14.) The Cross a Center in the World.--The cross stands alone, a great center in the world. It does not find friends, but it makes them. It creates its own agencies. Christ proposes that men shall become laborers together with God. He makes human beings His instrumentalities for drawing all men unto Himself. A divine agency is sufficient only through its operation on human hearts with its transforming power, making men colaborers with God (RH Sept. 29, 1891). {5BC 1138.1} [5BC 1138.2] 39, 40. See EGW on Luke 7:29, 30. {5BC 1138.2} [5BC 1138.3] 45. See EGW on Acts 1:11. {5BC 1138.3} [5BC 1138.4] Chapter 13 2 (ch. 15:1-8; see EGW on Luke 22:3-5). Judas a Dry Sapling.--Judas . . . did not become transformed, and converted into a living branch through connection with the True Vine. This dry sapling adhered not to the Vine until it grew into a fruitful, living branch. He revealed that he was the graft that did not bear fruit--the graft that did not, fiber by fiber and vein by vein, become knit with the Vine, and partake of its life. {5BC 1138.4} [5BC 1138.5] The dry, disconnected sapling can become one with the parent vine stock only by being made a partaker of the life and nourishment of the living vine, by being grafted into the vine, by being brought into the closest relationship possible. Fiber by fiber, vein by vein, the twig holds fast to the life-giving vine, until the life of the vine becomes the life of the branch, and it produces fruit like that of the vine (RH Nov. 16, 1897). {5BC 1138.5} [5BC 1138.6] 10, 11. A Test of Heart-cleansing.--Christ gave His disciples to understand that the washing of their feet did not cleanse away their sin, but that the cleansing of their heart was tested in this humble service. If the heart was cleansed, this act was all that was essential to reveal the fact. He had washed the feet of Judas; but He said, "Ye are not all clean." Judas brought a traitor's heart to this scene, and Christ revealed to all that He knew him to be the betrayer of his Lord, and that the washing of his feet was not an ordinance to cleanse the soul from its moral defilement. . . . {5BC 1138.6} [5BC 1138.7] Jesus would give convincing proof that He understood perfectly the character of Judas, and that He had not withheld His ministry even from him whom He knew to be working to betray Him into the hands of His enemies. And we have, in His example, the lesson that the ordinance of feet-washing is not to be deferred because there are some professed believers who are not cleansed from their sins. Christ knew the heart of Judas, yet He washed his feet. Infinite love could do no more to bring Judas to repentance, and save him from taking this fatal step. If this service of his Master, in humbling Himself to wash the feet of the worst sinner, did not break his heart, what more could be done? It was the last act of love that Jesus could evidence in behalf of Judas. Infinite love could not compel Judas to repent, confess his sin, and be saved. Every opportunity was granted him. Nothing was left undone that could be done to save him from the snare of Satan (RH June 14, 1898). {5BC 1138.7} [5BC 1138.8] 13-17. A Dedication to Service.--The ordinance of feet washing is an ordinance of service. This is the lesson the Lord would have all learn and practice. When this ordinance is rightly celebrated, the children of God are brought into holy relationship with each other, to help and bless each other. {5BC 1138.8} [5BC 1138.9] That His people might not be misled by the selfishness which dwells in the 1139 natural heart, and which strengthens by self-serving, Christ Himself set us an example of humility. He would not leave this great subject in man's charge. Of so much consequence did He regard it that He Himself, One equal with God, washed the feet of His disciples ［John 13:13-17 quoted］. {5BC 1138.9} [5BC 1139.1] This ceremony means much to us. God would have us take the whole scene, not only the single act of outward cleansing. This lesson does not merely refer to the one act. It is to reveal the great truth that Christ is an example of what we through His grace are to be in our intercourse with each other. It shows that the entire life should be one of humble, faithful ministry. . . . The ordinance of feet washing most forcibly illustrates the necessity of true humility. While the disciples were contending for the highest place, in the promised kingdom, Christ girded Himself, and performed the office of a servant by washing the feet of those who called Him Lord. He, the pure, spotless Lamb of God, was presenting Himself as a sin-offering; and as He now ate the Passover with His disciples, He put an end to the sacrifices which for four thousand years had been offered. In the place of the national festival which the Jewish people had observed, He instituted a memorial service, in the ceremony of feet washing, and the sacramental supper, to be observed by His followers through all time and in every country. These should ever repeat Christ's act, that all may see that true service called for unselfish ministry (MS 43, 1897). {5BC 1139.1} [5BC 1139.2] 14, 15 (Matthew 23:8; 1 Corinthians 11:28). Humility an Active Principle.--Humility is an active principle growing out of a thorough consciousness of God's great love, and will always show itself by the way in which it works. By taking part in the ordinance of feet washing we show that we are willing to perform this act of humility. We are doing the very thing Christ did, but this is not to be talked of as an act of humiliation. It is an act which symbolizes the condition of the mind and heart. {5BC 1139.2} [5BC 1139.3] "All ye are brethren." As brethren we are identified with Christ and with one another. As brethren we are identical with Christ, and through His grace identical with one another. And as we wash the feet of Christ's followers, it is as though we were indeed touching the Son of God. We do this act because Christ told us to do it, and Christ Himself is among us. His Holy Spirit does the work of uniting our hearts. To become one with Christ requires self-denial and self-sacrifice at every step. {5BC 1139.3} [5BC 1139.4] The performance of the ordinance of humility calls for self-examination. The noble principles of the soul are strengthened on every such occasion. Christ lives in us, and this draws heart to heart. We are led to love as brethren, to be kind, tender, courteous in daily service, having hearts that can feel another's woe (Letter 210, 1899). {5BC 1139.4} [5BC 1139.5] (1 Corinthians 11:23-25.) To Feel the Pulse of Conscience.--In this ordinance, Christ discharged His disciples from the cares and burdens of the ancient Jewish obligations in rites and ceremonies. These no longer possessed any virtue; for type was meeting antitype in Himself, the authority and foundation of all Jewish ordinances that pointed to Him as the great and only efficacious offering for the sins of the world. He gave this simple ordinance that it might be a special season when He Himself would always be present, to lead all participating in it to feel the pulse of their own conscience, to awaken them to an understanding of the lessons symbolized, to revive their memory, to convict of sin, and to receive their penitential repentance. He would teach them that brother is not to exalt himself above brother, that the dangers of disunion and strife shall be seen and appreciated; for the health and holy activity of the soul are involved. {5BC 1139.5} [5BC 1139.6] This ordinance does not speak so largely to man's intellectual capacity as to his heart. His moral and spiritual nature needs it. If His disciples had not needed this, it would not have been left for them as Christ's last established ordinance in connection with, and including, the last supper. It was Christ's desire to leave to His disciples an ordinance that would do for them the very thing they needed--that would serve to disentangle them from the rites and ceremonies which they had hitherto engaged in as essential, and which 1140 the reception of the gospel made no longer of any force. To continue these rites would be an insult to Jehovah. Eating of the body, and drinking of the blood, of Christ, not merely at the sacramental service, but daily partaking of the bread of life to satisfy the soul's hunger, would be in receiving His Word and doing His will (RH June 14, 1898). {5BC 1139.6} [5BC 1140.1] 34 (see EGW on 1 John 3:16-18). A New Conception of Love.--Why was this called "a new commandment"? The disciples had not loved one another as Christ had loved them. They had not yet seen the fullness of the love that He was to reveal in man's behalf. They were yet to see Him dying on the cross for their sins. Through His life and death they were to receive a new conception of love. The command to "love one another" was to gain a new meaning in the light of His self-sacrifice. In the light shining from the cross of Calvary they were to read the meaning of the words, "As I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (RH June 30, 1910). {5BC 1140.1} [5BC 1140.2] To Reveal Especially Tender Love.--［John 13:34, 35 quoted.］ Why should this commandment be new to the disciples? The words, "As I have loved you" were yet to be fulfilled by the offering He was about to make for the sins of the world. As Christ had loved them, the disciples were to love one another. They were to show forth the love abiding in their hearts for men, women, and children, by doing all in their power for their salvation. But they were to reveal a specially tender love for all of the same faith (MS 160, 1898). {5BC 1140.2} [5BC 1140.3] (Ch. 15:12; James 3:17.) Love Is a Permanent Power.--Jesus says, "Love one another, as I have loved you." Love is not simply an impulse, a transitory emotion, dependent upon circumstances; it is a living principle, a permanent power. The soul is fed by the streams of pure love that flow from the heart of Christ, as a well-spring that never fails. O, how is the heart quickened, how are its motives ennobled, its affections deepened, by this communion! Under the education and discipline of the Holy Spirit, the children of God love one another, truly, sincerely, unaffectedly--"without partiality, and without hypocrisy." And this because the heart is in love with Jesus. Our affection for one another springs from our common relation to God. We are one family, we love one another as He loved us. When compared with this true, sanctified, disciplined affection, the shallow courtesy of the world, the meaningless expressions of effusive friendship, are as chaff to the wheat (Letter 63, 1896). {5BC 1140.3} [5BC 1140.4] A Practical, Working Love.--To love as Christ loved means to manifest unselfishness at all times and in all places, by kind words and pleasant looks. These cost those who give them nothing, but they leave behind a fragrance that surrounds the soul. Their effect can never be estimated. Not only are they a blessing to the receiver, but to the giver; for they react upon him. Genuine love is a precious attribute of heavenly origin, which increases in fragrance in proportion as it is dispensed to others. . . . {5BC 1140.4} [5BC 1140.5] Christ's love is deep and earnest, flowing like an irrepressible stream to all who will accept it. There is no selfishness in His love. If this heaven-born love is an abiding principle in the heart, it will make itself known, not only to those we hold most dear in sacred relationship, but to all with whom we come in contact. It will lead us to bestow little acts of attention, to make concessions, to perform deeds of kindness, to speak tender, true, encouraging words. It will lead us to sympathize with those whose hearts hunger for sympathy (MS 17, 1899). {5BC 1140.5} [5BC 1140.6] Love One Another.--Selfishness and pride hinder the pure love that unites us in spirit with Jesus Christ. If this love is truly cultivated, finite will blend with finite, and all will center in the Infinite. Humanity will unite with humanity, and all will be bound up with the heart of Infinite Love. Sanctified love for one another is sacred. In this great work Christian love for one another--far higher, more constant, more courteous, more unselfish, than has been seen--preserves Christian tenderness, Christian benevolence, and politeness, and enfolds the human brotherhood in the embrace of God, acknowledging the dignity with which God has invested the rights of man. This dignity 1141 Christians must ever cultivate for the honor and glory of God. . . . {5BC 1140.6} [5BC 1141.1] The only begotten Son of God recognized the nobility of humanity by taking humanity upon Himself, and dying in behalf of humanity, testifying throughout all ages that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (Letter 10, 1897). {5BC 1141.1} [5BC 1141.2] A Fatal Deception.--True sanctification unites believers to Christ and to one another in the bonds of tender sympathy. This union causes to flow continually into the heart rich currents of Christlike love, which flows forth again in love for one another. {5BC 1141.2} [5BC 1141.3] The qualities which it is essential for all to possess are those which marked the completeness of Christ's character--His love, His patience, His unselfishness, and His goodness. These attributes are gained by doing kindly actions with a kindly heart. . . . {5BC 1141.3} [5BC 1141.4] It is the greatest and most fatal deception to suppose that a man can have faith unto life eternal, without possessing Christlike love for his brethren. He who loves God and his neighbor is filled with light and love. God is in him and all around him. Christians love those around them as precious souls for whom Christ has died. There is no such thing as a loveless Christian; for "God is love," and "hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.". . . . {5BC 1141.4} [5BC 1141.5] "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." This is the fruit that is to be given back to God (MS 133, 1899). {5BC 1141.5} [5BC 1141.6] Poor Chance for Satan.--The powers of darkness stand a poor chance against believers who love one another as Christ has loved them, who refuse to create alienation and strife, who stand together, who are kind, courteous, and tender-hearted, cherishing the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. We must have the Spirit of Christ, or we are none of His (MS 103, 1902). {5BC 1141.6} [5BC 1141.7] A Golden Chain.--The love of Christ is a golden chain that binds finite, human beings who believe in Jesus Christ to the Infinite God. The love that the Lord has for His children passeth knowledge. No science can define or explain it. No human wisdom can fathom it. The more we feel the influence of this love, the more meek and humble shall we be (Letter 43, 1896). {5BC 1141.7} [5BC 1141.8] 34, 35. The Disciples' Credentials.--［John 13:34, 35 quoted.］ How broad, how full is this love. The new part of that commandment the disciples did not understand. They were to love one another as Christ had loved them. These were their credentials that Christ was formed within, the hope of glory. After the sufferings of Christ, after His crucifixion and resurrection and proclamation over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, "I am the resurrection and the life," after His words to the five hundred who assembled to see Him in Galilee, and after His ascension to heaven, the disciples had some idea of what the love of God comprehended, and of the love they were to exercise one toward another. When the Holy Spirit rested on them on the day of Pentecost, that love was revealed (MS 82, 1898). {5BC 1141.8} [5BC 1141.9] 36-38. See EGW on Matthew 26:31-35. {5BC 1141.9} [5BC 1141.10] Chapter 14 2, 3. See EGW on Acts 1:11. {5BC 1141.10} [5BC 1141.11] 6. See EGW on Romans 8:34. {5BC 1141.11} [5BC 1141.12] 8-10. God Cannot Be Seen in External Form.--［John 14:8-10 quoted.］ Philip's doubt was answered with words of reproof. He wished Christ to reveal the Father in bodily form; but in Christ God had already revealed Himself. Is it possible, Christ said, that after walking with Me, hearing My words, seeing the miracle of feeding the five thousand, of healing the sick of the dread disease leprosy, of bringing the dead to life, of raising Lazarus, who was a prey to death, whose body had indeed seen corruption, you do not know Me? Is it possible that you do not discern the Father in the works that He does by Me?. . . . {5BC 1141.12} [5BC 1141.13] Christ emphatically impressed upon them the fact that they could see the Father 1142 by faith alone. God cannot be seen in external form by any human being. Christ alone can represent the Father to humanity. This representation the disciples had been privileged to behold for over three years. {5BC 1141.13} [5BC 1142.1] As Christ was speaking these words, the glory of God was shining in His countenance, and all present felt a sacred awe as they listened with rapt attention to His words. They felt their hearts more decidedly drawn to Him, and as they were drawn to Christ in greater love, they were drawn to one another. They felt that heaven was very near them, that the words to which they listened were a message to them from the heavenly Father (MS 41, 1897). {5BC 1142.1} [5BC 1142.2] 9-11. The Divine Authority of Jesus.--The world's Redeemer was equal with God. His authority was as the authority of God. He declared that He had no existence separate from the Father. The authority by which He spoke, and wrought miracles, was expressly His own, yet He assures us that He and the Father are one. . . . {5BC 1142.2} [5BC 1142.3] As Legislator, Jesus exercised the authority of God; His commands and decisions were supported by the Sovereignty of the eternal throne. The glory of the Father was revealed in the Son; Christ made manifest the character of the Father. He was so perfectly connected with God, so completely embraced in His encircling light, that he who had seen the Son, had seen the Father. His voice was as the voice of God (RH Jan. 7, 1890). {5BC 1142.3} [5BC 1142.4] 11. Preparation for the Storm of Temptation.--"Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake." Their faith might safely rest upon the evidence given by Christ's works, works that no man had ever done or ever could do. They could reason that humanity alone could not do these wonderful works. Christ was seeking to lead them up from their low state of faith to the experience that they might have received by seeing what He had done in giving a higher education, and in imparting a knowledge of what He was, God in human flesh. How earnestly and perseveringly our compassionate Saviour sought to prepare His followers for the storm of temptation that was soon to beat about them. He would have had them hid with Him in God (MS 41, 1897). {5BC 1142.4} [5BC 1142.5] 15 (see EGW on Exodus 20:1-17; Romans 3:31). Obedience Possible in Our Humanity.--We are not to serve God as if we were not human, but we are to serve Him in the nature we have, that has been redeemed by the Son of God; through the righteousness of Christ we shall stand before God pardoned, and as though we had never sinned. We will never gain strength in considering what we might do if we were angels. We are to turn in faith to Jesus Christ, and show our love to God through obedience to His commands (MS 1, 1892). {5BC 1142.5} [5BC 1142.6] 21. God Loves the Obedient as His Own Son.--The believer may bear the testimony in his life and character that God loves the human agent who obeys His commands as He loves His Son. How amazing is this statement-- almost beyond the comprehension of the finite mind (Letter 11a, 1894)! {5BC 1142.6} [5BC 1142.7] 26. See EGW on Romans 2:4. {5BC 1142.7} [5BC 1142.8] 30 (See EGW on John 1:1-3, 14). Christ's Purity Annoyed Satan.-- Amid impurity, Christ maintained His purity. Satan could not stain or corrupt it. His character revealed a perfect hatred for sin. It was His holiness that stirred against Him all the passion of a profligate world; for by His perfect life He threw upon the world a perpetual reproach, and made manifest the contrast between transgression and the pure, spotless righteousness of One that knew no sin. This heavenly purity annoyed the apostate foe as nothing else could do, and he followed Christ day by day, using in his work the people that claimed to have superior purity and knowledge of God, putting into their hearts a spirit of hatred against Christ, and tempting His disciples to betray and forsake Him (ST May 10, 1899). {5BC 1142.8} [5BC 1142.9] Chapter 15 1, 2. Fruit-bearing Testifies to Abiding.--"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away." {5BC 1142.9} [5BC 1142.10] "In me." This does not mean that those who are really in Christ do not bear any 1143 fruit. God has purchased us through Christ, that He might be a propitiation for our sins. We are within the bounds of His mercy; for in mercy His arm encircles the whole human race. Since Christ has paid the price for all the service that we should give Him, we are His servants by purchase. Although we are in Christ Jesus by His covenant of promise, yet if we stand in a position of perfect indifference, without acknowledging Him as our Saviour, we bear no fruit. If by failing to be a partaker of His divine nature we bear no fruit, we are taken away. Worldly influences take us away from Christ, and our portion is the same as that of the unfruitful branch--"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away." {5BC 1142.10} [5BC 1143.1] "Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." Our fruit-bearing testifies whether we are really abiding in Christ. . . . {5BC 1143.1} [5BC 1143.2] We are Christ's property. "Ye are not your own," "ye are bought with a price." Are we in Him by living faith? If we do not bear any fruit, the powers of darkness take possession of our minds, our affections, our service, and we are of the world, though we profess to be children of God. This is neither a safe nor a pleasant position, because we lose all the beauty and the glory and the satisfaction that it is our privilege to have. By abiding in Christ, we may have His sweetness, His fragrance, His light. Christ is the Light of the world. He shines in our hearts. His light in our hearts shines forth from our faces. By beholding the beauty and the glory of Christ, we become changed into the same image (MS 85, 1901). {5BC 1143.2} [5BC 1143.3] 1-5. Identity With Christ Needed.--The branches in the True Vine are the believers who are brought into oneness by connection with the Vine. {5BC 1143.3} [5BC 1143.4] The connection of the branches with one another and with the Vine constitutes them a unity, but this does not mean uniformity in everything. Unity in diversity is a principle that pervades the whole creation. While there is an individuality and variety in nature, there is a oneness in their diversity; for all things receive their usefulness and beauty from the same Source. The great Master Artist writes His name on all His created works, from the loftiest cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop upon the wall. They all declare His handiwork, from the lofty mountain and the grand ocean to the tiniest shell upon the seashore. {5BC 1143.4} [5BC 1143.5] The branches of the vine cannot blend into each other; they are individually separate; yet every branch must be in fellowship with every other if they are united in the same parent stock. They all draw nourishment from the same source; they drink in the same life-giving properties. So each branch of the True Vine is separate and distinct, yet all are bound together in the parent stock. There can be no division. They are all linked together by His will to bear fruit wherever they can find place and opportunity. But in order to do this, the worker must hide self. He must not give expression to his own mind and will. He is to express the mind and will of Christ. The human family are dependent upon God for life and breath and sustenance. God has designed the web, and all are individual threads to compose the pattern. The Creator is one, and He reveals Himself as the great Reservoir of all that is essential for each separate life. {5BC 1143.5} [5BC 1143.6] Christian unity consists in the branches being in the same parent stock, the vitalizing power of the center supporting the grafts that have united to the Vine. In thoughts and desires, in words and actions, there must be an identity with Christ, a constant partaking of His spiritual life. Faith must increase by exercise. All who live near to God will have a realization of what Jesus is to them and they to Jesus. As communion with God is making its impress upon the soul, and shining out in the countenance as an illuminating light, the steadfast principles of Christ's holy character will be reflected in humanity (RH Nov. 9, 1897). {5BC 1143.6} [5BC 1143.7] 1-8. See EGW on ch. 13:2. {5BC 1143.7} [5BC 1143.8] 4. Detachment as Well as Attachment.--A union with Christ by living faith is enduring; every other union must perish. Christ first chose us, paying an infinite price for our redemption; and the true believer chooses Christ as first, and last, 1144 and best in everything. But this union costs us something. It is a relation of utter dependence to be entered into by a proud being. All who form this union must feel their need of the atoning blood of Christ. They must have a change of heart. They must submit their own will to the will of God. There will be a struggle with outward and internal obstacles. There must be a painful work of detachment, as well as a work of attachment. Pride, selfishness, vanity, worldliness--sin in all its forms--must be overcome, if we would enter into a union with Christ. The reason why many find the Christian life so deplorably hard, why they are so fickle, so variable, is, they try to attach themselves to Christ without detaching themselves from these cherished idols. . . . {5BC 1143.8} [5BC 1144.1] Believers become one in Christ; but one branch cannot be sustained by another. The nourishment must be obtained through vital connection with the Vine. We must feel our utter dependence on Christ. We must live by faith in the Son of God. That is the meaning of the injunction, "Abide in me." The life we live in the flesh is not to the will of men, not to please our Lord's enemies, but to serve and honor Him who loved us, and gave Himself for us. A mere assent to this union, while the affections are not detached from the world, its pleasures and its dissipations, only emboldens the heart in disobedience (ST Nov. 29, 1910). {5BC 1144.1} [5BC 1144.2] God Makes No Compromise.--Until the heart is surrendered unconditionally to God, the human agent is not abiding in the True Vine, and cannot flourish in the Vine, and bear rich clusters of fruit. God will not make the slightest compromise with sin. If He could have done this, Christ need not have come to our world to suffer and die. No conversion is genuine which does not change both the character and the conduct of those who accept the truth. The truth works by love, and purifieth the soul (Letter 31a, 1894). {5BC 1144.2} [5BC 1144.3] 4, 5. See EGW on Matthew 11:29. {5BC 1144.3} [5BC 1144.4] 5 (See EGW on 2 Corinthians 4:3-6). The Circulation of Life.--Christ alone can help us and give us the victory. Christ must be all in all to us, He must dwell in the heart, His life must circulate through us as the blood circulates through the veins. His spirit must be a vitalizing power that will cause us to influence others to become Christlike and holy (Letter 43, 1895). {5BC 1144.4} [5BC 1144.5] 8. A Day by Day Experience.--［John 15:8 quoted］ What is it to bear fruit? It is not all comprised in coming to meeting once a week, and bearing our testimony in prayer or social meeting. We are to be found day by day abiding in the Vine, and bringing forth fruit, with patience, at our home, in our business; and in every relation in life manifesting the Spirit of Christ. There are many who act as though they thought an occasional connection with Christ was all that was necessary, and that they can be accounted living branches because at times they make confession of Christ. But this is a fallacy. The branch is to be grafted into the Vine, and to abide there, uniting itself to the Vine fiber by fiber, drawing its daily supply of sap and nourishment from the root and fatness of the Vine, until it becomes one with the parent stock. The sap that nourishes the Vine must nourish the branch and this will be evident in the life of him who is abiding in Christ; for the joy of Christ will be fulfilled in him who walks not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. {5BC 1144.5} [5BC 1144.6] Our professions are worthless unless we abide in Christ; for we cannot be living branches unless the vital qualities of the Vine abound in us. In the genuine Christian the characteristics of his Master will appear, and when we reflect the graces of Christ in our lives and characters, the Father loves us as He loves His Son. When this condition is fulfilled in those who profess to believe the present truth, we shall see a prosperous church; for its members will not live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them, and they will be flourishing branches of the living Vine (ST April 18, 1892). {5BC 1144.6} [5BC 1144.7] 10. See EGW on Matthew 24:23, 24. {5BC 1144.7} [5BC 1144.8] 11 (Acts 2:28). Light Brings Gladness.--When the light of heaven shines upon the human agent, his countenance will express the joy of the Lord within. It is the absence of Christ from the soul that makes people sad and of a doubtful mind. It is the want of Christ that makes the countenance sad, and their life is a 1145 pilgrimage of sighs. Rejoicing is the very keynote of the Word of God for all who receive Him. Why? Because they have the Light of life. Light brings gladness and joy, and that joy is expressed in the life and the character (MS 96, 1898). {5BC 1144.8} [5BC 1145.1] 12. See EGW on ch. 13:34. {5BC 1145.1} [5BC 1145.2] 22 (ch. 5:40; Luke 12:48). No Provision for Willful Blindness.--［John 15:22 quoted.］. . . Those who have an opportunity to hear the truth, and yet take no pains to hear or understand it, thinking that if they do not hear, they will not be accountable, will be judged guilty before God the same as if they had heard and rejected. There will be no excuse for those who choose to go in error when they might understand what is truth. In His sufferings and death Jesus has made atonement for all sins of ignorance, but there is no provision made for willful blindness. . . . {5BC 1145.2} [5BC 1145.3] We shall not be held accountable for the light that has not reached our perception, but for that which we have resisted and refused. A man could not apprehend the truth which had never been presented to him, and therefore could not be condemned for light he had never had. But if he had opportunity to hear the message, and to become acquainted with the truth, and yet refused to improve his opportunity, he will be among the number of whom Christ said, "Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." Those who deliberately place themselves where they will not have an opportunity of hearing the truth, will be reckoned among those who have heard the truth, and persistently resisted its evidences (RH April 25, 1893). {5BC 1145.3} [5BC 1145.4] Light That Has Shone, Will Condemn.--None will be condemned for not heeding light and knowledge that they never had, and they could not obtain. But many refuse to obey the truth that is presented to them by Christ's ambassadors, because they wish to conform to the world's standard; and the truth that has reached their understanding, the light that has shone in the soul, will condemn them in the judgment (RH Nov. 25, 1884). {5BC 1145.4} [5BC 1145.5] Judged According to Light.--Men will not be judged for light they have never had. But those who have kept Sunday, whose attention has been called to this error, but who would not open their eyes to behold wondrous things out of the law, will be judged according to the light that has come to them (RH Sept. 13, 1898). {5BC 1145.5} [5BC 1145.6] 26, 27. See EGW on Acts 1:8. {5BC 1145.6} [5BC 1145.7] Chapter 16 24. See EGW on Acts 1:11. {5BC 1145.7} [5BC 1145.8] Chapter 17 Illustration of Jesus' Intercession in Heavenly Sanctuary.--This chapter contains the intercessory prayer offered by Christ to His Father just before His trial and crucifixion. This prayer is a lesson regarding the intercession that the Saviour would carry on within the veil, when His great sacrifice in behalf of men, the offering of Himself, should have been completed. Our Mediator gave His disciples this illustration of His ministration in the heavenly sanctuary in behalf of all who will come to Him in meekness and humility, emptied of all selfishness, and believing in His power to save (MS 29, 1906). {5BC 1145.8} [5BC 1145.9] 1-6. The Prayer Before Gethsemane.--［John 17:1-6 quoted.］ . . . This was Christ's last prayer with His disciples. It was offered just before He went into the Garden of Gethsemane, where He was to be betrayed and taken. When He reached Gethsemane, He fell prostrate upon the ground, in an agony of distress. What caused His agony? The weight of the sins of the whole world was resting upon His soul. As we study this prayer, let us remember that it was just before this experience and just before His betrayal and trial, that these words were uttered (MS 52, 1904). {5BC 1145.9} [5BC 1145.10] 2, 3. Relation of Father and Son.--The seventeenth chapter of John speaks plainly regarding the personality of God and of Christ, and of their relation to each other. "Father, the hour is come," Christ said: "glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee." ［John 17:23, 3, 5-11 quoted.］ Here is personality, and individuality (MS 124, 1903). {5BC 1145.10} [5BC 1145.11] 3 (see EGW on ch. 1:4; Romans 11:33). To Know Christ Is to Practice His Words.--［John 17:3 quoted.］ These words mean much. It is only by knowing Christ that we 1146 can know God. The Sent of God calls upon all to listen to these words. They are the words of God, and all should give heed to them; for by them they will be judged. To know Christ savingly is to be vitalized by spiritual knowledge, to practice His words. Without this, all else is valueless (ST Jan. 27, 1898). {5BC 1145.11} [5BC 1146.1] 4-10. Glorified in Those Who Believe.--In the intercessory prayer of Jesus with His Father, He claimed that He had fulfilled the conditions which made it obligatory upon the Father to fulfill His part of the contract made in heaven, with regard to fallen man. He prayed: "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. ［That is, He had wrought out a righteous character on earth as an example for men to follow.］ And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." In this prayer He further goes on to state what is comprehended by the work which He has accomplished, and which has given Him all those who believe on His name. He values this recompense so highly that He forgets the anguish it has cost Him to redeem fallen man. He declares Himself glorified in those who believe on Him. The church, in His name, is to carry to glorious perfection the work which He has commenced; and when that church shall be finally ransomed in the Paradise of God, He will look upon the travail of His soul and be satisfied. Through all eternity the ransomed host will be His chief glory (3SP 260, 261). {5BC 1146.1} [5BC 1146.2] 5. Let the Veil Be Removed.--［John 17:1-5 quoted.］ Christ is not praying for the manifestation of the glory of human nature; for that human nature never had an existence in His pre-existence. He is praying to His Father in regard to a glory possessed in His oneness with God. His prayer is that of a mediator; the favor He entreats in the manifestation of that divine glory which was possessed by Him when He was one with God. Let the veil be removed, He says, and let My glory shine forth--the glory which I had with Thee before the world was (ST May 10, 1899). {5BC 1146.2} [5BC 1146.3] 5, 24 (Hebrews 1:6; 1 John 2:1; see EGW on John 20:16, 17; Hebrews 3:1-3). Public Reinstatement of Christ in Heaven.--The prayer of Christ was answered. He was glorified with the glory which He had with His Father before the world was. But amid this glory, Christ does not lose sight of His toiling, struggling ones upon earth. He has a request to make of His Father. He waves back the heavenly host until He is in the direct presence of Jehovah, and then He presents His petition in behalf of His chosen ones. {5BC 1146.3} [5BC 1146.4] "Father," He says, "I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me, where I am." And then the Father declares, "Let all the angels of God worship him." The heavenly host prostrate themselves before Him, and raise their song of triumph and joy. Glory encircles the King of heaven, and was beheld by all the heavenly intelligences. No words can describe the scene which took place as the Son of God was publicly reinstated in the place of honor and glory which He voluntarily left when He became a man. {5BC 1146.4} [5BC 1146.5] And today Christ, glorified, and yet our brother, is our Advocate in the courts of heaven (ST May 10, 1899). {5BC 1146.5} [5BC 1146.6] 6. A Great Honor.--What a glorious commendation--"They have kept thy word." To have these words said of us would be a great honor. But too often self comes in; self strives for the mastery (MS 52, 1904). {5BC 1146.6} [5BC 1146.7] 17. Self-satisfaction Is Not Sanctification.--"Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth." A pleasant, self-satisfied feeling is not an evidence of sanctification. A faithful record is kept of all the acts of the children of men. Nothing can be concealed from the eye of the High and Holy One, who inhabiteth eternity. Some make Christ ashamed by their course of devising, planning, scheming. God does not approve of their conduct; for the Lord Jesus is not honored by their spirit and their works. They forget the words of the apostle: "We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men" (MS 159, 1903). {5BC 1146.7} [5BC 1146.8] Adam's Test Brought to All.--The law of God is the one great standard that will measure every man's character in the day of God. The prayer of Christ was, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." Therefore the sanctification of the 1147 Spirit of God upon the heart, leads men to walk in the way of God's commandments. The very test that God brought upon Adam in Eden, will be brought upon every member of the human family. Obedience to God was required of Adam, and we stand in the same position that he did to have a second trial, to see whether we will listen to the voice of Satan and disobey God, or to the Word of God and obey (RH June 10, 1890). {5BC 1146.8} [5BC 1147.1] (1 Thessalonians 4:3; 2 Timothy 3:16.) The Textbook of Sanctification.--The Bible is the standard by which to test the claims of all who profess sanctification. Jesus prayed that His disciples might be sanctified through the truth, and He says, "Thy word is truth;" while the psalmist declares, "Thy law is the truth." All whom God is leading will manifest a high regard for the Scriptures in which His voice is heard. The Bible will be to them "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." "Ye shall know them by their fruits." We need no other evidence in order to judge of men's sanctification; if they are fearful lest they shall not obey the whole will of God, if they are listening diligently to His voice, trusting in His wisdom, and making His Word the man of their counsel, then, while they make no boasts of superior goodness, we may be sure that they are seeking to attain to perfection of Christian character. But if the claimants of holiness even intimate that they are no longer required to search the Scriptures, we need not hesitate to pronounce their sanctification spurious. They are leaning to their own understanding, instead of conforming to the will of God (RH Oct. 5, 1886). {5BC 1147.1} [5BC 1147.2] Obey God's Requirements.--The truth as it is in Jesus is obedience to every precept of Jehovah. It is heart work. Bible sanctification is not the spurious sanctification of today, which will not search the Scriptures, but trusts to good feelings and impulses rather than to the seeking for truth as for hidden treasure. Bible sanctification is to know the requirements of God and to obey them. There is a pure and holy heaven in store for those who keep God's commandments. It is worth lifelong, persevering, untiring effort. Satan is on your right hand and on your left; he is before and behind; he has a dish of fables cooked up for every soul who is not cherishing the truth as it is in Jesus. The destroyer is upon you to palsy your every effort. But there is a crown of life to be won, a life that measures with the life of God (MS 58, 1897). {5BC 1147.2} [5BC 1147.3] The truth if received is capable of constant expansion and new developments. It will increase in brightness as we behold it, and grow in height and depth as we aspire to grasp it. Thus it will elevate us to the standard of perfection, and give us faith and trust in God as our strength for the work before us (MS 153, 1898). {5BC 1147.3} [5BC 1147.4] (Hebrews 4:12.) No Soft Tread.--The truth is the truth. It is not to be wrapped up in beautiful adornings, that the outside appearance may be admired. The teacher is to make the truth clear and forcible to the understanding and to the conscience. The word is a two-edged sword, that cuts both ways. It does not tread as with soft, slippered feet. {5BC 1147.4} [5BC 1147.5] There are many cases where men who have defended Christianity against skeptics have afterward lost their own souls in the mazes of skepticism. They caught the malaria, and died spiritually. They had strong arguments for the truth, and much outside evidence, but they did not have an abiding faith in Christ. O, there are thousands upon thousands of professed Christians who never study the Bible! Study the sacred Word prayerfully, for your own soul's benefit. When you hear the word of the living preacher, if he has a living connection with God, you will find that the Spirit and the word agree. {5BC 1147.5} [5BC 1147.6] The Old and New Testaments are linked together by the golden clasp of God. We need to become familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures. The unchangeableness of God should be clearly seen; the similarity of His dealings with His people of the past dispensation and of the present, should be studied. . . . {5BC 1147.6} [5BC 1147.7] By the work of the Holy Spirit the truth is riveted in the mind and printed in the heart of the diligent, God-fearing 1148 student. And not only is he blessed by this kind of labor; the souls to whom he communicates truth, and for whom he must one day give an account, are also greatly blessed. Those who make God their counselor reap the most precious harvest as they gather the golden grains of truth from His Word; for the heavenly Instructor is close by their side. He who obtains his qualification for the ministry in this way will be entitled to the blessing promised to him who turns many to righteousness (RH April 20, 1897). {5BC 1147.7} [5BC 1148.1] 20, 21 (Matthew 25:14, 15; Mark 13:34). Unity in Diversity.--［John 17:20, 21 quoted.］ What kind of unity is spoken of in these words?--Unity in diversity. Our minds do not all run in the same channel, and we have not all been given the same work. God has given to every man his work according to his several ability. There are different kinds of work to be done, and workers of varied capabilities are needed. If our hearts are humble, if we have learned in the school of Christ to be meek and lowly, we may all press together in the narrow path marked out for us (MS 52, 1904). {5BC 1148.1} [5BC 1148.2] 20-23. No Destruction of Personality.--Christ is one with the Father, but Christ and God are two distinct personages. Read the prayer of Christ in the seventeenth chapter of John, and you will find this point clearly brought out. How earnestly the Saviour prayed that His disciples might be one with Him as He is one with the Father. But the unity that is to exist between Christ and His followers does not destroy the personality of either. They are to be one with Him as He is one with the Father (RH June 1, 1905). {5BC 1148.2} [5BC 1148.3] ［John 17:20-23 quoted.］ What a wonderful statement! The unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality of either. In mind, in purpose, in character, they are one, but not in person. By partaking of the Spirit of God, conforming to the law of God, man becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ brings His disciples into a living union with Himself and with the Father. Through the working of the Holy Spirit upon the human mind, man is made complete in Christ Jesus. Unity with Christ establishes a bond of unity with one another. This unity is the most convincing proof to the world of the majesty and virtue of Christ, and of His power to take away sin (MS 111, 1903). {5BC 1148.3} [5BC 1148.4] 24 (see EGW on ch. 20:16, 17). According to Covenant Promise.--O, how the divine Head longed to have His church with Him! They had fellowship with Him in His suffering and humiliation, and it is His highest joy to have them with Him to be partakers of His glory. Christ claims the privilege of having His church with Him. "I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am." To have them with Him is according to covenant promise and agreement with His Father (RH Oct. 17, 1893). {5BC 1148.4} [5BC 1148.5] Chapter 18 13. See EGW on Matthew 26:3. {5BC 1148.5} [5BC 1148.6] 13, 14. See EGW on Matthew 26:57. {5BC 1148.6} [5BC 1148.7] 14. See EGW on ch. 11:50, 51. {5BC 1148.7} [5BC 1148.8] 20, 21. Two Ways of Working.--［John 18:20, 21 quoted.］ Jesus would contrast His manner of work with that of His accusers. This midnight seizure by a mob, this cruel mockery and abuse before He was even accused or condemned, was their manner, not His. His work was open to all. He had nothing in His doctrines that He concealed. Thus He rebuked their position, and unveiled the hypocrisy of the Sadducees (MS 51, 1897). {5BC 1148.8} [5BC 1148.9] 37. Christ Spoke Truth With the Freshness of a New Revelation.--Truth never languished on His lips, never suffered in His hands for want of perfect obedience to its requirements. "To this end was I born," Christ declared, "and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." And the mighty principles of truth fell from His lips with the freshness of a new revelation. The truth was spoken by Him with an earnestness proportionate to its infinite importance and to the momentous results depending on its success (MS 49, 1898). {5BC 1148.9} [5BC 1148.10] 39, 40. See EGW on Matthew 27:15-26. {5BC 1148.10} [5BC 1148.11] Chapter 19 10. Pilate Responsible.--［John 19:10 quoted.］ "I have power." By saying this, Pilate showed that he made himself 1149 responsible for the condemnation of Christ, for the cruel scourging, and for the insults offered Him before any wrong was proved against Him. Pilate had been chosen and appointed to administer justice, but he dared not do it. Had he exercised the power that he claimed, and that his position gave him, had he protected Christ, he would not have been accountable for His death. Christ would have been crucified, but Pilate would not have been held guilty (RH Jan. 23, 1900). {5BC 1148.11} [5BC 1149.1] 14, 15. See EGW on Matthew 27:22, 23. {5BC 1149.1} [5BC 1149.2] 15. Last Hope Gone.--What was Christ's grief to see the Jews fixing their own destiny beyond redemption! He alone could comprehend the significance of their rejection, betrayal, and condemnation of the Son of God. His last hope for the Jewish nation was gone. Nothing could avert her doom. By the representatives of the nation God was denied as their Ruler. By worlds unfallen, by the whole heavenly universe, the blasphemous utterance was heard, "We have no king but Caesar." The God of heaven heard their choice. He had given them opportunity to repent, and they would not. Forty years afterward Jerusalem was destroyed, and the Roman power ruled over the people. Then they had no deliverer. They had no king but Caesar. Henceforth the Jewish nation, as a nation, was as a branch severed from the vine--a dead, fruitless branch, to be gathered up and burned--from land to land throughout the world, from century to century, dead--dead in trespasses and sins--without a Saviour (YI Feb. 1, 1900)! {5BC 1149.2} [5BC 1149.3] 15, 16. See EGW on Matthew 27:25, 26. {5BC 1149.3} [5BC 1149.4] 16. Reactions to Jesus' Condemnation.--Jesus, the Son of God, was delivered to the people to be crucified. With shouts of triumph they led the Saviour away toward Calvary. The news of His condemnation had spread through all Jerusalem, striking terror and anguish to thousands of hearts, but bringing a malicious joy to many who had been reproved by His teachings (Undated MS 127). {5BC 1149.4} [5BC 1149.5] 18. See EGW on Matthew 27:38. {5BC 1149.5} [5BC 1149.6] 19. See EGW on Matthew 27:37. {5BC 1149.6} [5BC 1149.7] 25-27. John and Mary Returned.--Christ, bearing the sin of the world, seemed to be deserted; but He was not wholly left alone. John stood close by the cross. Mary had fainted in her anguish, and John had taken her to his house away from the harrowing scene. But he saw that the end was near, and he brought her again to the cross (MS 45, 1897) {5BC 1149.7} [5BC 1149.8] 30 (see EGW on Matthew 27:45, 46, 50). The Compact Was Fully Consummated.--When Christ spoke these words, He addressed His Father. Christ was not alone in making this great sacrifice. It was the fulfillment of the covenant made between the Father and the Son before the foundation of the earth was laid. With clasped hands they entered into the solemn pledge that Christ would become the substitute and surety for the human race if they were overcome by Satan's sophistry. The compact was now being fully consummated. The climax was reached. Christ had the consciousness that He had fulfilled to the letter the pledge He had made. In death He was more than conqueror. The redemption price has been paid (MS 111, 1897). {5BC 1149.8} [5BC 1149.9] Last Tie of Sympathy Severed.--When Christ cried out, "It is finished," all heaven triumphed. The controversy between Christ and Satan in regard to the execution of the plan of salvation was ended. The spirit of Satan and his works had taken deep root in the affections of the children of men. For Satan to have come into power would have been death to the world. The implacable hatred he felt toward the Son of God was revealed in his manner of treating Him while He was in the world. Christ's betrayal, trial, and crucifixion were all planned by the fallen foe. His hatred, carried out in the death of the Son of God, placed Satan where his true diabolical character was revealed to all created intelligences that had not fallen through sin. {5BC 1149.9} [5BC 1149.10] The holy angels were horror-stricken that one who had been of their number could fall so far as to be capable of such cruelty. Every sentiment of sympathy or pity which they had ever felt for Satan in his exile, was quenched in their hearts. That his envy should be exercised in such a revenge upon an innocent person was 1150 enough to strip him of his assumed robe of celestial light, and to reveal the hideous deformity beneath; but to manifest such malignity toward the divine Son of God, who had, with unprecedented self-denial, and love for the creatures formed in His image, come from heaven and assumed their fallen nature, was such a heinous crime against Heaven that it caused the angels to shudder with horror, and severed forever the last tie of sympathy existing between Satan and the heavenly world (3SP 183, 184). {5BC 1149.10} [5BC 1150.1] (Matthew 27:51.) Satan Fell Like Lightning.--When Christ cried, "It is finished," God's unseen hand rent the strong fabric composing the veil of the temple from top to bottom. The way into the holiest of all was made manifest. God bowed His head satisfied. Now His justice and mercy could blend. He could be just, and yet the justifier of all who should believe on Christ. He looked upon the victim expiring on the cross, and said, "It is finished. The human race shall have another trial." The redemption price was paid, and Satan fell like lightning from heaven (MS 111, 1897). {5BC 1150.1} [5BC 1150.2] 38, 39. See EGW on Matthew 27:38. {5BC 1150.2} [5BC 1150.3] Chapter 20 16, 17 (ch. 17:24; Isaiah 13:12; Matthew 28:18; Hebrews 1:6). The Contract Ratified.--［John 20:16, 17 quoted.］ Jesus refused to receive the homage of His people until He knew that His sacrifice had been accepted by the Father, and until He had received the assurance from God Himself that His atonement for the sins of His people had been full and ample, that through His blood they might gain eternal life. Jesus immediately ascended to heaven and presented Himself before the throne of God, showing the marks of shame and cruelty upon His brow, His hands and feet. But he refused to receive the coronet of glory, and the royal robe, and He also refused the adoration of the angels as He had refused the homage of Mary, until the Father signified that His offering was accepted. {5BC 1150.3} [5BC 1150.4] He also had a request to prefer concerning His chosen ones upon earth. He wished to have the relation clearly defined that His redeemed should hereafter sustain to heaven, and to His Father. His church must be justified and accepted before He could accept heavenly honor. He declared it to be His will that where He was, there His church should be; if He was to have glory, His people must share it with Him. They who suffer with Him on earth must finally reign with Him in His kingdom. In the most explicit manner Christ pleaded for His church, identifying His interest with theirs, and advocating, with love and constancy stronger than death, their rights and titles gained through Him. {5BC 1150.4} [5BC 1150.5] God's answer to this appeal goes forth in the proclamation: "Let all the angels of God worship him." Every angelic commander obeys the royal mandate, and Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain; and that lives again a triumphant conqueror! echoes and re-echoes through all heaven. The innumerable company of angels prostrate themselves before the Redeemer. The request of Christ is granted; the church is justified through Him, its representative and head. Here the Father ratifies the contract with His Son, that He will be reconciled to repentant and obedient men, and take them into divine favor through the merits of Christ. Christ guarantees that He will make a man "more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir." All power in heaven and on earth is now given to the Prince of life; yet He does not for a moment forget His poor disciples in a sinful world, but prepares to return to them, that He may impart to them His power and glory. Thus did the Redeemer of mankind, by the sacrifice of Himself, connect earth with heaven, and finite man with the infinite God (3SP 202, 203). {5BC 1150.5} [5BC 1150.6] 17 (John 10:18). All of Christ Remained in Tomb.--Jesus said to Mary, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father." When He closed His eyes in death upon the cross, the soul of Christ did not go at once to heaven, as many believe, or how could His words be true--"I am not yet ascended to my Father"? The spirit of Jesus slept in the tomb with His body, and did not wing its way to heaven, there to maintain a separate existence, and to look down upon the mourning disciples embalming the body from 1151 which it had taken flight. All that comprised the life and intelligence of Jesus remained with His body in the sepulcher; and when He came forth it was as a whole being; He did not have to summon His spirit from heaven. He had power to lay down His life and to take it up again (3SP 203, 204). {5BC 1150.6} [5BC 1151.1] 21, 22. A Foretaste of Pentecost.--The act of Christ in breathing upon His disciples the Holy Ghost, and in imparting His peace to them, was as a few drops before the plentiful shower to be given on the day of Pentecost. Jesus impressed this fact upon His disciples, that as they should proceed in the work intrusted to them, they would the more fully comprehend the nature of that work, and the manner in which the kingdom of Christ was to be set up on earth. They were appointed to be witnesses for the Saviour; they were to testify what they had seen and heard of His resurrection; they were to repeat the gracious words which proceeded from His lips. They were acquainted with His holy character; He was as an angel standing in the sun, yet casting no shadow. It was the sacred work of the apostles to present the spotless character of Christ to men, as the standard for their lives. The disciples had been so intimately associated with this Pattern of holiness that they were in some degree assimilated to Him in character, and were specially fitted to make known to the world His precepts and example (3SP 243, 244). {5BC 1151.1} [5BC 1151.2] 23 (Matthew 16:18, 19; 18:18). Man Cannot Remove One Stain of Sin.--Christ gave no ecclesiastical right to forgive sin, nor to sell indulgences, that men may sin without incurring the displeasure of God, nor did He give His servants liberty to accept a gift or bribe for cloaking sin, that it may escape merited censure. Jesus charged His disciples to preach the remission of sin in His name among all nations; but they themselves were not empowered to remove one stain of sin from the children of Adam. . . . Whoever would attract the people to himself as one in whom is invested power to forgive sins, incurs the wrath of God, for he turns souls away from the heavenly Pardoner to a weak and erring mortal (3SP 245, 246). {5BC 1151.2} [5BC 1151.3] 24-29. Tenderness Won Thomas.--Jesus, in His treatment of Thomas, gave His followers a lesson regarding the manner in which they should treat those who have doubts upon religious truth, and who make those doubts prominent. He did not overwhelm Thomas with words of reproach, nor did He enter into a controversy with him; but, with marked condescension and tenderness, He revealed Himself unto the doubting one. Thomas had taken a most unreasonable position, in dictating the only conditions of his faith; but Jesus, by His generous love and consideration, broke down all the barriers he had raised. Persistent controversy will seldom weaken unbelief, but rather put it upon self-defense, where it will find new support and excuse. Jesus, revealed in His love and mercy as the crucified Saviour, will bring from many once unwilling lips the acknowledgment of Thomas, "My Lord, and my God" (3SP 222). {5BC 1151.3} [5BC 1151.4] Chapter 21 15-17. Peter Learned to Teach.--There was Peter, who denied his Lord. After he had fallen and been converted, Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." Before Peter's feet slipped, he had not the spirit of meekness required to feed the lambs; but after he became sensible of his own weakness, he knew just how to teach the erring and fallen; he could come close to their side in tender sympathy, and could help them (HS 121). {5BC 1151.4} [5BC 1151.5] (Luke 22:31, 32.) Genuine Restoration Reaches the Roots.--Peter never forgot the painful scene of his humiliation. He did not forget his denial of Christ, and think that, after all, it was not a very great sin. All was painfully real to the erring disciple. His sorrow for his sin was as intense as had been his denial. After his conversion, the old assertions were not made in the old spirit and manner. . . . {5BC 1151.5} [5BC 1151.6] Three times after His resurrection, Christ tested Peter. "Simon, son of Jonas," He said, "lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest 1152 that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep." {5BC 1151.6} [5BC 1152.1] This heart-searching question was necessary in the case of Peter, and it is necessary in our case. The work of restoration can never be thorough unless the roots of evil are reached. Again and again the shoots have been clipped, while the root of bitterness has been left to spring up and defile many; but the very depth of the hidden evil must be reached, the moral senses must be judged, and judged again, in the light of the divine presence. The daily life will testify whether or not the work is genuine. {5BC 1152.1} [5BC 1152.2] When, the third time, Christ said to Peter, "Lovest thou me?" the probe reached the soul center. Self-judged, Peter fell upon the Rock, saying, "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee." {5BC 1152.2} [5BC 1152.3] This is the work before the every soul who has dishonored God, and grieved the heart of Christ, by a denial of truth and righteousness. If the tempted soul endures the trying process, and self does not awake to life to feel hurt and abused under the test, that probing knife reveals that the soul is indeed dead to self, but alive unto God. {5BC 1152.3} [5BC 1152.4] Some assert that if a soul stumbles and falls, he can never regain his position; but the case before us contradicts this. Before his denial Christ said to Peter, "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." In committing to his stewardship the souls for whom He had given His life, Christ gave to Peter the strongest evidence of His confidence in his restoration. And he was commissioned to feed not only the sheep, but the lambs--a broader and more delicate work than had hitherto been appointed him. Not only was he to hold forth the word of life to others, but he was to be a shepherd of the flock (YI Dec. 22, 1898). {5BC 1152.4} [5BC 1152.5] 18, 19 (Matthew 19:28; 25:31; Romans 8:17; 1 Peter 4:13). A Transformed Peter. --［John 21:18-22 quoted.］ Peter was now humble enough to understand the words of Christ, and without further questioning, the once restless, boastful, self-confident disciple became subdued and contrite. He followed his Lord indeed--the Lord he had denied. The thought that Christ had not denied and rejected him was to Peter a light and comfort and blessing. He felt that he could be crucified from choice, but it must be with his head downward. And he who was so close a partaker of Christ's sufferings will also be a partaker of His glory when He shall "sit upon the throne of his glory" (YI Dec. 22, 1898). {5BC 1152.5} [6BC 1051.1] 6BC - S.D.A. Bible Commentary Vol. 6 (1956) Acts Book of Acts, Instruction for Today.--The whole of the book of Acts should receive careful study. It is full of precious instruction; it records experiences in evangelistic work, the teachings of which we need in our work today. This is wonderful history; it deals with the highest education, which the students in our schools are to receive (Letter 100, 1909). {6BC 1051.1} [6BC 1051.2] Chapter 1 1-5 (Luke 1:1-4). Authorship of Book of Acts.--Luke, the writer of the book of Acts, and Theophilus, to whom it is addressed, had been pleasantly associated. From Luke, Theophilus had received much instruction and great light. Luke had been Theophilus' teacher, and he still felt a responsibility to direct and instruct him, and to sustain and protect him in his work. {6BC 1051.2} [6BC 1051.3] At that time it was customary for a writer to send his manuscript to someone for examination and criticism. Luke chose Theophilus, as a man in whom he had confidence, to perform this important work. He first directs the attention of Theophilus to the record of Christ's life as given in the book of Luke, which had also been addressed by the same writer to Theophilus. ［Acts 1:1-5 quoted.］ . . . The teachings of Christ were to be preserved in manuscripts and books (MS 40, 1903). {6BC 1051.3} [6BC 1051.4] 7, 8. Preach the Simple Gospel, Not Startling Speculations.--The disciples were anxious to know the exact time for the revelation of the kingdom of God, but Jesus tells them that they may not know the times and the seasons; for the Father has not revealed them. To understand when the kingdom of God should be restored, was not the thing of most importance for them to know. They were to be found following the Master, praying, waiting, watching, and working. They were to be representatives to the world of the character of Christ. That which was essential for a successful Christian experience in the days of the disciples, is essential in our day. "And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." And after the Holy Ghost was come upon them, what were they to do? "And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." {6BC 1051.4} [6BC 1051.5] This is the work in which we also are to be engaged. Instead of living in expectation of some special season of excitement, we are 1052 wisely to improve present opportunities, doing that which must be done in order that souls may be saved. Instead of exhausting the powers of our mind in speculations in regard to the times and seasons which the Lord has placed in His own power, and withheld from men, we are to yield ourselves to the control of the Holy Spirit, to do present duties, to give the bread of life, unadulterated with human opinions, to souls who are perishing for the truth. {6BC 1051.5} [6BC 1052.1] Satan is ever ready to fill the mind with theories and calculations that will divert men from the present truth, and disqualify them for the giving of the third angel's message to the world. It has ever been thus; for our Saviour often had to speak reprovingly to those who indulged in speculations and were ever inquiring into those things which the Lord had not revealed. Jesus had come to earth to impart important truth to men, and He wished to impress their minds with the necessity of receiving and obeying His precepts and instructions, of doing their present duty, and His communications were of an order that imparted knowledge for their immediate and daily use. {6BC 1052.1} [6BC 1052.2] Jesus said: "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent." All that was done and said had this one object in view--to rivet truth in their minds that they might attain unto everlasting life. Jesus did not come to astonish men with some great announcement of some special time when some great event would occur, but He came to instruct and save the lost. He did not come to arouse and gratify curiosity; for He knew that this would but increase the appetite for the curious and the marvelous. It was His aim to impart knowledge whereby men might increase in spiritual strength and advance in the way of obedience and true holiness. He gave only such instruction as could be appropriated to the needs of their daily life, only such truth as could be given to others for the same appropriation. He did not make new revelations to men, but opened to their understanding truths that had long been obscured or misplaced through the false teaching of the priests and teachers. Jesus replaced the gems of divine truth in their proper setting, in the order in which they had been given to patriarchs and prophets. And after giving them this precious instruction. He promised to give them the Holy Spirit whereby all things that He had said unto them should be brought to their remembrance. {6BC 1052.2} [6BC 1052.3] We are in continual danger of getting above the simplicity of the gospel. There is an intense desire on the part of many to startle the world with something original, that shall lift the people into a state of spiritual ecstasy, and change the present order of experience. There is certainly great need of a change in the present order of experience; for the sacredness of present truth is not realized as it should be, but the change we need is a change of heart, and can only be obtained by seeking God individually for His blessing, by pleading with Him for His power, by fervently praying that His grace may come upon us, and that our characters may be transformed. This is the change we need today, and for the attainment of this experience we should exercise persevering energy and manifest heartfelt earnestness. We should ask with true sincerity, What shall I do to be saved? We should know just what steps we are taking heavenward. {6BC 1052.3} [6BC 1052.4] Christ gave to His disciples truths whose breadth and depth and value they little appreciated, or even comprehended, and the same condition exists among the people of God today. We too have failed to take in the greatness, to perceive the beauty of the truth which God has entrusted to us today. Should we advance in spiritual knowledge, we would see the truth developing and expanding in lines of which we have little dreamed, but it will never develop in any line that will lead us to imagine that we may know the times and the seasons which the Father hath put in His own power. Again and again have I been warned in regard to time-setting. There will never again be a message for the people of God that will be based on time. We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the coming of Christ (RH March 22, 1892). {6BC 1052.4} [6BC 1052.5] 8 (John 15:26, 27). A Gift Unexcelled.--Christ determined that when He ascended from this earth, He would bestow a gift on those who had believed on Him, and those 1053 who should believe on Him. What gift could He bestow rich enough to signalize and grace His ascension to the mediatorial throne? It must be worthy of His greatness and His royalty. He determined to give His representative, the third person of the Godhead. This gift could not be excelled. He would give all gifts in one, and therefore the divine Spirit, that converting, enlightening, and sanctifying power, would be His donation. . . . {6BC 1052.5} [6BC 1053.1] Christ longed to be in a position where He could accomplish the most important work by few and simple means. The plan of redemption is comprehensive; but its parts are few, and each part depends on the others, while all work together with the utmost simplicity and in entire harmony. Christ is represented by the Holy Spirit; and when this Spirit is appreciated, when those controlled by the Spirit communicate to others the energy with which they are imbued, an invisible chord is touched which electrifies the whole. Would that we could all understand how boundless are the divine resources (SW Nov. 28, 1905). {6BC 1053.1} [6BC 1053.2] The Holy Spirit Gives Divine Authority.--Jesus says, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me." It is the union of the Holy Spirit and the testimony of the living witness that is to warn the world. The worker for God is the agent through which the heavenly communication is given, and the Holy Spirit gives divine authority to the word of truth (RH April 4, 1893). {6BC 1053.2} [6BC 1053.3] 8, 9. See EGW on ch. 2:1-4. {6BC 1053.3} [6BC 1053.4] 9 (Psalm 24:7-10; 47:5, 6; Psalm 68:17, 18; Ephesians 4:8). Christ Ascended as King.--［Psalm 47:5, 6; 68:17, 18 quoted.］ Christ came to earth as God in the guise of humanity. He ascended to heaven as the King of saints. His ascension was worthy of His exalted character. He went as one mighty in battle, a conqueror, leading captivity captive. He was attended by the heavenly host, amid shouts and acclamations of praise and celestial song. . . . {6BC 1053.4} [6BC 1053.5] Only for a few moments could the disciples hear the angels' song as their Lord ascended, His hands outstretched in blessing. They heard not the greeting He received. All heaven united in His reception. His entrance was not begged. All heaven was honored by His presence. . . . {6BC 1053.5} [6BC 1053.6] The seal of heaven has been fixed to Christ's atonement (MS 134, 1897). {6BC 1053.6} [6BC 1053.7] 9-11 (Luke 24:50, 51). Full Glory of Ascension Veiled.--The most precious fact to the disciples in the ascension of Jesus was that He went from them into heaven in the tangible form of their divine Teacher. . . . {6BC 1053.7} [6BC 1053.8] The disciples not only saw the Lord ascend, but they had the testimony of the angels that He had gone to occupy His Father's throne in heaven. The last remembrance that the disciples were to have of their Lord was as the sympathizing Friend, the glorified Redeemer. Moses veiled his face to hide the glory of the law which was reflected upon it, and the glory of Christ's ascension was veiled from human sight. The brightness of the heavenly escort and the opening of the glorious gates of God to welcome Him were not to be discerned by mortal eyes. {6BC 1053.8} [6BC 1053.9] Had the track of Christ to heaven been revealed to the disciples in all its inexpressible glory, they could not have endured the sight. Had they beheld the myriads of angels, and heard the bursts of triumph from the battlements of heaven, as the everlasting doors were lifted up, the contrast between that glory and their own lives in a world of trial, would have been so great that they would hardly have been able to again take up the burden of their earthly lives, prepared to execute with courage and faithfulness the commission given them by the Saviour. Even the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, which was sent to them, would not have been properly appreciated, nor would it have strengthened their hearts sufficiently to bear reproach, contumely, imprisonment, and death if need be. {6BC 1053.9} [6BC 1053.10] Their senses were not to become so infatuated with the glories of heaven that they would lose sight of the character of Christ on earth, which they were to copy in themselves. They were to keep distinctly before their minds the beauty and majesty of His life, the perfect harmony of all His attributes, and the mysterious union of the divine and human in His nature. It was better that the earthly acquaintance of the disciples with their Saviour should end in the solemn, quiet, and sublime manner in 1054 which it did. His visible ascent from the world was in harmony with the meekness and quiet of His life (3SP 254, 255). {6BC 1053.10} [6BC 1054.1] 11. Holy Humanity Taken to Heaven.--Christ ascended to heaven, bearing a sanctified, holy humanity. He took this humanity with Him into the heavenly courts, and through the eternal ages He will bear it, as the One who has redeemed every human being in the city of God (RH March 9, 1905). {6BC 1054.1} [6BC 1054.2] (John 12:45; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3.) A Personal Saviour.--Christ came as a personal Saviour to the world. He represented a personal God. He ascended on high as a personal Saviour, and will come again as He ascended to heaven--a personal Saviour (MS 86, 1898). {6BC 1054.2} [6BC 1054.3] (Matthew 28:20; 14:2, 3; John 16:24; Hebrews 9:24.) A New View of Heaven.--What a source of joy to the disciples to know that they had such a Friend in heaven to plead in their behalf! Through the visible ascension of Christ all their views and contemplation of heaven are changed. Their minds had formerly dwelt upon it as a region of unlimited space, tenanted by spirits without substance. Now heaven was connected with the thought of Jesus, whom they had loved and reverenced above all others, with whom they had conversed and journeyed, whom they had handled, even in His resurrected body, who had spoken hope and comfort to their hearts, and who, while the words were upon His lips, had been taken up before their eyes, the tones of His voice coming back to them as the cloudy chariot of angels received Him: "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." {6BC 1054.3} [6BC 1054.4] Heaven could no longer appear to them as an indefinite, incomprehensible space, filled with intangible spirits. They now looked upon it as their future home, where mansions were being prepared for them by their loving Redeemer. Prayer was clothed with a new interest, since it was a communion with their Saviour. With new and thrilling emotions and a firm confidence that their prayer would be answered, they gathered in the upper chamber to offer their petitions and to claim the promise of the Saviour, who had said, "Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." They prayed in the name of Jesus. {6BC 1054.4} [6BC 1054.5] They had a gospel to preach--Christ in human form, a man of sorrows; Christ in humiliation, taken by wicked hands and crucified; Christ resurrected, and ascended to heaven, into the presence of God, to be man's Advocate; Christ to come again with power and great glory in the clouds of heaven (3SP 262, 263). {6BC 1054.5} [6BC 1054.6] 14. Faith of Jesus' Brothers Established.--［Acts 1:9-14 quoted.］ "And with his brethren." These had lost much because of their unbelief. They had been among the number who doubted when Jesus appeared in Galilee. But they now firmly believed that Jesus was the Son of God, the promised Messiah. Their faith was established (Letter 115, 1904). {6BC 1054.6} [6BC 1054.7] 26 (Joshua 7:16-18). No Faith in Casting Lots.--Let none be led from the sound, sensible principles that God has laid down for the guidance of His people, to depend for direction on any such device as the tossing up of a coin. Such a course is well pleasing to the enemy of souls; for he works to control the coin, and through its agency works out his plans. Let none be so easily deceived as to place confidence in any such tests. Let none belittle their experience by resorting to cheap devices for direction in important matters connected with the work of God. {6BC 1054.7} [6BC 1054.8] The Lord works in no haphazard way. Seek Him most earnestly in prayer. He will impress the mind, and will give tongue and utterance. The people of God are to be educated not to trust in human inventions and uncertain tests as a means of learning God's will concerning them. Satan and his agencies are always ready to step into any opening to be found that will lead souls away from the pure principles of the Word of God. The people who are led and taught of God will give no place to devisings for which there is not a "Thus saith the Lord" (SpT, Ser. B, No. 17, p. 28). {6BC 1054.8} [6BC 1054.9] I have no faith in casting lots. We have in the Bible a plain "Thus saith the Lord" in regard to all church duties. . . . Read your Bibles with much prayer. Do not try to humble others, but humble yourselves before God, and deal gently with one another. To cast lots for the officers of the church is not in God's order (Letter 37, 1900). 1055 {6BC 1054.9} [6BC 1055.1] Chapter 2 Read and Present Acts 2.--Let us read and receive and present to others the second chapter of the book of Acts. We need a deeper piety and the sincere meekness of the Great Teacher. I am instructed . . . that the whole book of Acts is our lesson book. All of us need to humble our own individual hearts, and be converted daily. (Letter 32, 1910). {6BC 1055.1} [6BC 1055.2] 1-4 (ch. 1:8, 9; Ephesians 4:8). Christ's Promise Fulfilled.--The time had now come. The Spirit had been waiting for the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. For ten days the disciples offered their petitions for the outpouring of the Spirit, and Christ in heaven added His intercession. This was the occasion of His ascension and inauguration, a jubilee in heaven. He had ascended on high, leading captivity captive, and He now claimed the gift of the Spirit, that He might pour it out upon His disciples (SW Nov. 28, 1905). {6BC 1055.2} [6BC 1055.3] Heaven's Reservoir of Power not Locked.--［Acts 2:1-4 quoted.］ God is willing to give us a similar blessing, when we seek for it as earnestly. {6BC 1055.3} [6BC 1055.4] The Lord did not lock the reservoir of heaven after pouring His Spirit upon the early disciples. We also may receive of the fullness of His blessing. Heaven is full of the treasures of His grace, and those who come to God in faith may claim all that He has promised. If we do not have His power, it is because of our spiritual lethargy, our indifference, our indolence. Let us come out of this formality and deadness (RH June 4, 1889). {6BC 1055.4} [6BC 1055.5] (Hosea 6:3; Joel 2:23, 28, 29; Zechariah 10:1; Revelation 18:1.) Pentecost Repeated With Greater Power.--It is with an earnest longing that I look forward to the time when the events of the day of Pentecost shall be repeated with even greater power than on that occasion. John says, "I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory." Then, as at the Pentecostal season, the people will hear the truth spoken to them, every man in his own tongue. {6BC 1055.5} [6BC 1055.6] God can breathe new life into every soul that sincerely desires to serve Him, and can touch the lips with a live coal from off the altar, and cause them to become eloquent with His praise. Thousands of voices will be imbued with the power to speak forth the wonderful truths of God's Word. The stammering tongue will be unloosed, and the timid will be made strong to bear courageous testimony to the truth. May the Lord help His people to cleanse the soul temple from every defilement, and to maintain such a close connection with Him that they may be partakers of the latter rain when it shall be poured out (RH July 20, 1886). {6BC 1055.6} [6BC 1055.7] 1-4, 14, 41 (Ephesians 4:30). A Harvest From Christ's Sowing.--In the work that was accomplished on the day of Pentecost, we may see what can be done by the exercise of faith. Those who believed in Christ were sealed by the Holy Spirit. As the disciples were assembled together, "there came a sound. . . as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them." And Peter stood up among them and spoke with mighty power. Among those who listened to him were devout Jews, who were sincere in their belief. But the power that accompanied the words of the speaker convinced them that Christ was indeed the Messiah. What a mighty work was accomplished! Three thousand were converted in one day. {6BC 1055.7} [6BC 1055.8] The seed had been sown by the greatest Teacher the world had ever known. For three and a half years the Son of God had sojourned in the land of Judea, proclaiming the message of the gospel of truth and working with mighty signs and wonders. The seed had been sown, and after His ascension the great ingathering took place. More were converted by one sermon on the day of Pentecost than were converted during all the years of Christ's ministry. So mightily will God work when men give themselves to the control of the Spirit (MS 85, 1903). {6BC 1055.8} [6BC 1055.9] 1-12 (ch. 4:13). Second Edition of Christ's Teaching.--After the disciples had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the priests and rulers marveled at the words which they spake, for they knew them as unlearned and ignorant men. But they took 1056 knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus {6BC 1055.9} [6BC 1056.1] Their teaching was a second edition of the teachings of Christ, the utterance of simple, grand truths that flashed light into darkened minds, and converted thousands in a day. The disciples began to understand that Christ was their Advocate in the heavenly courts, and that He was glorified. They could speak because the Holy Spirit gave them utterance (MS 32, 1900). {6BC 1056.1} [6BC 1056.2] 17, 18. See EGW on Joel 2:28, 29. {6BC 1056.2} [6BC 1056.3] Chapter 3 17. No Excuse for Willful Ignorance.--"I wot that through ignorance ye did it," said Peter; but this ignorance did not excuse the action; for they had had great light granted unto them. The statement is made that had they known that He was the Prince of life, they would not have crucified Him. But why did they not know?--because they chose not to know. They had no interest to search and study, and their ignorance proved their eternal ruin. They had had the strongest evidence on which to base their faith, and they were under obligation to God to accept the evidence He had given them. Their unbelief made them guilty of the blood of the only begotten Son of the infinite God (MS 9, 1898). {6BC 1056.3} [6BC 1056.4] Chapter 4 12. See EGW on 1 Timothy 2:5. {6BC 1056.4} [6BC 1056.5] 13. See EGW on ch. 2:1-12. {6BC 1056.5} [6BC 1056.6] Chapter 5 1-11. Sacredness of Vows and Pledges.--The people need to be impressed with the sacredness of their vows and pledges to the cause of God. Such pledges are not generally held to be as obligatory as a promissory note from man to man. But is a promise less sacred and binding because it is made to God? Because it lacks some technical terms, and cannot be enforced by law, will the Christian disregard the obligation to which he has given his word? No legal note or bond is more obligatory than a pledge made to the cause of God (RH May 23, 1893). {6BC 1056.6} [6BC 1056.7] 29. What Does God Say?--We are not to inquire, What is the practice of men? or, What is the custom of the world? We are not to ask, How shall I act in order to have the approval of men? or, What will the world tolerate? The question of intense interest to every soul is, What hath God said? We are to read His Word and obey it, not swerving one jot or tittle from its requirements, but acting irrespective of human traditions and jurisdiction (RH Oct. 1, 1895). {6BC 1056.7} [6BC 1056.8] 31 (Romans 2:4). Repentance the Gift of Christ.--［Acts 5:31 quoted.］ Repentance is as much the gift of Christ as is forgiveness, and it cannot be found in the heart where Jesus has not been at work. We can no more repent without the Spirit of Christ to awaken the conscience than we can be pardoned without Christ. Christ draws the sinner by the exhibition of His love upon the cross, and this softens the heart, impresses the mind, and inspires contrition and repentance in the soul (RH April 1, 1890). {6BC 1056.8} [6BC 1056.9] Chapter 6 1-7. Responsibilities in God's Work to Be Shared.--The Lord here gives us an example of the care that should be exercised when choosing men for His service. In this case, one man was not made the only burden bearer of great responsibilities. Seven men were chosen, and they were to be closely united in their work (MS 91, 1899). {6BC 1056.9} [6BC 1056.10] Chapter 7 22. See EGW on Exodus 2:11. {6BC 1056.10} [6BC 1056.11] Chapter 8 4. See EGW on ch. 18:2. {6BC 1056.11} [6BC 1056.12] 9-24 (2 Peter 1:14, 15). Paul and Peter Martyred in Rome.--The apostles Paul and Peter were for many years widely separated in their labors, it being the work of Paul to carry the gospel to the Gentiles, while Peter labored especially for the Jews. But in the providence of God, both were to bear witness for Christ in the world's metropolis, and upon its soil both were to shed their blood as the seed of a vast harvest of saints and martyrs. {6BC 1056.12} [6BC 1056.13] About the time of Paul's second arrest, Peter also was apprehended and thrust into prison. He had made himself especially obnoxious to the authorities by his zeal 1057 and success in exposing the deceptions and defeating the plots of Simon Magus the sorcerer, who had followed him to Rome to oppose and hinder the work of the gospel. Nero was a believer in magic, and had patronized Simon. He was therefore greatly incensed against the apostle, and was thus prompted to order his arrest (LP 328). {6BC 1056.13} [6BC 1057.1] 27. An Example of Obedience.--When God pointed out to Philip his work, the disciple did not say, "The Lord does not mean that." No; "he arose and went." He had learned the lesson of conformity to God's will. He realized that every soul is precious in the sight of God, and that angels are sent to bring those who are seeking for light into touch with those who can help them. {6BC 1057.1} [6BC 1057.2] Today as then angels are waiting to lead men to their fellow men. . . . In the experience of Philip and the Ethiopian is presented the work to which the Lord calls His people (RH March 2, 1911). {6BC 1057.2} [6BC 1057.3] Chapter 9 1, 2. The New Faith Flourished in Damascus.--In Damascus the new faith seemed to have acquired fresh life and energy. The work of suppression must be begun there, and Saul was selected for this work (YI Nov. 15, 1900). {6BC 1057.3} [6BC 1057.4] (Chs. 22:4; 26:11.) Saul Deluded and Deceived.--Saul had an abundance of energy and zeal to work out an erroneous faith in persecuting the saints of God, confining them in prisons and putting them to death. Although his hand did not do the work of murder, yet he had a voice in the decisions and zealously sustained them. He prepared the way, and gave up the believers of the gospel into hands that took their lives. In reference to his zeal Paul himself says, I was "exceedingly mad against them." "I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women." {6BC 1057.4} [6BC 1057.5] "Yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord," Saul went, not to the lower, ignorant class, but to the highest religionists in the world, the men who acted a part in putting Christ to death, the men who possessed the spirit and sentiment of Caiaphas and his confederacy. These great men, thought Saul, if they had religious, determined helpers, could certainly put down this little handful of fanatical men. So to the high priest Saul went, "and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem." Christ permitted this, and many, very many lost their lives for their belief in Him. {6BC 1057.5} [6BC 1057.6] Paul honestly thought that he was persecuting a weak, ignorant, fanatical sect. He did not realize that he himself was the one deluded and deceived, and following ignorantly under the banner of the prince of darkness (MS 142, 1897). {6BC 1057.6} [6BC 1057.7] 1-4 (ch. 26:9; 1 Corinthians 15:9). Saul's Unbelief Honest, but Not Excusable.--The mind that resists the truth will see everything in a perverted light. It will be fastened in the sure toils of the enemy, and view things in the light of the enemy. {6BC 1057.7} [6BC 1057.8] Saul of Tarsus was an example of this. He had no moral right to be an unbeliever. But he had chosen to accept the opinions of men rather than the counsel of God. He had the prophecies pointing to the Messiah, but the sayings of the rabbis, the words of men, were preferred. In his own wisdom, Saul knew not God nor Jesus Christ, whom He had sent. Afterward in repeating his experience, he declared that he thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Saul was honest in his unbelief. His was no pretension, and Jesus arrested him in his career and showed him on whose side he was working. The persecutor accepted the words of Christ, and was converted from infidelity to faith in Christ. {6BC 1057.8} [6BC 1057.9] Saul did not treat with indifference the unbelief which had led him to follow in Satan's track, and cause the suffering and death of the most precious of earth--those of whom the world was not worthy. He did not plead that his error of judgment was excusable. Long after his conversion he spoke of himself as the chief of sinners. "For I am the least of the apostles," he said, "that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God." He did not make one excuse for his cruel course in following faithfully the 1058 impression of a conscience that was false (MS 9, 1898). {6BC 1057.9} [6BC 1058.1] 3-6. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. {6BC 1058.1} [6BC 1058.2] 3-9. Made Blind That He Might See.--What a humiliation it was to Paul to know that all the time he was using his powers against the truth, thinking he was doing God's service, he was persecuting Christ. When the Saviour revealed Himself to Paul in the bright beams of His glory, he was filled with abhorrence for his work and for himself. The power of Christ's glory might have destroyed him, but Paul was a prisoner of hope. He was made physically blind by the glory of the presence of Him whom he had blasphemed, but it was that he might have spiritual sight, that he might be awakened from the lethargy that had stupefied and deadened his perceptions. His conscience, aroused, now worked with self-accusing energy. The zeal of his work, his earnest resistance of the light shining upon him through God's messengers, now brought condemnation upon his soul, and he was filled with bitter remorse. He no longer saw himself as righteous, but condemned by the law in thought, in spirit, and in deeds. He saw himself a sinner, utterly lost, without the Saviour he had been persecuting. In the days and nights of his blindness he had time for reflection, and he cast himself all helpless and hopeless upon Christ, the only one who could pardon him and clothe him with righteousness (MS 23, 1899). {6BC 1058.2} [6BC 1058.3] 6. Divine and Human Cooperation Necessary.--Always the Lord gives the human agent his work. Here is the divine and the human cooperation. There is man working in obedience to divine light given. If Saul had said, Lord, I am not at all inclined to follow your specified directions to work out my own salvation, then should the Lord have let ten times the light shine upon Saul, it would have been useless. It is man's work to cooperate with the divine. And it is the very hardest, sternest conflict which comes with the purpose and hour of great resolve and decision of the human to incline the will and way to God's will and God's way. . . . The character will determine the nature of the resolve and the action. The doing is not in accordance with the feeling or the inclination, but with the known will of our Father which is in heaven. Follow and obey the leadings of the Holy Spirit (Letter 135, 1898). {6BC 1058.3} [6BC 1058.4] 8, 9 (2 Corinthians 12:7-9; Galatians 6:17). "The Marks of the Lord Jesus."-- He ［Paul］ was ever to carry about with him in the body the marks of Christ's glory, in his eyes, which had been blinded by the heavenly light (LP 34). {6BC 1058.4} [6BC 1058.5] 18, 19. Paul's Baptism.--Paul was baptized by Ananias in the river of Damascus. He was then strengthened by food, and immediately began to preach Jesus to the believers in the city, the very ones whom he had set out from Jerusalem with the purpose of destroying (LP 32). {6BC 1058.5} [6BC 1058.6] 25-27 (Galatians 1:17, 18). Two Grand Characters Meet.--The gates of the city were vigilantly guarded, day and night, to cut off his escape. The anxiety of the disciples drew them to God in prayer; there was little sleeping among them, as they were busy in devising ways and means for the escape of the chosen apostle. Finally they conceived a plan by which he was let down from a window and lowered over the wall in a basket at night. In this humiliating manner Paul made his escape from Damascus. {6BC 1058.6} [6BC 1058.7] He now proceeded to Jerusalem, wishing to become acquainted with the apostles there, and especially with Peter. He was very anxious to meet the Galilean fishermen who had lived and prayed and conversed with Christ upon earth. . . . {6BC 1058.7} [6BC 1058.8] He attempted to join himself to his brethren, the disciples; but great was his grief and disappointment when he found that they would not receive him as one of their number. They remembered his former persecutions, and suspected him of acting a part to deceive and destroy them. True, they had heard of his wonderful conversion, but as he had immediately retired into Arabia, and they had heard nothing definite of him further, they had not credited the rumor of his great change. {6BC 1058.8} [6BC 1058.9] Barnabas, who had liberally contributed of his means to sustain the cause of Christ and to relieve the necessities of the poor, had been acquainted with Paul when he opposed the believers. He now came forward and renewed that acquaintance, heard the testimony of Paul in regard to 1059 his miraculous conversion, and his experience from that time. He fully believed and received Paul, took him by the hand, and led him into the presence of the apostles. He related his experience which he had just heard--that Jesus had personally appeared to Paul while on his way to Damascus; that He had talked with him; that Paul had recovered his sight in answer to the prayers of Ananias, and had afterward maintained in the synagogue of the city that Jesus was the Son of God. {6BC 1058.9} [6BC 1059.1] The apostles no longer hesitated; they could not withstand God. Peter and James, who at that time were the only apostles in Jerusalem, gave the right hand of fellowship to the once-fierce persecutor of their faith; and he was now as much beloved and respected as he had formerly been feared and avoided. Here the two grand characters of the new faith met--Peter, one of the chosen companions of Christ while He was upon earth; and Paul, a Pharisee, who, since the ascension of Jesus, had met Him face to face, and had talked with Him, and had also seen Him in vision, and the nature of His work in heaven (LP 34-36). {6BC 1059.1} [6BC 1059.2] Chapter 10 Heaven Is Near to the Seeker of Souls.--In the tenth chapter of Acts we have still another instance of the ministration of heavenly angels, resulting in the conversion of Cornelius and his company. Let these chapters ［8-10］ be read, and receive special attention. In them we see that heaven is much nearer to the Christian who is engaged in the work of soulsaving than many suppose. We should learn through them also the lesson of God's regard for every human being, and that each should treat his fellow man as one of the Lord's instrumentalities for the accomplishment of His work in the earth (MS 17, 1908). {6BC 1059.2} [6BC 1059.3] 1-4 (Philippians 4:18). Prayer and Almsgiving as Sweet Incense.--［Acts 10:1-4 quoted.］ It is a wonderful favor for any man in this life to be commended of God as was Cornelius. And what was the ground of this approval?--"Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." {6BC 1059.3} [6BC 1059.4] Neither prayer nor almsgiving has any virtue in itself to recommend the sinner to God; the grace of Christ, through His atoning sacrifice, can alone renew the heart and make our service acceptable to God. This grace had moved upon the heart of Cornelius. The Spirit of Christ had spoken to his soul; Jesus had drawn him, and he had yielded to the drawing. His prayers and alms were not urged or extorted from him; they were not a price he was seeking to pay in order to secure heaven; but they were the fruit of love and gratitude to God. {6BC 1059.4} [6BC 1059.5] Such prayer from a sincere heart ascends as incense before the Lord; and offerings to His cause and gifts to the needy and suffering are a sacrifice well pleasing to Him. Thus the gifts of the Philippian brethren who ministered to the needs of the apostle Paul while a prisoner at Rome, are said to be "an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God." {6BC 1059.5} [6BC 1059.6] Prayer and almsgiving are closely linked together--the expression of love to God and to our fellow men. They are the out-working of the two great principles of the divine law, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength"; and, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Thus while our gifts cannot recommend us to God or earn His favor, they are an evidence that we have received the grace of Christ. They are a test of the sincerity of our profession of love (RH May 9, 1893). {6BC 1059.6} [6BC 1059.7] 1-6 (Hebrews 1:14). Ministering Angels Note Each Individual.--That same Holy Watcher who says, I know Abraham, knew Cornelius also, and sent His angel with a message to the man who had received and improved all the light God had given him. The angel said, "Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter." Then the specific directions are given, "He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do." Thus the angel of the Lord works to bring Cornelius in connection with the human agent through whom he might receive greater light. Study the whole chapter carefully and see the simplicity of the whole transaction. Then consider that the Lord knows every one of us by name, and just where we live, and the 1060 spirit we possess, and every act of our life. The ministering angels are passing through the churches, noting our faithfulness in our individual line of duty (Letter 20a, 1893). {6BC 1059.7} [6BC 1060.1] Earnest Seekers Not Left in Darkness.--Here we are given positive evidence that the Lord does not leave in darkness those who follow all the light given them, but sends His angels to communicate with them. Cornelius was living in accordance with the instruction given in the Old Testament Scriptures, and the Lord sent a messenger to tell him what to do. {6BC 1060.1} [6BC 1060.2] God could have given Cornelius all the instruction he needed by the angel, but this was not His plan. His purpose was to place Cornelius in connection with those who had been receiving knowledge from on high, whose work it was to impart this knowledge to those seeking for light. Thus God always deals with His people. . . . {6BC 1060.2} [6BC 1060.3] Cornelius obeyed the instruction given. He united with the church, and became a useful and influential laborer together with God (MS 67, 1900). {6BC 1060.3} [6BC 1060.4] God Uses His Appointed Agencies.--［Acts 10:1-4 quoted.］ The angel did not give him the light that he might have given him, but directed him to take a course whereby he might come into connection with one who could tell him precious truth. . . . ［Acts 10:5, 6 quoted.］ {6BC 1060.4} [6BC 1060.5] Cornelius implicitly obeyed the instruction, and the same angel went to Peter, and gave him his instructions. This chapter ［Acts 10］ has much precious counsel in it for us, and we should study it with humble attention. When the Lord has His appointed agencies whereby He gives help to souls, and men disrespect these agencies, and refuse to receive help from them, and decide that they will be directly taught of God, the Lord does not gratify their desire. The man who takes such a position is in danger of taking up with the voices of strangers, and of being led into false paths. Both Cornelius and Peter were instructed what they were to do, and they obeyed the angel's word. Cornelius gathered his household together to hear the message of light from Peter. If he had said, I will not be taught of any man, the angel of God would have left him to himself; but this was not his attitude (RH Oct. 10, 1893). {6BC 1060.5} [6BC 1060.6] Many Today Like Cornelius.--There are many today who are in the same position as Cornelius. They are living up to the light they have received, and God speaks to them, as He spoke to Cornelius, and brings them by His appointed agencies to the place where they will receive the truth into good and honest hearts. God reveals Himself to those who are striving to form characters that He can approve. The prayers of those who fear Him, who recognize their obligations to Him, are heard and answered. The Lord takes special notice of those who walk in the light that He has given them, who testify by their deeds that they are trying to honor God. Through a Peter He will present the pearl of great price, and through a Cornelius and his family many souls will be brought to the light (RH Aug. 8, 1899). {6BC 1060.6} [6BC 1060.7] By the wonderful works of God, Cornelius was led to bring his energetic, faithful life into connection with the disciples of Christ. Thus shall it be in the last days. Many will prize the wisdom of God above any earthly advantage, and will obey the Word of God as the supreme standard. These will be led to great light. These will come to the knowledge of the truth, and will seek to get this light of truth before those of their acquaintance who like themselves are anxious for the truth. Thus they become conscientious light bearers to the world. Themselves constrained by the love of God, they will constrain others, and will improve every opportunity to invite and urge others to come and see the beauty of the truth, and to give their abilities to advance the work of God (MS 97, 1898). {6BC 1060.7} [6BC 1060.8] Some who are numbered among merchants and princes will take their position to obey the truth. God's eye has been upon such as they have acted according to the light they have had, maintaining their integrity. Cornelius . . . maintained his religious experience, strictly walking in accordance with the light he had received. God had His eye upon him, and He sent His angel with a message to him. The heavenly messenger passed by the self-righteous ones, came to Cornelius, and called him by name (MS 97, 1898). {6BC 1060.8} [6BC 1060.9] Much is said concerning our duty to the neglected poor. Should not some attention 1061 be given to the neglected rich? Many look upon this class as hopeless, and they do little to open the eyes of those who, blinded and dazed by the glitter of earthly glory, have lost eternity out of their reckoning. Thousands of wealthy men have gone to the grave unwarned. But indifferent as they may appear, many among the rich are soul burdened. . . . {6BC 1060.9} [6BC 1061.1] Riches and worldly honor cannot satisfy the soul. Many among the rich are longing for some divine assurance, some spiritual hope. Many long for something that will bring to an end the monotony of their aimless life. Many in official life feel their need of something which they have not. Few among them go to church, for they feel that they receive little benefit. The teaching they hear does not touch the heart. Shall we make no special appeal to them? {6BC 1061.1} [6BC 1061.2] God calls for earnest, humble workers, who will carry the gospel to the higher classes. It is by no casual, accidental touch that the wealthy, world-loving souls can be drawn to Christ. Decided personal effort must be put forth by men and women imbued with the missionary spirit, those who will not fail nor be discouraged (RH April 6, 1911). {6BC 1061.2} [6BC 1061.3] Chapter 12 6. Peter Ready to Yield Up His Life.--The apostle was not intimidated by the situation. Since his reinstatement after his denial of Christ, he had unflinchingly braved danger, and had shown a noble courage and boldness in preaching a crucified, risen, and ascended Saviour. As he lay in his cell he called to mind the words that Christ had spoken to him: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not." Peter believed that the time had come for him to yield up his life for Christ's sake (RH April 27, 1911). {6BC 1061.3} [6BC 1061.4] Chapter 14 17. See EGW on Romans 1:20, 21. {6BC 1061.4} [6BC 1061.5] Chapter 15 1, 5 (Romans 2:24-29; Galatians 5:6; Ephesians 2:14-16; Colossians 2:14-17; Titus 1:9-11). Circumcision of No Value After the Cross.--［Titus 1:9-11, 13, 14 quoted.］ There were those in Paul's day who were constantly dwelling upon circumcision, and they could bring plenty of proof from the Bible to show its obligation on the Jews; but this teaching was of no consequence at this time; for Christ had died upon Calvary's cross, and circumcision in the flesh could not be of any further value. {6BC 1061.5} [6BC 1061.6] The typical service and the ceremonies connected with it were abolished at the cross. The great antitypical Lamb of God had become an offering for guilty man, and the shadow ceased in the substance. Paul was seeking to bring the minds of men to the great truth for the time; but these who claimed to be followers of Jesus were wholly absorbed in teaching the tradition of the Jews, and the obligation of circumcision (RH May 29, 1888). {6BC 1061.6} [6BC 1061.7] 4-29. See EGW on Galatians 2:1-10. {6BC 1061.7} [6BC 1061.8] 11 (Galatians 3:8; 1 Corinthians 10:4). Only One Gospel.--There is no such contrast as is often claimed to exist between the Old and the New Testament, the law of God and the gospel of Christ, the requirements of the Jewish and those of the Christian dispensation. Every soul saved in the former dispensation was saved by Christ as verily as we are saved by Him today. Patriarchs and prophets were Christians. The gospel promise was given to the first pair in Eden, when they had by transgression separated themselves from God. The gospel was preached to Abraham. The Hebrews all drank of that spiritual Rock, which was Christ (ST Sept. 14, 1882). {6BC 1061.8} [6BC 1061.9] (Exodus 13:21, 22; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4; 1 Timothy 2:5.) Christ's Blood Avails for Us as for Israel.--Shrouded in the pillar of cloud, the world's Redeemer held communion with Israel. Let us not say, then, that they had not Christ. When the people thirsted in the wilderness, and gave themselves up to murmuring and complaint, Christ was to them what He is to us--a Saviour full of tender compassion, the Mediator between them and God. After we have done our part to cleanse the soul temple from the defilement of sin, Christ's blood avails for us, as it did for ancient Israel (YI July 18, 1901). 1062 {6BC 1061.9} [6BC 1062.1] Chapter 16 1-3. See EGW on 2 Timothy 3:14, 15. {6BC 1062.1} [6BC 1062.2] 14 (2 Corinthians 8:12). Light for Those Who Are Willing.--God's Spirit can only enlighten the understanding of those who are willing to be enlightened. We read that God opened the ears of Lydia, so that she attended to the message spoken by Paul. To declare the whole counsel of God and all that was essential for Lydia to receive--this was the part Paul was to act in her conversion; and then the God of all grace exercised His power, leading the soul in the right way. God and the human agent cooperated, and the work was wholly successful (Letter 150, 1900). {6BC 1062.2} [6BC 1062.3] Chapter 17 22-29. See EGW on Romans 1:20-25. {6BC 1062.3} [6BC 1062.4] 22-34. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. {6BC 1062.4} [6BC 1062.5] 28 (John 5:17; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3; see EGW on Genesis 2:7). God Constantly at Work in Nature.--God is perpetually at work in nature. She is His servant, directed as He pleases. Nature in her work testifies of the intelligent presence and active agency of a Being who moves in all His works according to His will. It is not by an original power inherent in nature that year by year the earth produces its bounties and the world keeps up its continual march around the sun. The hand of infinite power is perpetually at work guiding this planet. It is God's power momentarily exercised that keeps it in position in its rotations. The God of heaven is constantly at work. It is by His power that vegetation is caused to flourish, that every leaf appears and every flower blooms. It is not as the result of a mechanism, that, once set in motion, continues its work, that the pulse beats and breath follows breath. In God we live and move and have our being. Every breath, every throb of the heart, is the continual evidence of the power of an ever-present God. It is God that maketh the sun to rise in the heavens. He openeth the windows of heaven and giveth rain. He maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains. "He giveth snow like wool: and scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes." "When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, . . . he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures." Although the Lord has ceased His work in creating, He is constantly employed in upholding and using as His servants the things which He has made. Said Christ, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (MS 4, 1882). {6BC 1062.5} [6BC 1062.6] 34 (1 Corinthians 2:1-4). Simplicity of the Gospel vs. Learning of the World.--At the close of his labors he ［Paul］ looked for the results of his work. Out of the large assembly that had listened to his eloquent words, only three had been converted to the faith. He then decided that from that time he would maintain the simplicity of the gospel. He was convinced that the learning of the world was powerless to move the hearts of men, but that the gospel was the power of God to salvation (RH Aug. 3, 1911). {6BC 1062.6} [6BC 1062.7] Chapter 18 1-3 (2 Corinthians 10:1, 7, 8; see EGW on Acts 20:17-35). The Apostles Counseled Over Methods of Labor.--When Paul came to Corinth, he solicited work from Aquila. The apostles counseled and prayed together, and decided that they would preach the gospel as it should be preached, in disinterested love for the souls who were perishing for lack of knowledge. Paul would work at tentmaking, and teach his fellow laborers to work with their hands, so that in any emergency they could support themselves. Some of his ministering brethren presented such a course as inconsistent, saying that by so doing they would lose their influence as ministers of the gospel. The tenth chapter of Second Corinthians records the difficulties Paul had to contend with, and his vindication of his course. God had placed special honor upon Paul. He had given him his credentials, and had laid upon him weighty responsibility. And the apostle writes, "I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you,"-- because he humbled himself to do mechanical work--"but being absent am bold toward you" ［2 Corinthians 10:7, 8 quoted］ (RH March 6, 1900). {6BC 1062.7} [6BC 1062.8] (Ch. 20:33, 34; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8.) Paul Resorted to His Trade.--Paul . . . abode with them ［Aquila and 1063 Priscilla］; and having in his youth learned their trade of making tents, which were much used in that warm climate, he worked at this business for his own support. . . . {6BC 1062.8} [6BC 1063.1] Paul was highly educated, and was admired for his genius and eloquence. He was chosen by his countrymen as a member of the Sanhedrim, and was a rabbi of distinguished ability; yet his education had not been considered complete until he had served an apprenticeship at some useful trade. He rejoiced that he was able to support himself by manual labor, and frequently declared that his own hands had ministered to his necessities. While in a city of strangers, he would not be chargeable to anyone. When his means had been expended to advance the cause of Christ, he resorted to his trade in order to gain a livelihood (LP 99, 100). {6BC 1063.1} [6BC 1063.2] Although feeble in health, he ［Paul］ labored during the day in serving the cause of Christ, and then toiled a large part of the night, and frequently all night, that he might provide for his own and others' necessities (YI Feb. 27, 1902). {6BC 1063.2} [6BC 1063.3] A Skilled Workman.--Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles, learned the trade of tentmaking. There were higher and lower branches of tentmaking. Paul learned the higher branches, and he could also work at the common branches when circumstances required. Tentmaking did not bring returns so quickly as some other occupations, and at times it was only by the strictest economy that Paul could supply his necessities (RH March 6, 1900). {6BC 1063.3} [6BC 1063.4] An Educator.--Paul was an educator. He preached the gospel with his voice, and in his intelligent labor he preached it with his hands. He educated others in the same way in which he had been educated by one who was regarded as the wisest of human teachers. As Paul worked quickly and skillfully with his hands, he related to his fellow workers the specifications Christ had given Moses in regard to the building of the tabernacle. He showed them that the skill and wisdom and genius brought into that work were given by God to be used to His glory. He taught them that supreme honor is to be given to God (RH March 6, 1900). {6BC 1063.4} [6BC 1063.5] 2 (ch. 8:4; Romans 1:7, 8). Opposition Did Not Silence Gospel.-- After the ascension of Christ, the apostles went everywhere preaching the Word. They bore witness to Christ's work as a teacher and healer. Their testimony in Jerusalem, in Rome, and in other places was positive and powerful. The Jews, who refused to receive the truth, could but acknowledge that a powerful influence attended Christ's followers, because the Holy Spirit accompanied them. This created greater opposition; but notwithstanding the opposition, twenty years after the crucifixion of Christ there was a live, earnest church in Rome. This church was strong and zealous, and the Lord worked for it. {6BC 1063.5} [6BC 1063.6] The envy and rage of the Jews against the Christians knew no bounds, and the unbelieving residents were constantly stirred up. They made complaints that the Christian Jews were disorderly, and dangerous to the public good. Constantly they were setting in motion something that would stir up strife. This caused the Christians to be banished from Rome. Among those banished, were Aquila and Priscilla, who went to Corinth, and there established a business as manufacturers of tents (RH March 6, 1900). {6BC 1063.6} [6BC 1063.7] 24-26. Learned Apollos Instructed by Humble Tentmakers.--Apollos . . . had received the highest Grecian culture, and was a scholar and an orator . . . . Aquila and Priscilla listened to him, and saw that his teachings were defective. He had not a thorough knowledge of the mission of Christ, His resurrection and ascension, and of the work of His Spirit, the Comforter which He sent down to remain with His people during His absence. They accordingly sent for Apollos, and the educated orator received instruction from them with grateful surprise and joy. Through their teachings he obtained a clearer understanding of the Scriptures, and became one of the ablest defenders of the Christian church. Thus a thorough scholar and brilliant orator learned the way of the Lord more perfectly from the teachings of a Christian man and woman whose humble employment was that of tentmaking (LP 119). {6BC 1063.7} [6BC 1063.8] Chapter 19 11, 12, 17 (Luke 8:46). Miracles No Encouragement to Blind Superstition.--As 1064 Paul was brought in direct contact with the idolatrous inhabitants of Ephesus, the power of God was strikingly displayed through him. The apostles were not always able to work miracles at will. The Lord granted His servants this special power as the progress of His cause or the honor of His name required. Like Moses and Aaron at the court of Pharaoh, the apostle had now to maintain the truth against the lying wonders of the magicians; hence the miracles he wrought were of a different character from those which he had heretofore performed. As the hem of Christ's garment had communicated healing power to her who sought relief by the touch of faith, so on this occasion, garments were made the means of cure to all that believed; "diseases departed from them, and evil spirits went out of them." Yet these miracles gave no encouragement to blind superstition. When Jesus felt the touch of the suffering woman, He exclaimed, "Virtue is gone out of me." So the Scripture declares that the Lord wrought miracles by the hand of Paul, and that the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified, and not the name of Paul (LP 135). {6BC 1063.8} [6BC 1064.1] 19. Value of the Books Sacrificed.--When the books had been consumed, they proceeded to reckon up the value of the sacrifice. It was estimated at fifty thousand pieces of silver, equal to about ten thousand dollars (LP 137). {6BC 1064.1} [6BC 1064.2] 33. See EGW on 2 Timothy 4:13, 14. {6BC 1064.2} [6BC 1064.3] Chapter 20 17-35 (ch. 18:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8). An All-round Minister.--His ［Paul's］ toil-worn hands, as he presented them before the people, bore testimony that he was not chargeable to any man for his support. They detracted nothing, he deemed, from the force of his pathetic appeals, sensible, intelligent, and eloquent beyond those of any other man who had acted a part in the Christian ministry. {6BC 1064.3} [6BC 1064.4] In Acts 20:17-35 we see outlined the character of a Christian minister who faithfully performed his duty. He was an all-round minister. We do not think it is obligatory on all ministers to do in all respects as Paul did. Yet we say to all that Paul was a Christian gentleman of the highest type. His example shows that mechanical toil does not necessarily lessen the influence of anyone, that working with the hands in any honorable employment should not make a man coarse and rough and discourteous (YI Jan. 31, 1901). {6BC 1064.4} [6BC 1064.5] 30 (2 Timothy 4:3, 4; 2 Peter 2:1). Strangle Unstable Theories.-- From the light given me of the Lord, men will arise speaking perverse things. Yea, already they have been working and speaking things which God has never revealed, bringing sacred truth upon a level with common things. Issues have been and will continue to be made of men's conceited fallacies, not of truth. The devisings of men's minds will invent tests that are no tests at all, that when the true test shall be made prominent, it shall be considered on a par with the man-made tests that have been of no value. We may expect that everything will be brought in and mingled with sound doctrine, but by clear, spiritual discernment, by the heavenly anointing, we must distinguish the sacred from the common which is being brought in to confuse faith and sound judgment and demerit the great, grand, testing truth for this time. . . . {6BC 1064.5} [6BC 1064.6] Never, never was there a time when the truth will suffer more from being misrepresented, belittled, demerited through the perverse disputings of men than in these last days. Men have brought themselves in with their heterogeneous mass of heresies which they represent as oracles for the people. The people are charmed with some strange, new thing, and are not wise in experience to discern the character of ideas that men may frame up as something. But to call it something of great consequence and tie it to the oracles of God does not make it truth. Oh, how this rebukes the low standard of piety in the churches. Men who want to present something original will conjure up things new and strange, and without consideration will step forward on these unstable theories that have been woven together as a precious theory. And present it as a life and death question. . . . {6BC 1064.6} [6BC 1064.7] We have the truth, the solid truth in the Word of God, and all these speculations and theories would better be strangled in the cradle rather than nourished and 1065 brought to prominence. We are to hear the voice of God from His revealed Word, the sure word of prophecy. Those who will magnify themselves and seek to do some wonderful thing would better come to a sound mind (Letter 136a, 1898). {6BC 1064.7} [6BC 1065.1] (Psalm 119:126, 127; 1 Timothy 4:1.) Traitors to Truth Become Her Worst Persecutors.--Much so-called Christianity passes for genuine, faithful soundness, but it is because those who profess it have no persecution to endure for the truth's sake. When the day comes when the law of God is made void, and the church is sifted by the fiery trials that are to try all that live upon the earth, a great proportion of those who are supposed to be genuine will give heed to seducing spirits, and will turn traitors and betray sacred trusts. They will prove our very worst persecutors. "Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them;" and many will give heed to seducing spirits. {6BC 1065.1} [6BC 1065.2] Those who have lived on the flesh and blood of the Son of God--His Holy Word--will be strengthened, rooted, and grounded in the faith. They will see increased evidence why they should prize and obey the Word of God. With David, they will say, "They have made void thy law. Therefore love I thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold." While others count them dross, they will arise to defend the faith. All who study their convenience, their pleasure, their enjoyment, will not stand in their trial (RH June 8, 1897). {6BC 1065.2} [6BC 1065.3] 33, 34. See EGW on ch. 18:1-3. {6BC 1065.3} [6BC 1065.4] Chapter 21 20-26 (Galatians 2:11, 12). Paul's Advisers Not Infallible.--This concession was not in harmony with his teachings nor with the firm integrity of his character. His advisers were not infallible. Though some of these men wrote under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, yet when not under its direct influence they sometimes erred. It will be remembered that on one occasion Paul withstood Peter to the face because he was acting a double part (LP 214). {6BC 1065.4} [6BC 1065.5] 39 (ch. 22:3, 25-28). Paul's Background.--His ［Paul's］ father was a man of reputation. He was a Cilician, but still a Roman citizen; for Paul declares that he was freeborn. Others obtained this freedom with a great sum, but Paul was freeborn. Paul had been educated by the most learned teachers of the age. He had been taught by Gamaliel. Paul was a rabbi and a statesman. He was a member of the Sanhedrim (MS 95, 1899). {6BC 1065.5} [6BC 1065.6] Chapter 22 3, 4. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. {6BC 1065.6} [6BC 1065.7] 3, 25-28. See EGW on ch. 21:39. {6BC 1065.7} [6BC 1065.8] 4. See EGW on ch. 9:1, 2. {6BC 1065.8} [6BC 1065.9] 5-16 (ch. 26:9-16). Paul Never Forgot His Remarkable Conversion.--The apostle could never forget his conversion from a persecutor of all who believe on Christ, to a believer in Him. What a bearing this conversion had on all his afterlife! What an encouragement it was as he worked on the side of Him whom he once ridiculed and despised. He could never forget the assurance conveyed to him in the first part of his ministry. He could speak intelligently because he had an experience, a personal knowledge, of the Lord Jesus Christ. He had a living, abiding faith, for he cultivated a sense of the presence of Christ in all his works. He received strength in prayer, and as a faithful soldier of Christ he ever looked to his Captain for orders. No amount of obstacles piled up before him, could cause him to regard the work as an impossibility, for he realized that "all things are possible to them that believe" (MS 114, 1897). {6BC 1065.9} [6BC 1065.10] In every place where the apostle Paul was called to go after his conversion, he gave a vivid presentation of the ministration of heavenly angels in his conversion (MS 29, 1900). {6BC 1065.10} [6BC 1065.11] Chapter 23 3. An Inspired Denunciation.--Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, Paul uttered a prophetic denunciation similar to that which Christ had uttered in rebuking the hypocrisy of the Jews. The judgment pronounced by the apostle was terribly fulfilled when the iniquitous and hypocritical high priest was murdered by assassins in the Jewish war (LP 222). {6BC 1065.11} [6BC 1065.12] 20-23. Lysias Feared for His Own Safety.--Lysias gladly improved this opportunity to get Paul off his hands. . . . A short time previous, a Roman knight of far higher 1066 rank than Lysias himself, had been violently taken and dragged by the maddened Jews around the walls of Jerusalem and finally beheaded, because he received a bribe from the Samaritans. Upon the suspicion of similar crimes, other high officials had been imprisoned and disgraced. Should Paul be murdered, the chief captain might be charged with having been bribed to connive at his death. There was now sufficient reason to send him away secretly, and thus get rid of an embarrassing responsibility (LP 227). {6BC 1065.12} [6BC 1066.1] Chapter 24 2, 3. Felix Base and Contemptible.--Tertullus here descended to barefaced falsehood. The character of Felix was base and contemptible. . . . {6BC 1066.1} [6BC 1066.2] An example of the unbridled licentiousness that stained his character is seen in his alliance with Drusilla, which was consummated about this time. Through the deceptive arts of Simon Magus, a Cyprian sorcerer, Felix had induced this princess to leave her husband and to become his wife. Drusilla was young and beautiful, and, moreover, a Jewess. She was devotedly attached to her husband, who had made a great sacrifice to obtain her hand. There was little indeed to induce her to forgo her strongest prejudices and to bring upon herself the abhorrence of her nation for the sake of forming an adulterous connection with a cruel and elderly profligate. Yet the satanic devices of the conjurer and the betrayer succeeded, and Felix accomplished his purpose (LP 235, 236). {6BC 1066.2} [6BC 1066.3] 22. Felix Not Deceived Regarding Paul.--Felix himself had so long resided at Caesarea--where the Christian religion had been known for many years--that he had a better knowledge of that religion than the Jews supposed, and he was not deceived by their representations (LP 239). {6BC 1066.3} [6BC 1066.4] 27. Strife in Caesarea; Felix Removed.--Toward the close of this time there arose a fearful strife among the population of Caesarea. There had been frequent disputes, which had become a settled feud, between the Jews and the Greeks, concerning their respective rights and privileges in the city. All the splendor of Caesarea, its temples, its palaces, and its amphitheater, were due to the ambition of the first Herod. Even the harbor, to which Caesarea owed all its prosperity and importance, had been constructed by him at an immense outlay of money and labor. The Jewish inhabitants were numerous and wealthy, and they claimed the city as theirs, because their king had done so much for it. The Greeks, with equal persistency, maintained their right to the precedence. {6BC 1066.4} [6BC 1066.5] Near the close of the two years, these dissensions led to a fierce combat in the market place, resulting in the defeat of the Greeks. Felix, who sided with the Gentile faction, came with his troops and ordered the Jews to disperse. The command was not instantly obeyed by the victorious party, and he ordered his soldiers to fall upon them. Glad of an opportunity to indulge their hatred of the Jews, they executed the order in the most merciless manner, and many were put to death. As if this were not enough, Felix, whose animosity toward the Jews had increased every year, now gave his soldiers liberty to rob the houses of the wealthy. {6BC 1066.5} [6BC 1066.6] These daring acts of injustice and cruelty could not pass unnoticed. The Jews made a formal complaint against Felix, and he was summoned to Rome to answer their charges. He well knew that his course of extortion and oppression had given them abundant ground for complaint, but he still hoped to conciliate them. Hence, though he had a sincere respect for Paul, he decided to gratify their malice by leaving him a prisoner. But all his efforts were in vain; though he escaped banishment or death, he was removed from office, and deprived of the greater part of his ill-gotten wealth. Drusilla, the partner of his guilt, afterward perished, with their only son, in the eruption of Vesuvius. His own days were ended in disgrace and obscurity (LP 245, 246). {6BC 1066.6} [6BC 1066.7] Chapter 26 9. See EGW on ch. 9:1-4. {6BC 1066.7} [6BC 1066.8] 9-16. See EGW on ch. 22:5-16. {6BC 1066.8} [6BC 1066.9] 11. See EGW on ch. 9:1, 2. {6BC 1066.9} [6BC 1066.10] 26-28. What Were Agrippa's Thoughts?--Did the mind of Agrippa at these words revert to the past history of his family, and their fruitless efforts against Him whom 1067 Paul was preaching? Did he think of his great-grandfather Herod, and the massacre of the innocent children of Bethlehem? of his great-uncle Antipas, and the murder of John the Baptist? of his own father, Agrippa I, and the martyrdom of the apostle James? Did he see in the disasters which speedily befell these kings an evidence of the displeasure of God in consequence of their crimes against His servants? Did the pomp and display of that day remind Agrippa of the time when his own father, a monarch more powerful than he, stood in that same city, attired in glittering robes, while the people shouted that he was a god? Had he forgotten how, even before the admiring shouts had died away, vengeance, swift and terrible, had befallen the vainglorious king? Something of all this flitted across Agrippa's memory; but his vanity was flattered by the brilliant scene before him, and pride and self-importance banished all nobler thoughts (LP 255, 256). {6BC 1066.10} [6BC 1067.1] Chapter 28 1, 2. A Praise Service on a Stormy Morning.--When the roll was called, not one was missing. Nearly three hundred souls--sailors, soldiers, passengers, and prisoners--stood that stormy November morning upon the shore of the island of Melita. And there were some that joined with Paul and his brethren in giving thanks to God, who had preserved their lives and brought them safe to land through the perils of the great deep (LP 270). - {6BC 1067.1} [6BC 1067.2] Romans Chapter 1 1. The Beginning of Paul's Apostleship.--Paul regarded the occasion of his formal ordination as marking the beginning of a new and important epoch in his lifework. It was from the time of this solemn ceremony, when, just before he was to depart on his first missionary journey, he was "separated unto the gospel of God," that he afterward dated the beginning of his apostleship in the Christian church (RH May 11, 1911). {6BC 1067.2} [6BC 1067.3] 7, 8 (see EGW on Acts 18:2). A Strong Church in Rome.--Notwithstanding the opposition, twenty years after the crucifixion of Christ there was a live, earnest church in Rome. This church was strong and zealous, and the Lord worked for it (RH March 6, 1900). {6BC 1067.3} [6BC 1067.4] 14 (Matthew 28:19, 20). Debtor Through Accepting Christ.--In what sense was Paul debtor both to the Jew and to the Greek? To him had been given the commission, as it is given to every disciple of Christ, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." In accepting Christ, Paul accepted this commission. He realized that upon him rested the obligation of laboring for all classes of men--for Jew and Gentile, learned and unlearned, for those occupying high positions and for those in the most lowly walks of life (Letter 262, 1903). {6BC 1067.4} [6BC 1067.5] 17. A Growing Understanding of Faith.--The righteousness of Christ is revealed from faith to faith; that is, from your present faith to an increased understanding of that faith which works by love and purifies the soul (RH Sept. 18, 1908). {6BC 1067.5} [6BC 1067.6] 20. See EGW on ch. 12:1, 2. {6BC 1067.6} [6BC 1067.7] 20, 21 (Acts 14:17). Nature Acts as a Silent Preacher.--The material world is under God's control. The laws that govern all nature are obeyed by nature. Everything speaks and acts the will of the Creator. The clouds, the rain, the dew, the sunshine, the showers, the wind, the storm, all are under the supervision of God, and yield implicit obedience to him who employs them. The tiny spear of grass bursts 1068 its way through the earth, first the blade, then the ear, and then the full corn in the ear. The Lord uses these, His obedient servants, to do His will. The fruit is first seen in the bud, enclosing the future pear, peach, or apple, and the Lord develops these in their proper season, because they do not resist His working. They do not oppose the order of His arrangements. His works, as seen in the natural world, are not one half comprehended or appreciated. These silent preachers will teach human beings their lessons, if they will only be attentive hearers (Letter 131, 1897). {6BC 1067.7} [6BC 1068.1] 20-25 (Psalm 19:1-3; Acts 17:22-29; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:3). Nature's Revelation Imperfect.--The most difficult and humiliating lesson that man has to learn is his own inefficiency in depending upon human wisdom, and the sure failure of his own efforts to read nature correctly. Sin has obscured his vision, and of himself he cannot interpret nature without placing it above God. He cannot discern in it God, or Jesus Christ, whom He has sent. He is in the same position as were the Athenians, who erected their altars for the worship of nature. Standing in the midst of Mars' Hill, Paul presented before the people of Athens the majesty of the living God in contrast with their idolatrous worship. ［Acts 17:22-29 quoted.］ {6BC 1068.1} [6BC 1068.2] Those who have a true knowledge of God will not become so infatuated with the laws of matter or the operations of nature as to overlook, or refuse to acknowledge, the continual working of God in nature. Nature is not God, nor was it ever God. The voice of nature testifies of God, but nature is not God. As His created work, it simply bears a testimony to God's power. Deity is the author of nature. The natural world has, in itself, no power but that which God supplies. {6BC 1068.2} [6BC 1068.3] There is a personal God, the Father; there is a personal Christ, the Son. ［Hebrews 1:1, 2: Psalm 19:1-3 quoted.］ . . . {6BC 1068.3} [6BC 1068.4] The ancient philosophers prided themselves on their superior knowledge. Let us read the inspired apostle's understanding of the matter. "Professing themselves to be wise," he says, "they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. . . . Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator." In its human wisdom the world cannot know God. Its wise men gather an imperfect knowledge of God from His created works, and then in their foolishness they exalt nature and the laws of nature above nature's God. Those who have not a knowledge of God through an acceptance of the revelation He has made of Himself in Christ, will obtain only an imperfect knowledge of Him in nature; and this knowledge, so far from bringing the whole being into conformity to His will, will make men idolaters. Professing themselves to be wise, they will become fools. {6BC 1068.4} [6BC 1068.5] Those who think they can obtain a knowledge of God aside from His Representative, whom the Word declares is "the express image of his person," will need to become fools in their own estimation before they can be wise. It is impossible to gain a perfect knowledge of God from nature alone; for nature itself is imperfect. In its imperfection it cannot represent God, it cannot reveal the character of God in its moral perfection. But Christ came as a personal Saviour to the world. He represented a personal God. As a personal Saviour, He ascended on high; and He will come again as He ascended to heaven--a personal Saviour. He is the express image of the Father's person. "In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (RH Nov. 8, 1898). {6BC 1068.5} [6BC 1068.6] Chapter 2 4 (Acts 5:31). Repentance the First Fruits of the Spirit's Working.--Repentance for sin is the first fruits of the working of the Holy Spirit in the life. It is the only process by which infinite purity reflects the image of Christ in His redeemed subjects. In Christ all fullness dwells. Science that is not in harmony with Him is of no value. He teaches us to count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. This knowledge is the highest science that any man can reach (MS 28, 1905). {6BC 1068.6} [6BC 1068.7] (John 14:26.) The Spirit Presents Truths of the Old and New Testaments.--In bringing men to repentance, it is not the 1069 office work of the Holy Spirit to reveal new truths, but to present to the mind and urge upon the conscience the precious lessons which Christ has given in the Old and New Testaments (MS 32, 1900). {6BC 1068.7} [6BC 1069.1] 6. See EGW on Galatians 6:7, 8. {6BC 1069.1} [6BC 1069.2] 24-29. See EGW on Acts 15:1, 5. {6BC 1069.2} [6BC 1069.3] Chapter 3 19 (Matthew 27:21; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Jude 15; Revelation 20:12, 13). The Tattered Shreds of Human Reasoning.--The whole world stands condemned before the great moral standard of righteousness. In the great day of judgment every soul that has lived on the earth will receive sentence in accordance as to whether his deeds have been good or evil in the light of the law of God. Every mouth will be stopped as the cross with its dying Victim shall be presented, and its real bearing shall be seen by every mind that has been sin blinded and corrupted. Sinners will stand condemned before the cross, with its mysterious Victim bowing beneath the infinite burden of human transgression. How quickly will be swept away every subterfuge, every lying excuse! Human apostasy will appear in its heinous character. Men will see what their choice has been. They will then understand that they have chosen Barabbas instead of Christ, the Prince of Peace. {6BC 1069.3} [6BC 1069.4] The mystery of the incarnation and the crucifixion will be plainly discerned; for it will be presented before the mind's eye, and every condemned soul will read what has been the character of his rejection of truth. All will understand that they have erred from the truth by receiving the misinterpretations and bewitching lies of Satan instead of "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." They read the announcement, "Thou, O man, hast chosen to stand under the banner of the great rebel, Satan, and in so doing thou hast destroyed thyself." Whatever may have been the endowment of talent, whatever may have been the supposed wisdom, the rejecter of truth has then no ability to turn unto God. The door is shut, as was the door of the ark in Noah's day. {6BC 1069.4} [6BC 1069.5] The great men of earth will then understand that they have surrendered mind and heart to ensnaring philosophy which pleased the carnal heart. Hope and grace and every inducement had been held out by One who loved them, and gave His life for them, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life, but they refused the love of God. Their lofty opinions, their human reasonings, were extolled; they declared themselves sufficient in themselves to understand divine mysteries, and they thought their own powers of discrimination were strong enough to discern truth for themselves. They fell an easy prey to Satan's subtlety, for he presented before them specious errors in human philosophy, which has an infatuation for human minds. They turned from the Source of all wisdom, and worshiped intellect. The message and the messengers of God were criticized and discarded as beneath their human, lofty ideas. The invitations of mercy were made a jest, and they denied the divinity of Jesus Christ and derided the idea of His pre-existence before He assumed human nature. But the tattered shreds of human reasoning will be found to be only as ropes of sand in the great day of God (ST March 7, 1895). {6BC 1069.5} [6BC 1069.6] Wicked Will Feel Agony of Cross.--Those who reject the mercy so freely proffered, will yet be made to know the worth of that which they have despised. They will feel the agony which Christ endured upon the cross to purchase redemption for all who would receive it. And they will then realize what they have lost--eternal life and the immortal inheritance (RH Sept. 4, 1883). {6BC 1069.6} [6BC 1069.7] (Matthew 7:23; 27:40, 42; Romans 14:11; 15; Revelation 1:7; 6:15-17.) Indescribable Confusion of the Wicked.--When sinners are compelled to look upon Him who clothed His divinity with humanity, and who still wears this garb, their confusion is indescribable. The scales fall from their eyes, and they see that which before they would not see. They realize what they might have been had they received Christ, and improved the opportunities granted them. They see the law which they have spurned, exalted even as God's throne is exalted. They see God Himself giving reverence to His law. 1070 {6BC 1069.7} [6BC 1070.1] What a scene that will be! No pen can describe it! The accumulated guilt of the world will be laid bare, and the voice of the Judge will be heard saying to the wicked, "Depart from me, ye that work iniquity." {6BC 1070.1} [6BC 1070.2] Then those who pierced Christ will remember how they slighted His love and abused His compassion; how they chose in His stead Barabbas, a robber and murderer; how they crowned the Saviour with thorns, and caused Him to be scourged and crucified; how, in the agony of His death on the cross, they taunted Him, saying, "Let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him." "He saved others; himself he cannot save." They will seem to hear again His voice of entreaty. Every tone of solicitude will vibrate as distinctly in their ears as when the Saviour spoke to them. Every act of insult and mockery done to Christ will be as fresh in their memory as when the satanic deeds were done. {6BC 1070.2} [6BC 1070.3] They will call on the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. "The wrath of the Lamb"--One who ever showed Himself full of tenderness, patience, and long-suffering, who, having given Himself up as the sacrificial offering, was led as a lamb to the slaughter, to save sinners from the doom now falling upon them because they would not allow Him to take away their guilt (RH June 18, 1901). {6BC 1070.3} [6BC 1070.4] 19-28 (Galatians 2:16, 17; 3:10-13, 24). No Saving Properties in the Law.--I would call on all who would win heaven, to take warning. Do not devote your precious probationary time to sewing together fig leaves to cover the nakedness which is the result of sin. As you look into the Lord's great moral looking glass, His holy law, His standard of character, do not for a moment suppose that it can cleanse you. There are no saving properties in the law. It cannot pardon the transgressor. The penalty must be exacted. The Lord does not save sinners by abolishing His law, the foundation of His government in heaven and in earth. The punishment has been endured by the sinner's substitute. Not that God is cruel and merciless, and Christ so merciful that He died on Calvary's cross to abolish a law so arbitrary that it needed to be extinguished, crucified between two thieves. The throne of God must not bear one stain of crime, one taint of sin. In the councils of heaven, before the world was created, the Father and the Son covenanted together that if man proved disloyal to God, Christ, one with the Father, would take the place of the transgressor, and suffer the penalty of justice that must fall upon him (MS 145, 1897). {6BC 1070.4} [6BC 1070.5] (Ch. 5:1.) "This Is Justification by Faith."--As the penitent sinner, contrite before God, discerns Christ's atonement in his behalf, and accepts this atonement as his only hope in this life and the future life, his sins are pardoned. This is justification by faith. Every believing soul is to conform his will entirely to God's will, and keep in a state of repentance and contrition, exercising faith in the atoning merits of the Redeemer and advancing from strength to strength, from glory to glory. {6BC 1070.5} [6BC 1070.6] Pardon and justification are one and the same thing. Through faith, the believer passes from the position of a rebel, a child of sin and Satan, to the position of a loyal subject of Christ Jesus, not because of an inherent goodness, but because Christ receives him as His child by adoption. The sinner receives the forgiveness of his sins, because these sins are borne by his Substitute and Surety. The Lord speaks to His heavenly Father, saying: "This is My child. I reprieve him from the condemnation of death, giving him My life insurance policy--eternal life--because I have taken his place and have suffered for his sins. He is even My beloved son." Thus man, pardoned, and clothed with the beautiful garments of Christ's righteousness, stands faultless before God. {6BC 1070.6} [6BC 1070.7] The sinner may err, but he is not cast off without mercy. His only hope, however, is repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the Father's prerogative to forgive our transgressions and sins, because Christ has taken upon Himself our guilt and reprieved us, imputing to us His own righteousness. His sacrifice satisfies fully the demands of justice. {6BC 1070.7} [6BC 1070.8] Justification is the opposite of condemnation. God's boundless mercy is exercised 1071 toward those who are wholly undeserving. He forgives transgressions and sins for the sake of Jesus, who has become the propitiation for our sins. Through faith in Christ, the guilty transgressor is brought into favor with God and into the strong hope of life eternal (MS 21, 1891). {6BC 1070.8} [6BC 1071.1] A Sign to the World.--Justification by faith in Christ will be made manifest in transformation of character. This is the sign to the world of the truth of the doctrines we profess. The daily evidence that we are a living church is seen in the fact that we are practicing the Word. A living testimony goes forth to the world in consistent Christian action. {6BC 1071.1} [6BC 1071.2] It declares to a world apostatized that there is a people who believe that our safety is in clinging to the Bible. This testimony is in unmistakable distinction from that of the great apostate church, which adopts human wisdom and authority in place of the wisdom and authority of God (Letter 83, 1896). {6BC 1071.2} [6BC 1071.3] 20. See EGW on 1 John 3:4. {6BC 1071.3} [6BC 1071.4] 20-31 (Galatians 6:14; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 7:25; Revelation 22:17). With Humble Hearts Survey the Atonement.--Let no one take the limited, narrow position that any of the works of man can help in the least possible way to liquidate the debt of his transgression. This is a fatal deception. If you would understand it, you must cease haggling over your pet ideas, and with humble hearts survey the atonement. {6BC 1071.4} [6BC 1071.5] This matter is so dimly comprehended that thousands upon thousands claiming to be sons of God are children of the wicked one, because they will depend on their own works. God always demanded good works, the law demands it, but because man placed himself in sin where his good works were valueless, Jesus' righteousness alone can avail. Christ is able to save to the uttermost because He ever liveth to make intercession for us. {6BC 1071.5} [6BC 1071.6] All that man can possibly do toward his own salvation is to accept the invitation, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." No sin can be committed by man for which satisfaction has not been met on Calvary. Thus the cross, in earnest appeals, continually proffers to the sinner a thorough expiation (MS 50, 1900). {6BC 1071.6} [6BC 1071.7] 24-26 (see EGW on ch. 5:11). The Father Abundantly Satisfied.--The atonement that has been made for us by Christ is wholly and abundantly satisfactory to the Father. God can be just, and yet the justifier of those who believe (MS 28, 1905). {6BC 1071.7} [6BC 1071.8] (Ch. 5:1.) Justification Means Complete Pardon.--［Romans 3:24-26 quoted.］ Here the truth is laid out in plain lines. This mercy and goodness is wholly undeserved. The grace of Christ is freely to justify the sinner without merit or claim on his part. Justification is a full, complete pardon of sin. The moment a sinner accepts Christ by faith, that moment he is pardoned. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to him, and he is no more to doubt God's forgiving grace. {6BC 1071.8} [6BC 1071.9] There is nothing in faith that makes it our saviour. Faith cannot remove our guilt. Christ is the power of God unto salvation to all them that believe. The justification comes through the merits of Jesus Christ. He has paid the price for the sinner's redemption. Yet it is only through faith in His blood that Jesus can justify the believer. {6BC 1071.9} [6BC 1071.10] The sinner cannot depend upon his own good works as a means of justification. He must come to the point where he will renounce all his sin, and embrace one degree of light after another as it shines upon his pathway. He simply grasps by faith the free and ample provision made in the blood of Christ. He believes the promises of God, which through Christ are made unto him sanctification and righteousness and redemption. And if he follows Jesus, he will walk humbly in the light, rejoicing in the light and diffusing that light to others. Being justified by faith, he carries cheerfulness with him in his obedience in all his life. Peace with God is the result of what Christ is to him. The souls who are in subordination to God, who honor Him, and are doers of His Word, will receive divine enlightenment. In the precious Word of God there is purity and loftiness as well as beauty that, unless assisted by God, the highest powers of man cannot attain to (ST May 19, 1898). {6BC 1071.10} [6BC 1071.11] (Psalm 18:35; 85:10; Psalm 89:14; Revelation 4:3; see EGW on John 3:16.) The Mingling of Judgment and Mercy.--As the bow in the cloud is formed by the union of the sunlight 1072 and the shower, so the rainbow encircling the throne represents the combined power of mercy and justice. It is not justice alone that is to be maintained; for this would eclipse the glory of the rainbow of promise above the throne; man could see only the penalty of the law. Were there no justice, no penalty, there would be no stability to the government of God. {6BC 1071.11} [6BC 1072.1] It is the mingling of judgment and mercy that makes salvation full and complete. It is the blending of the two that leads us, as we view the world's Redeemer and the law of Jehovah, to exclaim, "Thy gentleness hath made me great." We know that the gospel is a perfect and complete system, revealing the immutability of the law of God. It inspires the heart with hope, and with love for God. Mercy invites us to enter through the gates into the city of God, and justice is sacrificed to accord to every obedient soul full privileges as a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King. {6BC 1072.1} [6BC 1072.2] If we were defective in character, we could not pass the gates that mercy has opened to the obedient; for justice stands at the entrance, and demands holiness, purity, in all who would see God. Were justice extinct, and were it possible for divine mercy to open the gates to the whole race, irrespective of character, there would be a worse condition of disaffection and rebellion in heaven than before Satan was expelled. The peace, happiness, and harmony of heaven would be broken up. The change from earth to heaven will not change men's characters; the happiness of the redeemed in heaven results from the characters formed in this life, after the image of Christ. The saints in heaven will first have been saints on earth. {6BC 1072.2} [6BC 1072.3] The salvation that Christ made such a sacrifice to gain for man, is that which is alone of value, that which saves from sin--the cause of all the misery and woe in our world. Mercy extended to the sinner is constantly drawing him to Jesus. If he responds, coming in penitence with confession, in faith laying hold of the hope set before him in the gospel, God will not despise the broken and contrite heart. Thus the law of God is not weakened, but the power of sin is broken, and the scepter of mercy is extended to the penitent sinner (Letter 1f, 1890). {6BC 1072.3} [6BC 1072.4] 24-28 (see EGW on Galatians 2:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:3). Speculations About Righteousness by Faith.--Many commit the error of trying to define minutely the fine points of distinction between justification and sanctification. Into the definitions of these two terms they often bring their own ideas and speculations. Why try to be more minute than is Inspiration on the vital question of righteousness by faith? Why try to work out every minute point, as if the salvation of the soul depended upon all having exactly your understanding of this matter? All cannot see in the same line of vision (MS 21, 1891). {6BC 1072.4} [6BC 1072.5] 25. See EGW on ch. 7:12. {6BC 1072.5} [6BC 1072.6] 27. See EGW on Ephesians 2:8, 9. {6BC 1072.6} [6BC 1072.7] 28. See EGW on ch. 4:3, 4. {6BC 1072.7} [6BC 1072.8] 31 (ch. 6:15; 1 Samuel 15:22; Revelation 22:14; see EGW on 2 Corinthians 3:7-18; Ephesians 2:14-16; Revelation 2:6). God's Standard Has Not Changed.--The gospel of good news was not to be interpreted as allowing men to live in continued rebellion against God by transgressing His just and holy law. Why cannot those who claim to understand the Scriptures, see that God's requirement under grace is just the same He made in Eden--perfect obedience to His law. In the judgment, God will ask those who profess to be Christians, Why did you claim to believe in My Son, and continue to transgress My law? Who required this at your hands--to trample upon My rules of righteousness? "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." The gospel of the New Testament is not the Old Testament standard lowered to meet the sinner and save him in his sins. God requires of all His subjects obedience, entire obedience to all His commandments. He demands now as ever perfect righteousness as the only title to heaven. Christ is our hope and our refuge. His righteousness is imputed only to the obedient. Let us accept it through faith, that the Father shall find in us no sin. But those who have trampled on the holy law will have no right to claim that righteousness. O that we might view the immensity of the plan of salvation as obedient children to all God's requirements, believing that we have peace 1073 with God through Jesus Christ, our atoning sacrifice (RH Sept. 21, 1886)! {6BC 1072.8} [6BC 1073.1] (1 John 2:4.) Faith Manifested by Works of Obedience.--God requires at this time just what He required of the holy pair in Eden, perfect obedience to His requirements. His law remains the same in all ages. The great standard of righteousness presented in the Old Testament is not lowered in the New. It is not the work of the gospel to weaken the claims of God's holy law, but to bring men up where they can keep its precepts. {6BC 1073.1} [6BC 1073.2] The faith in Christ which saves the soul is not what it is represented to be by many. "Believe, believe," is their cry; "only believe in Christ, and you will be saved. It is all you have to do." While true faith trusts wholly in Christ for salvation, it will lead to perfect conformity to the law of God. Faith is manifested by works. And the apostle John declares, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar" (RH Oct. 5, 1886). {6BC 1073.2} [6BC 1073.3] Disconnect the Law and the Gospel?--The enemy has ever labored to disconnect the law and the gospel. They go hand in hand (MS 11, 1893). {6BC 1073.3} [6BC 1073.4] We honor both the Father and the Son when we talk about the law. The Father gave us the law, and the Son died to magnify it and make it honorable (MS 5, 1885). {6BC 1073.4} [6BC 1073.5] It is impossible for us to exalt the law of Jehovah unless we take hold of the righteousness of Jesus Christ (MS 5, 1889). {6BC 1073.5} [6BC 1073.6] The law of Jehovah is the tree, the gospel is the fragrant blossoms and fruit which it bears (Letter 119, 1897). {6BC 1073.6} [6BC 1073.7] Chapter 4 3-5 (chs. 3:28; 5:1; Ephesians 2:8). Faith Lays Hold of Christ's Righteousness.--Faith is the condition upon which God has seen fit to promise pardon to sinners; not that there is any virtue in faith whereby salvation is merited, but because faith can lay hold of the merits of Christ, the remedy provided for sin. Faith can present Christ's perfect obedience instead of the sinner's transgression and defection. When the sinner believes that Christ is his personal Saviour, then according to His unfailing promises, God pardons his sin and justifies him freely. The repentant soul realizes that his justification comes because Christ, as his substitute and surety, has died for him, is his atonement and righteousness. {6BC 1073.7} [6BC 1073.8] "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Righteousness is obedience to the law. The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law; but he is incapable of rendering it. The only way in which he can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner's account. Christ's righteousness is accepted in place of man's failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loves His Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness (RH Nov. 4, 1890). {6BC 1073.8} [6BC 1073.9] Chapter 5 1 (chs 3:19-28; 4:3-5; Galatians 2:16; Hebrews 11:1; see EGW on Galatians 5:6). Faith the Means, Not the End.--Faith is not the ground of our salvation, but it is the great blessing--the eye that sees, the ear that hears, the feet that run, the hand that grasps. It is the means, not the end. If Christ gave His life to save sinners, why shall I not take that blessing? My faith grasps it, and thus my faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. Thus resting and believing, I have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ (Letter 329a, 1905). {6BC 1073.9} [6BC 1073.10] (2 Corinthians 5:7.) Faith and Feeling Distinct.--Faith and feeling are as distinct as the east is from the west. Faith is not dependent on feeling. We must earnestly cry to God in faith, feeling or no feeling, and then live our prayers. Our assurance and evidence is God's word, and after we have asked we must believe without doubting. I praise Thee, O God, I praise Thee. Thou hast not failed me in the performance of Thy word. Thou has revealed Thyself unto me, and I am Thine to do Thy will (Letter 7, 1892). 1074 {6BC 1073.10} [6BC 1074.1] Simplicity and Power of Faith.--Faith is simple in its operation and powerful in its results. Many professed Christians, who have a knowledge of the sacred Word, and believe its truth, fail in the childlike trust that is essential to the religion of Jesus. They do not reach out with that peculiar touch that brings the virtue of healing to the soul ( Redemption: The Miracles of Christ, p. 97). {6BC 1074.1} [6BC 1074.2] 11 (ch. 3:24-26). A Divine Remedy for Sin.--The atonement of Christ is not a mere skillful way to have our sins pardoned; it is a divine remedy for the cure of transgression and the restoration of spiritual health. It is the Heaven-ordained means by which the righteousness of Christ may be not only upon us but in our hearts and characters (Letter 406, 1906). {6BC 1074.2} [6BC 1074.3] 12-19 (Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 45; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:15). Strength in Cooperating With God.--［Romans 5:12, 18, 19 quoted.］ The apostle contrasts the disobedience of Adam and the full, entire obedience of Christ. Think of what Christ's obedience means to us! It means that in His strength we too may obey. Christ was a human being. He served His heavenly Father with all the strength of His human nature. He has a twofold nature, at once human and divine. He is both God and man. {6BC 1074.3} [6BC 1074.4] Christ came to this world to show us what God can do and what we can do in cooperation with God. In human flesh He went into the wilderness to be tempted by the enemy. He knows what it is to hunger and thirst. He knows the weakness and the infirmities of the flesh. He was tempted in all points like as we are tempted. {6BC 1074.4} [6BC 1074.5] Our ransom has been paid by our Saviour. No one need be enslaved by Satan. Christ stands before us as our divine example, our all-powerful Helper. We have been bought with a price that it is impossible to compute. Who can measure the goodness and mercy of redeeming love (MS 76, 1903)? {6BC 1074.5} [6BC 1074.6] Christ a Free Moral Agent.--The second Adam was a free moral agent, held responsible for His conduct. Surrounded by intensely subtle and misleading influences, He was much less favorably situated than was the first Adam to lead a sinless life. Yet in the midst of sinners He resisted every temptation to sin, and maintained His innocency. He was ever sinless (SW Sept. 29, 1903). {6BC 1074.6} [6BC 1074.7] Man on Vantage Ground With God.--As related to the first Adam, men receive from him nothing but guilt and the sentence of death. But Christ steps in and passes over the ground where Adam fell, enduring every test in man's behalf. He redeems Adam's disgraceful failure and fall by coming forth from the trial untarnished. This places man on vantage ground with God. It places him where, through accepting Christ as his Saviour, he becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Thus he becomes connected with God and Christ (Letter 68, 1899). {6BC 1074.7} [6BC 1074.8] Chapter 6 1-4 (Matthew 28:19; 2 Peter 1:2, 5-7). Baptism a Mutual Pledge.--In baptism we are given to the Lord as a vessel to be used. Baptism is a most solemn renunciation of the world. Self is by profession dead to a life of sin. The waters cover the candidate, and in the presence of the whole heavenly universe the mutual pledge is made. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, man is laid in his watery grave, buried with Christ in baptism, and raised from the water to live the new life of loyalty to God. The three great powers in heaven are witnesses; they are invisible but present. {6BC 1074.8} [6BC 1074.9] In the first chapter of Second Peter is presented the progressive work in the Christian life. The whole chapter is a lesson of deep importance. If man, in acquiring the Christian graces, works on the plan of addition, God has pledged Himself to work in his behalf upon the plan of multiplication. "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord." The work is laid out before every soul that has acknowledged his faith in Jesus Christ by baptism, and has become a receiver of the pledge from the three persons--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (MS 57, 1900). {6BC 1074.9} [6BC 1074.10] Faithfulness to Our Baptismal Vows.-- Faithfulness to our baptismal vows gives the heart preparation needful for saving souls (RH May 26, 1904). 1075 {6BC 1074.10} [6BC 1075.1] (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18; 7:1; Colossians 3:1.) Imprint of God Received by Baptism.--Christ made baptism the entrance to His spiritual kingdom. He made this a positive condition with which all must comply who wish to be acknowledged as under the authority of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Those who receive the ordinance of baptism thereby make a public declaration that they have renounced the world, and have become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. {6BC 1075.1} [6BC 1075.2] Those who do this are to make all worldly considerations secondary to their new relations. Publicly they have declared that they will no longer live in pride and self-indulgence. Christ enjoins those who receive this ordinance to remember that they are bound by a solemn covenant to live to the Lord. They are to use for Him all their entrusted capabilities, never losing the realization that they bear God's sign of obedience to the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, that they are subjects of Christ's kingdom, partakers of the divine nature. They are to surrender all they have and are to God, employing all their gifts to His name's glory. {6BC 1075.2} [6BC 1075.3] Those who are baptized in the threefold name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, at the very entrance of their Christian life declare publicly that they have accepted the invitation, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." {6BC 1075.3} [6BC 1075.4] Let those who received the imprint of God by baptism heed these words, remembering that upon them the Lord has placed His signature, declaring them to be His sons and daughters. {6BC 1075.4} [6BC 1075.5] The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, powers infinite and omniscient, receive those who truly enter into covenant relation with God. They are present at every baptism, to receive the candidates who have renounced the world and have received Christ into the soul temple. These candidates have entered into the family of God, and their names are inscribed in the Lamb's book of life (MS 27 1/2, 1900). {6BC 1075.5} [6BC 1075.6] A Door of Communication With Heaven.--At our baptism we pledged ourselves to break all connection with Satan and his agencies, and to put heart and mind and soul into the work of extending the kingdom of God. All heaven is working for this object. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are pledged to cooperate with sanctified human instrumentalities. If we are true to our vow, there is opened to us a door of communication with heaven--a door that no human hand or satanic agency can close (RH May 17, 1906). {6BC 1075.6} [6BC 1075.7] Many Buried Alive.--The new birth is a rare experience in this age of the world. This is the reason why there are so many perplexities in the churches. Many, so many, who assume the name of Christ are unsanctified and unholy. They have been baptized, but they were buried alive. Self did not die, and therefore they did not rise to newness of life in Christ (MS 148, 1897). {6BC 1075.7} [6BC 1075.8] (2 Corinthians 6:17.) Baptism Not Graduation.--Every opportunity, every advantage, every privilege, has been given to us to gain a rich Christian experience; but we do not learn everything all at once. There must be a growth. Many, having learned a little in school, think they are ready to graduate. They think they know about all that is worth knowing. We are not to think that as soon as we are baptized we are ready to graduate from the school of Christ. When we have accepted Christ, and in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit have pledged ourselves to serve God, the Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit--the three dignitaries and powers of heaven--pledge themselves that every facility shall be given to us if we carry out our baptismal vows to "come out from among them, and be . . . separate, . . . and touch not the unclean thing." When we are true to our vows, He says, "I will receive you" (MS 85, 1901). {6BC 1075.8} [6BC 1075.9] 3, 4. See EGW on Deuteronomy 26:18. {6BC 1075.9} [6BC 1075.10] 3-5. See EGW on Mark 16:1, 2. 1076 {6BC 1075.10} [6BC 1076.1] 15. See EGW on ch. 3:31. {6BC 1076.1} [6BC 1076.2] 19, 22 (1 Thessalonians 3:13; 4:7; Hebrews 12:14). Wholeness to God--Holiness is wholeness to God. The soul is surrendered to God. The will, and even the thoughts, are brought into subjection to the will of Christ. The love of Jesus fills the soul, and is constantly going out in a clear, refreshing stream, to make glad the hearts of others (MS 33, 1911). {6BC 1076.2} [6BC 1076.3] 23. A Voice Heard in Heaven.--Transgression placed the whole world in jeopardy, under the death sentence. But in heaven there was heard a voice saying, "I have found a ransom" (Letter 22, 1900). {6BC 1076.3} [6BC 1076.4] Chapter 7 7. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 3:7-18. {6BC 1076.4} [6BC 1076.5] 7-9 (Philippians 3:5, 6; James 1:23-25). Paul's Marvelous Change.--Paul says that "as touching the law"--as far as outward acts were concerned--he was "blameless", but when the spiritual character of the law was discerned, when he looked into the holy mirror, he saw himself a sinner. Judged by a human standard, he had abstained from sin, but when he looked into the depths of God's law, and saw himself as God saw him, he bowed in humiliation, and confessed his guilt. He did not go away from the mirror and forget what manner of man he was, but he exercised genuine repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. He was washed, he was cleansed. He says, "I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." {6BC 1076.5} [6BC 1076.6] Sin then appeared in its true hideousness, and his self-esteem was gone. He became humble. He no longer ascribed goodness and merit to himself. He ceased to think more highly of himself than he ought, and he ascribed all the glory to God. He was no longer ambitious for greatness. He ceased to want to avenge himself, and was no longer sensitive to reproach, neglect, or contempt. He no longer sought earthly alliance, station, or honor. He did not pull others down to uplift himself. He became gentle, condescending, meek and lowly of heart, because he had learned his lesson in the school of Christ. He talked of Jesus and His matchless love, and grew more and more into His image. He bent his whole energy to win souls to Christ. When trial came upon him because of his unselfish labor for souls, he bowed in prayer, and his love for them increased. His life was hid with Christ in God, and he loved Jesus with all the ardor of his nature. Every church was dear to him; every church member was a person of interest to him; for he looked upon every soul as the purchase of the blood of Christ (RH July 22, 1890). {6BC 1076.6} [6BC 1076.7] 9. God's Law Did Not Die.--The apostle Paul, in relating his experience, presents an important truth concerning the work to be wrought in conversion. He says, "I was alive without the law once"--he felt no condemnation; "but when the commandment came," when the law of God was urged upon his conscience, "sin revived, and I died." Then he saw himself a sinner, condemned by the divine law. Mark, it was Paul, and not the law, that died (4SP 297). {6BC 1076.7} [6BC 1076.8] 12 (ch. 3:25; Ephesians 1:7). The Law Holds Its Dignity.--Through the plan of salvation the law holds its dignity in condemning the sinner, and the sinner can be saved through the propitiation of Christ for our sins, "in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." The law is not changed in any particular to meet man in his fallen condition. It remains what it ever has been--holy, just, and good (RH May 23, 1899). {6BC 1076.8} [6BC 1076.9] Chapter 8 11 (Matthew 26:39; Luke 22:42, 43; see EGW on 1 Corinthians 15:20, 40-52). A Cup of Blessing.--"But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you." O how precious are these words to every bereaved soul! Christ is our Guide and Comforter, who comforts us in all our tribulations. When He gives us a bitter draught to drink, He also holds a cup of blessing to our lips. He fills the heart with submission, with joy and peace in believing, 1077 and enables us to say submissively, Not my will, but Thy will, O Lord, be done (Letter 65a, 1894). {6BC 1076.9} [6BC 1077.1] 13. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. {6BC 1077.1} [6BC 1077.2] 15-21 (1 Timothy 1:9, 10; 1:22-25; see EGW on 2 Corinthians 3:6-9). Not Obedient, but Transgressors, Under Bondage.--Paul in his Epistle to Timothy describes the very men who are under the bondage of the law. They are the transgressors of the law. He names them lawless, disobedient, sinners, unholy, profane, murderers, adulterers, liars, and all who depart from sound doctrine. 1 Timothy 1:9, 10. {6BC 1077.2} [6BC 1077.3] The law of God is the mirror to show man the defects in his character. But it is not pleasant to those who take pleasure in unrighteousness to see their moral deformity. They do not prize this faithful mirror, because it reveals to them their sins. Therefore, instead of instituting a war against their carnal minds, they war against the true and faithful mirror, given them by Jehovah for the very purpose that they may not be deceived, but that they may have revealed to them the defects in their character. {6BC 1077.3} [6BC 1077.4] Should the discovery of these defects lead them to hate the mirror, or to hate themselves? Should they put away the mirror which discovers these defects? No; the sins which they cherish, which the faithful mirror shows them as existing in their characters, will close before them the portals of heaven, unless they are put away, and they become perfect before God (RH March 8, 1870). {6BC 1077.4} [6BC 1077.5] (Galatians 4:24-31; 5:1.) Obedience Not Bondage.--No one who believes in Jesus Christ is under bondage to the law of God; for His law is a law of life, not of death, to those who obey its precepts. All who comprehend the spirituality of the law, all who realize its power as a detector of sin, are in just as helpless a condition as is Satan himself, unless they accept the atonement provided for them in the remedial sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who is our atonement--at-one-ment with God. {6BC 1077.5} [6BC 1077.6] Through faith in Christ obedience to every principle of the law is made possible (MS 122, 1901). {6BC 1077.6} [6BC 1077.7] (Galatians 3:6-9.) The Bondage of Legal Religion.--The spirit of bondage is engendered by seeking to live in accordance with legal religion, through striving to fulfill the claims of the law in our own strength. There is hope for us only as we come under the Abrahamic covenant, which is the covenant of grace by faith in Christ Jesus. The gospel preached to Abraham, through which he had hope, was the same gospel that is preached to us today, through which we have hope. Abraham looked unto Jesus, who is also the Author and the Finisher of our faith (YI Sept. 22, 1892). {6BC 1077.7} [6BC 1077.8] 17 (Galatians 4:7). Privileges for God's Obedient Children.--God loves His obedient children. He has a kingdom prepared, not for disloyal subjects, but for His children whom He has tested and tried in a world marred and corrupted by sin. As obedient children, we have the privilege of relationship with God. "If children," He says, "then heirs" to an immortal inheritance. . . . Christ and His people are one (Letter 119, 1897). {6BC 1077.8} [6BC 1077.9] 18. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18. {6BC 1077.9} [6BC 1077.10] 22. See EGW on Genesis 3:17, 18. {6BC 1077.10} [6BC 1077.11] 26. See EGW on Matthew 3:13-17. {6BC 1077.11} [6BC 1077.12] 26, 34 (Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 7:24-28; 8:1, 2; Hebrews 9:24; 1 John 2:1; Revelation 8:3, 4; see EGW on Acts 1:11; Hebrews 7:25). Intercession of Christ and His Spirit.--Christ Jesus is represented as continually standing at the altar, momentarily offering up the sacrifice for the sins of the world. He is a minister of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man. The typical shadows of the Jewish tabernacle no longer possess any virtue. A daily and yearly typical atonement is no longer to be made, but the atoning sacrifice through a mediator is essential because of the constant commission of sin. Jesus is officiating in the presence of God, offering up His shed blood, as it had been a lamb slain. Jesus presents the oblation offered for every offense and every shortcoming of the sinner. {6BC 1077.12} [6BC 1077.13] Christ, our Mediator, and the Holy Spirit are constantly interceding in man's behalf, but the Spirit pleads not for us as does Christ who presents His blood, shed from the foundation of the world; the Spirit works upon our hearts, drawing out prayers and penitence, praise and thanksgiving. The gratitude which flows from our lips is the result of the Spirit striking the cords 1078 of the soul in holy memories, awakening the music of the heart. {6BC 1077.13} [6BC 1078.1] The religious services, the prayers, the praise, the penitent confession of sin ascend from true believers as incense to the heavenly sanctuary; but passing through the corrupt channels of humanity, they are so defiled that unless purified by blood, they can never be of value with God. They ascend not in spotless purity, and unless the Intercessor who is at God's right hand presents and purifies all by His righteousness, it is not acceptable to God. All incense from earthly tabernacles must be moist with the cleansing drops of the blood of Christ. He holds before the Father the censer of His own merits, in which there is no taint of earthly corruption. He gathers into this censer the prayers, the praise, and the confessions of His people, and with these He puts His own spotless righteousness. Then, perfumed with the merits of Christ's propitiation, the incense comes up before God wholly and entirely acceptable. Then gracious answers are returned. {6BC 1078.1} [6BC 1078.2] O, that all may see that everything in obedience, in penitence, in praise and thanksgiving must be placed upon the glowing fire of the righteousness of Christ. The fragrance of this righteousness ascends like a cloud around the mercy seat (MS 50, 1900). {6BC 1078.2} [6BC 1078.3] 29 (2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 3:10). Moral Image of God Restored Through Christ.--Though the moral image of God was almost obliterated by the sin of Adam, through the merits and power of Jesus it may be renewed. Man may stand with the moral image of God in his character; for Jesus will give it to him. Unless the moral image of God is seen in man, he can never enter the city of God as a conqueror (RH June 10, 1890). {6BC 1078.3} [6BC 1078.4] 29, 30. See EGW on Ephesians 1:4, 5, 11. {6BC 1078.4} [6BC 1078.5] 34 (Hebrews 7:25; 2:1; see EGW on Matthew 28:18). Kept by Christ's Intercessions.--Everyone who will break from the slavery and service of Satan, and will stand under the blood-stained banner of Prince Immanuel will be kept by Christ's intercessions. Christ, as our Mediator, at the right hand of the Father, ever keeps us in view, for it is as necessary that He should keep us by His intercessions as that He should redeem us with His blood. If He lets go His hold of us for one moment, Satan stands ready to destroy. Those purchased by His blood, He now keeps by His intercession (MS 73, 1893). {6BC 1078.5} [6BC 1078.6] (Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 7:25-27; 9:23-26; Hebrews 13:15; Revelation 8:3, 4.) Constant Need of Christ's Intercession.--Christ was the foundation of the whole Jewish economy. In the service of the Jewish priesthood we are continually reminded of the sacrifice and intercession of Christ. All who come to Christ today are to remember that His merit is the incense that mingles with the prayers of those who repent of their sins and receive pardon and mercy and grace. Our need of Christ's intercession is constant. Day by day, morning and evening, the humble heart needs to offer up prayers to which will be returned answers of grace and peace and joy. "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifice God is well pleased" (MS 14, 1901). {6BC 1078.6} [6BC 1078.7] (John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 9:11-14.) Clothed With His Priestly Vestments.--Christ is the connecting link between God and man. He has promised His personal intercession by employing His name. He places the whole virtue of His righteousness on the side of the suppliant. Christ pleads for man, and man, in need of divine help, pleads for himself in the presence of God, using the power of the influence of the One who gave His life for the world. As we acknowledge before God our appreciation of Christ's merits, fragrance is given to our intercessions. Oh, who can value this great mercy and love! As we approach God through the virtue of Christ's merits, we are clothed with His priestly vestments. He places us close by His side, encircling us with His human arm, while with His divine arm He grasps the throne of the Infinite. He puts His merits, as sweet incense, in a censer in our hands, in order to encourage our petitions. He promises to hear and answer our supplications. {6BC 1078.7} [6BC 1078.8] Yes, Christ has become the medium of prayer between man and God. He also 1079 has become the medium of blessing between God and man. He has combined divinity and humanity. Men are to be co-laborers with God in the salvation of their own souls, and then make earnest, persevering, untiring efforts to save those who are ready to perish (Letter 22, 1898). {6BC 1078.8} [6BC 1079.1] Chapter 9 5. See EGW on John 1:1-3. {6BC 1079.1} [6BC 1079.2] Chapter 10 5. See EGW on Deuteronomy 6:6-9. {6BC 1079.2} [6BC 1079.3] Chapter 11 Jews Not to Be Ignored.--The work for the Jews, as outlined in the eleventh chapter of Romans, is a work that is to be treated with special wisdom. It is a work that must not be ignored. The wisdom of God must come to our people. In all wisdom and righteousness we must clear the King's highway. The Jews are to be given every opportunity of coming to the light (Letter 96, 1910). {6BC 1079.3} [6BC 1079.4] 4-6 (Ephesians 1:4, 5, 11; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:10). Complying With Conditions of Election.--If we comply with the conditions the Lord has made, we shall secure our election to salvation. Perfect obedience to His commandments is the evidence that we love God, and are not hardened in sin. {6BC 1079.4} [6BC 1079.5] Christ has a church in every age. There are in the church those who are not made any better by their connection with it. They themselves break the terms of their election. Obedience to the commandments of God gives us a right to the privileges of His church (MS 166, 1898). {6BC 1079.5} [6BC 1079.6] 5 (John 15:4). The Only Election in the Bible.--［John 15:4 quoted.］ Now here are the most precious jewels of truth for every individual soul of us. Here is the only election in the Bible, and you can prove yourself elected of Christ by being faithful; you can prove yourself the chosen of Christ by abiding in the vine (MS 43, 1894). {6BC 1079.6} [6BC 1079.7] 33 (Job 11:7; 1 Corinthians 2:7-14; see EGW on Job 38; 1 Corinthians 13:12). A Boundary Where Man's Resources Cease.--It is the duty and privilege of all to use reason as far as man's finite faculties can go; but there is a boundary where man's resources must cease. There are many things that can never be reasoned out by the strongest intellect or discerned by the most penetrating mind. Philosophy cannot determine the ways and works of God; the human mind cannot measure infinity. {6BC 1079.7} [6BC 1079.8] Jehovah is the fountain of all wisdom, of all truth, of all knowledge. There are high attainments that man can reach in this life through the wisdom that God imparts; but there is an infinity beyond that will be the study and the joy of the saints throughout eternal ages. Man can now only linger upon the borders of that vast expanse, and let imagination take its flight. Finite man cannot fathom the deep things of God; for spiritual things are spiritually discerned. The human mind cannot comprehend the wisdom and power of God (RH Dec. 29, 1896). {6BC 1079.8} [6BC 1079.9] (John 17:3.) Avoiding Guesswork in the Quest for God.--Human talent and human conjecture have tried by searching to find out God. But guesswork has proved itself to be guesswork. Man cannot by searching find out God. This problem has not been given to human beings. All that man needs to know and can know of God has been revealed in His Word and in the life of His Son, the great Teacher. {6BC 1079.9} [6BC 1079.10] Let men remember that they have a Ruler in the heavens, a God who will not be trifled with. He who puts his reason to the stretch in an effort to exalt himself and to delineate God, will find that he might far better have stood as a humble suppliant before God, confessing himself to be only an erring human being. {6BC 1079.10} [6BC 1079.11] God cannot be understood by men. His ways and works are past finding out. In regard to the revelations that He has made of Himself in His Word, we may talk, but other than this, let us say of Him, Thou art God, and Thy ways are past finding out. {6BC 1079.11} [6BC 1079.12] There is a knowledge of God and of Christ which all who are saved must have. "This is life eternal," Christ said, "that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." {6BC 1079.12} [6BC 1079.13] The question for us to study is, What is truth--the truth for this time, which is to be cherished, loved, honored, and obeyed? 1080 The devotees of science have been defeated and disheartened in their effort to find out God. What they need to inquire is, What is truth (MS 124, 1903)? {6BC 1079.13} [6BC 1080.1] Chapter 12 A Sermon Written for Our Instruction.--A study of the twelfth chapter of Romans would be of profit to us. It is a sermon by the apostle Paul, written for our instruction (MS 50, 1903). {6BC 1080.1} [6BC 1080.2] 1. See EGW on Exodus 20:1-17. {6BC 1080.2} [6BC 1080.3] 1, 2 (ch. 1:20; Psalm 19:1-4). God's Works Are His Teachers. --［Romans 12:1, 2 quoted.］ What does God accomplish, and what does He demand of us individually in the work of saving ourselves? God works in us by the light of His truth, which lighteneth every man that cometh into the world. The Scriptures refer to the works of God as they are revealed in our world, as so many teachers whose voices have gone out through the whole earth, proclaiming the attributes of God. The mind must see the truth, and the will bend to its claims, when it is presented to us based upon scriptural evidence (MS 49, 1898). {6BC 1080.3} [6BC 1080.4] 2 (1 Corinthians 4:9; Philippians 2:12, 13). Good Fruits the Proof.--Man, fallen man, may be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that he can "prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." How does he prove this? By the Holy Spirit taking possession of his mind, spirit, heart, and character. Where does the proving come in? "We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men." A real work is wrought by the Holy Spirit upon the human character, and its fruits are seen. {6BC 1080.4} [6BC 1080.5] Just as a good tree will bear good fruit, so will the tree that is actually planted in the Lord's garden produce good fruit unto eternal life. Besetting sins are overcome; evil thoughts are not allowed in the mind; evil habits are purged from the soul temple. The tendencies which have been biased in a wrong direction are turned in a right direction. Wrong dispositions and feelings are changed, new principles of action supplied, and there is a new standard of character. Holy tempers and sanctified emotions are now the fruit borne upon the Christian tree. An entire transformation has taken place. This is the work to be wrought. {6BC 1080.5} [6BC 1080.6] We see by experience that in our own human strength, resolutions and purposes are of no avail. Must we, then, give up our determined efforts? No; although our experience testifies that we cannot possibly do this work ourselves, help has been laid upon One who is mighty to do it for us. But the only way we can secure the help of God is to put ourselves wholly in His hands, and trust Him to work for us. As we lay hold of Him by faith, He does the work. The believer can only trust. As God works, we can work, trusting in Him and doing His will (MS 1a, 1890). {6BC 1080.6} [6BC 1080.7] 3. Seeds of Self-glory Produce a Sure Harvest.--［Romans 12:3, 10, 9 quoted.］ . . . The forms of unbelief are varied, for Satan watches every opportunity to crowd in some of his attributes. There is in the natural heart a tendency to be exalted or puffed up if success attends the efforts put forth. But self-exaltation can find no place in the work of God. Whatever your intelligence, however earnestly and zealously you may labor, unless you put away your own tendencies to pride, and submit to be guided by the Spirit of God, you will be on losing ground. {6BC 1080.7} [6BC 1080.8] Spiritual death in the soul is evidenced by spiritual pride and a crippled experience; those who have such an experience seldom make straight paths for their feet. If pride is nourished, the very qualities of the mind which grace, if received, would make a blessing, become contaminated. The very victories which would have been a savor of life unto life, if the glory had been given to God, become tarnished by self-glory. These may seem to be little things, unworthy of notice, but the seed thus scattered brings forth a sure harvest. It is these little sins, so common that they are often unnoticed, that Satan uses in his service (MS 47, 1896). {6BC 1080.8} [6BC 1080.9] (Hebrews 11:1.) Faith Is God's Gift.--Faith earns nothing for us; it is the gift of God, which we may receive and cherish by making Christ our personal Saviour. We may refuse the gift, and talk doubts, and become unhappy by cherishing unbelief. But this will grow into an impassable barrier, shutting us away from the Spirit of God 1081 and closing our hearts to His light and His love (ST May 19, 1898). {6BC 1080.9} [6BC 1081.1] 11. See EGW on Mark 12:30. {6BC 1081.1} [6BC 1081.2] 12. See EGW on Nehemiah 2:4. {6BC 1081.2} [6BC 1081.3] 17 (2 Corinthians 8:21; 1 Peter 2:12). The Honest Are His Jewels Forever.--Truthfulness and frankness should be ever cherished by all who claim to be followers of Christ. God and the right should be the motto. Deal honestly and righteously in this present evil world. Some will be honest when they see that honesty will not endanger their worldly interests, but all who act from this principle will have their names blotted out of the book of life. {6BC 1081.3} [6BC 1081.4] Strict honesty must be cultivated. We can go through the world but once; we cannot come back to rectify any mistakes; therefore every move made should be with godly fear and careful consideration. Honesty and policy will not harmonize; either policy will be subdued, and truth and honesty hold the lines of control, or policy will take the lines, and honesty cease to direct. Both cannot act together; they can never be in agreement. When God makes up His jewels, the true, the frank, the honest, will be His chosen ones, His treasures. Angels are preparing crowns for such, and light from the throne of God will be reflected in its splendor from these star-gemmed diadems (RH Dec. 29, 1896). {6BC 1081.4} [6BC 1081.5] 19 (Psalm 119:126; Luke 18:1-7; Revelation 6:9). Protector and Avenger.--When the defiance of God's law is almost universal, when His people are pressed in affliction by their fellow men, God will interpose. Then will the voice be heard from the graves of martyrs, represented by the souls that John saw slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ, which they held--then the prayer will ascend from every true child of God: "It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law." {6BC 1081.5} [6BC 1081.6] The fervent prayers of His people will be answered; for God loves to have His people seek Him with all the heart, and depend upon Him as their deliverer. He will be sought unto to do these things for His people, and He will arise as their protector and avenger. "Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him" (RH Dec. 21, 1897)? {6BC 1081.6} [6BC 1081.7] Chapter 13 1. God, the Ruler of All Nations.--Who, then, is to be regarded as the Ruler of the nations?--The Lord God Omnipotent. All kings, all rulers, all nations, are His, under His rule and government (MS 119, 1903). {6BC 1081.7} [6BC 1081.8] 1-7. Rulers Are God's Servants.--One of the most deplorable things upon the earth is the fact that there are passionate governors and unjust judges. They forget that they are under the authority of the great Governor, the all-wise God, and that He is above every ruler, prince, governor, or king. {6BC 1081.8} [6BC 1081.9] Rulers are God's servants, and they are to serve their time as His apprentices. It is for their good that they faithfully follow the plain "Thus saith the Lord," keeping the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment. They are to exercise their powers without partiality and without hypocrisy, refusing to be bought or sold, scorning all bribes, and standing in moral independence and dignity before God. They are not to connive at one act of dishonesty or injustice. They are not to do a base, unjust action themselves, nor to sustain others in acts of oppression. Wise rulers will not permit the people to be oppressed because of the envy and jealousy of those who disregard the law of God. . . . All need to keep eternity in view, and not to act in such a way that God cannot ratify their judgment in the courts of heaven (RH Oct. 1, 1895). {6BC 1081.9} [6BC 1081.10] 14. No Doubtful Piety Among True Believers.--Sincere Christians have no doubtful piety. They have put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and have made no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. They are constantly looking to Jesus for His orders, as a servant looks to His master, or as a maid looks to her mistress. Wheresoever God's providence may lead, they stand ready to go. They take no glory to themselves. They do not call anything they have--learning, talents, property--their own, but regard themselves as only stewards of the manifold grace of Christ, and servants to the church for Christ's sake. These are messengers of the Lord, a light amid the darkness. Their hearts throb in unison with the great heart of Christ (MS 1a, 1890). 1082 {6BC 1081.10} [6BC 1082.1] Chapter 14 10. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 5:10. {6BC 1082.1} [6BC 1082.2] 11. See EGW on ch. 3:19. {6BC 1082.2} [6BC 1082.3] Chapter 16 25 (Ephesians 3:9-11; Colossians 1:26, 27; see EGW on 2 Corinthians 12:1-4). The Eternal Purposes of God.--God had a knowledge of the events of the future, even before the creation of the world. He did not make His purposes to fit circumstances, but He allowed matters to develop and work out. He did not work to bring about a certain condition of things, but He knew that such a condition would exist. The plan that should be carried out upon the defection of any of the high intelligences of heaven--this is the secret, the mystery which has been hid from ages. And an offering was prepared in the eternal purposes to do the very work which God has done for fallen humanity (ST March 25, 1897). {6BC 1082.3} [6BC 1082.4] (Genesis 3:15, Ephesians 3:9-11; Colossians 1:26, 27; see EGW on Jeremiah 23:28.) The Mystery Hid for Eternal Ages.--The incarnation of Christ is a mystery. The union of divinity with humanity is a mystery indeed, hidden with God, "even the mystery which hath been hid from ages." It was kept in eternal silence by Jehovah, and was first revealed in Eden, by the prophecy that the Seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, and that he should bruise His heel. {6BC 1082.4} [6BC 1082.5] To present to the world this mystery that God kept in silence for eternal ages before the world was created, before man was created, was the part that Christ was to act in the work He entered upon when He came to this earth. And this wonderful mystery, the incarnation of Christ and the atonement that He made, must be declared to every son and daughter of Adam. . . . His sufferings perfectly fulfilled the claims of the law of God (ST Jan. 30, 1912). {6BC 1082.5} [6BC 1082.6] (1 Timothy 3:16.) Mystery of All Mysteries.--The incarnation of Christ is the mystery of all mysteries (Letter 276, 1904). - {6BC 1082.6} [6BC 1082.7] 1 Corinthians Chapters 1-3 Lessons for Every Church.--The third chapter of First Corinthians should be read with careful and prayerful consideration by every church member. The first and second chapters of this epistle prepare the way for the third, and in this are lessons for every church in our world. The cause of their difficulties is plainly revealed (MS 74, 1899). {6BC 1082.7} [6BC 1082.8] Chapter 1 1. See EGW on ch. 9:13-18. {6BC 1082.8} [6BC 1082.9] 1-8. Guard the Church Against Deception.--The instruction in this epistle is addressed to the church of God at Corinth, and directed to be sent to every place where there were companies of saints who had faith in Jesus Christ. As members of the church of Christ, they are said to be "sanctified in Christ Jesus," and "called to be saints." By baptism they pledged themselves to a ministry of good works in seeking to save others who knew not the truth. {6BC 1082.9} [6BC 1082.10] The church at Corinth was largely made up of Gentiles. Paul had labored earnestly among them, and had brought them to a knowledge of the truth. But after Paul had left them, false teachers had arisen, who had questioned the apostleship and ministry of Paul. They spoke contemptuously of him, and tried to make comparisons between themselves and him that would belittle him in the eyes of the church. {6BC 1082.10} [6BC 1082.11] Paul did not seek to exalt himself. But when falsehoods threatened to destroy the effects of his ministry, faithfulness to his mission made it necessary for him to honor God by vindicating his character and magnifying his office. He claims to have a divine mission--that he is "called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God." 1083 {6BC 1082.11} [6BC 1083.1] Paul had been called to his work by the Prince of life. While Paul had been engaged in the work of cruelly persecuting the followers of Christ, the Saviour had appeared to him and called him to be an apostle to the Gentiles. As an apostle of our Lord, he felt a sacred responsibility for the welfare of the church in Corinth. Under his administration they had not only received but they had taught the truth to others. They had been so enriched as to come behind in no gift. They had been brought into near and dear relation to Christ. {6BC 1083.1} [6BC 1083.2] Paul could not, by silence, allow himself to be driven from the field by false teachers--teachers who would introduce false sentiments and theories that might lead honest souls away from the truth. The churches must be guarded, and warned against deception. Christ gave Himself for us, to redeem us from all iniquity, that He might purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. His church must be kept free from all false doctrine (MS 46, 1905). {6BC 1083.2} [6BC 1083.3] 10. Unity in Diversity.--The strength of God's people lies in their union with Him through His only-begotten Son, and their union with one another. There are no two leaves of a tree precisely alike; neither do all minds run in the same direction. But while this is so, there may be unity in diversity. Christ is our root, and all who are grafted into this root will bear the fruit which Christ bore. They will reveal the fragrance of His character in the talent of speech, in the cultivation of hospitality, of kindness, of Christian courtesy and heavenly politeness. {6BC 1083.3} [6BC 1083.4] Look at the flowers in a carpet, and notice the different colored threads. All are not pink, all are not green, all are not blue. A variety of colors are woven together to perfect the pattern. So it is in the design of God. He has a purpose in placing us where we must learn to live as individuals. We are not all fitted to do the same kind of work, but each man's work is designed by God to help make up His plan (RH July 4, 1899). {6BC 1083.4} [6BC 1083.5] 10-13. See EGW on Galatians 5:1, 2. {6BC 1083.5} [6BC 1083.6] 13. Christ the Uniting Stone.--Paul asks, "Is Christ divided?" Have we not one spiritual Head? Christ has been the uniting stone, the chief cornerstone, in all ages. The patriarchs, the Levitical priesthood, and Christians of today, all have their center in Him. He is all and in all (RH Jan. 3, 1899). {6BC 1083.6} [6BC 1083.7] 21. See EGW on Romans 1:20-25. {6BC 1083.7} [6BC 1083.8] 25-29. God Measures Not by Man's Standard.--Because of the pride and ambition of the children of men, God has chosen to perform His mighty works by the most simple and humble means. It is not the men whom the world honors as great, talented, or brilliant, that God selects. He chooses those who will work in meekness and simplicity, acknowledging Him as their leader and their source of strength. He would have us make Him our protector and our guide in all the duties and affairs of life. . . . {6BC 1083.8} [6BC 1083.9] The Majesty of heaven works by whom He will. His providence sometimes selects the humblest instruments to do the greatest work, for His power is revealed through the weakness of men. We have our standard of reckoning, and by it we pronounce one thing great, and another small; but God estimates not according to the standard of men; He does not graduate His scale by theirs. We are not to suppose that what is great to us must be great to God, and what is small to us must be small to Him (ST July 14, 1881). {6BC 1083.9} [6BC 1083.10] Chapter 2 1-3. Be Afraid of Self.--The apostle Paul could meet eloquence with eloquence, logic with logic; he could intelligently enter into all controversies. But was he satisfied with this worldly knowledge? He writes: "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." {6BC 1083.10} [6BC 1083.11] Here is a very important lesson. We need to understand our whereabouts. We need to understand that the highest education ever given to mortals develops a spirit of humility, for it reveals how much more there is yet to learn. {6BC 1083.11} [6BC 1083.12] The more you learn, the more you will see the necessity of putting your whole 1084 mind and interest into learning for Christ's sake. Why are you learning? Are you acquiring knowledge so as to become intelligent in the truth? If that is your object, be assured that you will hide self in Jesus Christ. {6BC 1083.12} [6BC 1084.1] "And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling." Paul was a very great teacher; yet he felt that without the Spirit of God working with him, all the education he might obtain would be of little account. We need to have this same experience; we need to be afraid of ourselves. We need individually to sit at the feet of Jesus, and listen to His words of instruction (MS 84, 1901). {6BC 1084.1} [6BC 1084.2] 1-4. See EGW on Acts 17:34. {6BC 1084.2} [6BC 1084.3] 1-5 (Acts 9:3-6; 22:3, 4). Instruction for the Church Today.--［1 Corinthians 2:1-5 quoted.］ Paul was not an unlearned man, but the preaching of Christ was a new gospel to him. It was a work entirely different from that he had engaged in when he hunted the believers from place to place and persecuted them even "unto the death." But Christ had revealed Himself to Paul in a remarkable manner at his conversion. At the gate of Damascus the vision of the Crucified One changed the whole current of his life. The persecutor became a disciple, the teacher a learner. {6BC 1084.3} [6BC 1084.4] From that time Paul was a truly converted man. God gave him a special work to do for the cause of Christianity. His instruction in his letters to the churches of his day is instruction for the church of God to the end of time (Letter 332, 1907). {6BC 1084.4} [6BC 1084.5] Eloquence in Simplicity.--［1 Corinthians 2:1-5 quoted.］ Paul did not come to the churches as an orator or as a scientific philosopher. He did not seek merely to please the ear by flowery words and phrases. In eloquent simplicity he proclaimed the things that had been revealed to him. He was able to speak with power and authority, for he frequently received instruction from God in vision ［1 Corinthians 1:6-10 quoted］ (MS 46, 1905). {6BC 1084.5} [6BC 1084.6] (Acts 17:22-34.) Spiritual Power Not in Human Wisdom.--［1 Corinthians 2:1-9 quoted.］ The apostle Paul had all the privileges of a Roman citizen. He was not behind in the Hebrew education, for he had learned at the feet of Gamaliel; but all this did not enable him to reach the highest standard. With all this scientific and literary education, he was, until Christ was revealed to him, in as complete darkness as are many at this time. Paul became fully conscious that to know Jesus Christ by an experimental knowledge was for his present and eternal good. He saw the necessity of reaching a high standard. {6BC 1084.6} [6BC 1084.7] It had been Paul's custom to adopt an oratorical style in his preaching. He was a man fitted to speak before kings, before the great and learned men of Athens, and his intellectual acquirements were often of value to him in preparing the way for the gospel. He tried to do this in Athens, meeting eloquence with eloquence, philosophy with philosophy, and logic with logic; but he failed to meet with the success he had hoped for. His aftersight led him to understand that there was something needed above human wisdom. God taught him that something above the world's wisdom must come to him. He must receive his power from a higher source. In order to convict and convert sinners, the Spirit of God must come into his work and sanctify every spiritual development. He must eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God (RH July 18, 1899). {6BC 1084.7} [6BC 1084.8] 2 (Galatians 6:14). The One Central Truth of the Scriptures.--There is one great central truth to be kept ever before the mind in the searching of the Scriptures--Christ and Him crucified. Every other truth is invested with influence and power corresponding to its relation to this theme. It is only in the light of the cross that we can discern the exalted character of the law of God. The soul palsied by sin can be endowed with life only through the work wrought out upon the cross by the Author of our salvation (MS 31, 1890). {6BC 1084.8} [6BC 1084.9] 4 (ch. 4:9). Faithful Preachers a Spectacle to the World.--Our work for this time is not to be done by enticing words of man's wisdom, such as were used by heathen orators to gain applause. Speak in the demonstration of the Spirit, and with the power which God alone can impart. The testing truths for this time are to be proclaimed by men whose lips have been touched with a live coal from off God's altar. Such preaching will be a decided contrast to the preaching usually heard. 1085 Faithful, God-sent messengers are a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men, not because they place themselves in high positions, but because they show that they are strengthened and helped by the Spirit (MS 165, 1899). {6BC 1084.9} [6BC 1085.1] 7-14. See EGW on Romans 11:33. {6BC 1085.1} [6BC 1085.2] 9 (Ephesians 1:17, 18). Educating the Imagination.--You need to dwell upon the assurances of God's Word, to hold them before the mind's eye. Point by point, day by day, repeat the lessons there given, over and over, until you learn the bearing and import of them. We see a little today, and by meditation and prayer, more tomorrow. And thus little by little we take in the gracious promises until we can almost comprehend their full significance. {6BC 1085.2} [6BC 1085.3] Oh, how much we lose by not educating the imagination to dwell upon divine things, rather than upon the earthly! We may give fullest scope to the imagination, and yet, "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Fresh wonders will be revealed to the mind the more closely we apply it to divine things. We lose much by not talking more of Jesus and of heaven, the saints' inheritance. The more we contemplate heavenly things, the more new delights we shall see, and the more will our hearts be brimful of thanks to our beneficent Creator (Letter 4, 1885). {6BC 1085.3} [6BC 1085.4] 14. Truth Versus Worldly Wisdom.--Precious jewels of truth, that are of the highest value to the meek and lowly ones who believe in Christ, are as foolishness to him who is wise in the world's estimation. But truth, eternal truth, is ever present with the true believer. The Spirit is the appointed instructor of such a soul, his guide, his continual strength and righteousness (MS 29, 1899). {6BC 1085.4} [6BC 1085.5] 16. The Law an Expression of God's Idea.--The law of ten commandments is not to be looked upon as much from the prohibitory side as from the mercy side. Its prohibitions are the sure guarantee of happiness in obedience. As received in Christ, it works in us the purity of character that will bring joy to us through eternal ages. To the obedient it is a wall of protection. We behold in it the goodness of God, who by revealing to men the immutable principles of righteousness, seeks to shield them from the evils that result from transgression. {6BC 1085.5} [6BC 1085.6] We are not to regard God as waiting to punish the sinner for his sin. The sinner brings punishment upon himself. His own actions start a train of circumstances that bring the sure result. Every act of transgression reacts upon the sinner, works in him a change of character, and makes it more easy for him to transgress again. By choosing to sin, men separate themselves from God, cut themselves off from the channel of blessing, and the sure result is ruin and death. {6BC 1085.6} [6BC 1085.7] The law is an expression of God's idea. When we receive it in Christ, it becomes our idea. It lifts us above the power of natural desires and tendencies, above temptations that lead to sin (Letter 96, 1896). {6BC 1085.7} [6BC 1085.8] Chapter 3 1, 2 (Hebrews 5:9-12). Why Many Fail in Character Building.--［Hebrews 5:9-12 quoted.］ Paul could not speak to the Jewish converts as plainly as he desired regarding the mystery of godliness. Because of their spiritual weakness, their lack of perception, he could not utter the truth, which, could they have heard aright, with intelligent comprehension, would have been to them a savor of life unto life. {6BC 1085.8} [6BC 1085.9] The fault was not with their instructors, but with themselves. They were dull of understanding. Abundant advantages had been given them. They could have increased in understanding regarding Christ, His work, His power to save to the uttermost all who come to Him. But they had not pressed onward and upward, improving their opportunity to learn more and still more of the Saviour. Because they had not received in faith the truths imparted to them, their memory was weak. They could not retain in their minds the truths essential to success in character-building. {6BC 1085.9} [6BC 1085.10] The apostle calls their attention to their fault in this respect, which had become their spiritual infirmity. Their misconceptions gave them an indistinct view of Christ's power to make His people a praise in the earth (RH June 16, 1903). 1086 {6BC 1085.10} [6BC 1086.1] 1-3. Spiritual Dwarfs.--Paul longed to speak to the church in Corinth of spiritual things. But to his sorrow he found it in great weakness. The church members could not even bear to hear the truth concerning themselves. ［1 Corinthians 3:1, 2 quoted.］ The Spiritual growth of this people was so dwarfed that a plain "Thus saith the Lord" was an offense to them. Paul knew that by giving them the truth he would be ranked as an accuser and faultfinder (MS 74, 1899). {6BC 1086.1} [6BC 1086.2] 2. Living on a Low Level.--［1 Corinthians 3:1-3 quoted.］ Those addressed in these words had not been feeding on Christ, and therefore they were not advanced in spiritual knowledge. Paul said, "I have fed you with milk"-- the plainest, most simple truths, suitable for converts young in the faith; "not with meat"--the solid, nourishing, spiritual food suited to those who have made progress in a knowledge of divine things. They were living on a low level, dwelling on the surface truths which call for no thought, no deep research (MS 70, 1901). {6BC 1086.2} [6BC 1086.3] 4-9. Ministers Not to Be Idolized.--There can be no stronger evidence in churches that the truths of the Bible have not sanctified the receivers than their attachment to some favorite minister, and their unwillingness to accept and be profited by the labors of some other teacher who is sent to them in the providence of God. The Lord sends help to His church as they need, not as they choose; for short-sighted mortals cannot discern what is for their best good. It is seldom than one minister has all the qualifications necessary to perfect any one church in all the requirements of Christianity; therefore God sends other ministers to follow him, one after another, each one possessing some qualifications in which the others were deficient. {6BC 1086.3} [6BC 1086.4] The church should gratefully accept these servants of Christ, even as they would accept their Master Himself. They should seek to derive all the benefit possible from the instruction which ministers may give them from the Word of God. But the ministers themselves are not to be idolized; there should be no religious pets and favorites among the people; it is the truths they bring which are to be accepted, and appreciated in the meekness of humility (Redemption: The Teachings of Paul, pp. 74, 75). {6BC 1086.4} [6BC 1086.5] 5, 6. The Lord Our Efficiency.--The Lord desires us to distinguish between the means and the instrument. ［1 Corinthians 3:5, 6 quoted.］ The human agent is only the instrument; it is to the Lord he owes his efficiency. He must cooperate with divine power (Letter 150, 1900). {6BC 1086.5} [6BC 1086.6] 9 (2 Corinthians 10:4; see EGW on Genesis 2:7; Romans 12:2). God Provides the Weapons.--"We are laborers together with God." He provides us with all the facilities, all the spiritual weapons necessary for the pulling down of Satan's strongholds. Present the truth as it is in Jesus. Let the tones of your voice express the love of God. Lead, but never drive. Approach the most obstinate in a spirit of kindness and affection. Dip your words into the oil of grace, and let them flow forth from your lips in love (Letter 105, 1893). {6BC 1086.6} [6BC 1086.7] Divine Culture Will Be Given.--The Lord will give divine culture to those who are laborers together with Him. To be a laborer together with God means to strive and wrestle to grow up into Christ's likeness. It is Satan who makes it necessary for us to strive. Those who will keep the eye fixed upon the life of the Lord Jesus will gain an abundant entrance into His spiritual temple (Letter 5, 1900.) {6BC 1086.7} [6BC 1086.8] Feeble Plants Receive Special Care.--"Ye are God's husbandry." As one takes pleasure in the cultivation of a garden, so the Lord takes pleasure in His believing sons and daughters. A garden demands constant labor. The weeds must be removed; new plants must be set out; branches that are making too rapid a development must be pruned back. So the Lord works for His garden, the plants of the Lord. He cannot take pleasure in any development that does not reveal the graces of the character of Christ. The blood of Christ has made men and women God's precious charge. Then how careful each one should be not to manifest too much freedom in pulling up the plants the Lord has placed in His garden. Some plants are so feeble that they have hardly any life in them, and for these the Lord has a special care (MS 39, 1896). 1087 {6BC 1086.8} [6BC 1087.1] Learning the Trade of Character Building.--"Ye are God's building." You are representatives of the great Master Worker. God forbid that we should neglect to learn the trade of character building. The course to be pursued in this work is not according to the ideas of the world; the fashioning is not similar to the fashioning of the world. Those who enter the work of God without hiding self in Christ will soon disconnect themselves from the Master's building (MS 165, 1899). {6BC 1087.1} [6BC 1087.2] Let Christ Direct.--In your work of character building be sure that Christ is your director. It makes a great difference whether you are laborers together with God or whether you are laborers together against God; whether it is your highest ambition to magnify God or to magnify yourself and your plans. Christ declares, "Without me ye can do nothing"--nothing that will be approved by God. Study your motives carefully, and make sure that you are not working in your own wisdom, apart from Christ (MS 102, 1903). {6BC 1087.2} [6BC 1087.3] A Temple Honored by God and Man.--With pure, noble, upright deeds every man is to build. The result of his work will be a symmetrical structure, a fair temple honored by God and men (MS 153, 1903). {6BC 1087.3} [6BC 1087.4] 9-15. Each Man Has His Post of Duty.--We should carefully weigh the matters relative to the work we take up. Will this work be a blessing to souls? God has not given us work merely to keep us busy, but for His name's glory. Many are busily engaged gathering wood, hay, stubble. But this will all be consumed, leaving nothing to prepare souls for that great day when every work is to be tried by fire. Many will find that the work that has occupied their time and attention has perished with the using, and that they themselves have barely been saved, as by fire. {6BC 1087.4} [6BC 1087.5] Such a result as this is not after God's order. By God's appointment each man has his post of duty. The careful, prayerful inquiry is to be made, What duty is assigned us individually, as men and women under accountability to God? And whether our labor be wholly limited to spiritual things, or whether it is temporal and spiritual combined, we are to faithfully discharge our work. Things secular and things sacred must be combined, but spiritual things are not to be hidden by secular matters. {6BC 1087.5} [6BC 1087.6] Christ requires the service of the whole being, the physical, mental, and moral powers combined. These are to be enlisted in God's service. Man is to remember that God has the ownership of all, and that his pursuits are invested with a sacredness that they did not possess before he enlisted in the army of the Lord. Every action is to be a consecrated action, for it occupies God's entrusted talent of time. Holiness unto the Lord is inscribed on all the actions of such a one, because his whole being is brought under subjection to God. {6BC 1087.6} [6BC 1087.7] No business is to be undertaken, even in ordinary life, if it is corrupting in its influence upon the senses. We are in the Lord's training school, and He has His own appointed means whereby we may be brought into His service, so that His name may be glorified by the work we do in this world. Many are troubled because they are not working directly for the advancement of God's kingdom. But the humblest work must not be ignored. If it is honest work, it is a blessing, and may lead to the higher parts of the work. Those who do this work need not accuse themselves of uselessness in the great household of God. This is not necessary, for theirs is a work that someone must do (MS 49, 1898). {6BC 1087.7} [6BC 1087.8] 11. The Living Foundation Stone.--God will not accept the most splendid service, or the most brilliant talent, unless it is laid upon, and connected with, the living foundation stone; for this alone gives true value to the ability possessed, and makes it a living service to God. We may look back through centuries, and see the living stones gleaming like jets of light through the rubbish of moral darkness, errors, and superstition. These precious jewels shine with continually increasing luster, not alone for time, but for eternity (Redemption: The Teachings of Paul, p. 80). {6BC 1087.8} [6BC 1087.9] 11-13 (see EGW on Psalm 144:12). Gold of Faith Imperishable.--It makes every difference what material is used in the character building. The long-expected day of God will soon test every man's work. "The fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." As fire reveals the difference between gold, silver, and precious stones, and wood, 1088 hay, and stubble, so the day of judgment will test characters, showing the difference between characters formed after Christ's likeness and characters formed after the likeness of the selfish heart. All selfishness, all false religion, will then appear as it is. The worthless material will be consumed; but the gold of true, simple, humble faith will never lose its value. It can never be consumed; for it is imperishable. One hour of transgression will be seen to be a great loss, while the fear of the Lord will be seen to be the beginning of wisdom. The pleasure of self-indulgence will perish as stubble, while the gold of steadfast principle, maintained at any cost, will endure forever (RH Dec. 11, 1900). {6BC 1087.9} [6BC 1088.1] 13. See EGW on Jeremiah 23:28; Revelation 20:12, 13. {6BC 1088.1} [6BC 1088.2] 16-23. See EGW on 1 Thessalonians 5:23. {6BC 1088.2} [6BC 1088.3] Chapter 4 9 (see EGW on ch. 2:4; Romans 12:2). Every Victory a Gem in the Crown of Life.--The Christian is a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. Singular?--Yes; he has a most singular, peculiar character, because his life is worked out after the divine similitude. {6BC 1088.3} [6BC 1088.4] The inhabitants of unfallen worlds and of the heavenly universe are watching with an intense interest the conflict between good and evil. They rejoice as Satan's subtleties, one after another, are discerned and met with "It is written," as Christ met them in His conflict with the wily foe. Every victory gained is a gem in the crown of life. In the day of victory all the universe of heaven triumphs. The harps of the angels send forth the most precious music, accompanying the melody of the voice (Letter 5, 1900). {6BC 1088.4} [6BC 1088.5] Chapter 6 19, 20. God Claims the Heart's Throne.--God has bought us, and He claims a throne in each heart. Our minds and bodies must be subordinated to Him, and the natural habits and appetites must be made subservient to the higher wants of the soul. But we can place no dependence upon ourselves in this work. We cannot with safety follow our own guidance. The Holy Spirit must renew and sanctify us. In God's service there must be no halfway work. (SpT, Series A, No. 7, p. 39). {6BC 1088.5} [6BC 1088.6] 20. See EGW on Exodus 16;3; 2 Peter 1:10. {6BC 1088.6} [6BC 1088.7] Chapter 9 13-18 (ch. 1:1). Working for Souls, Not for Money.--Paul did not vacillate. He was established and grounded in the faith. But as far as possible he sought to make himself one with those for whom he labored. {6BC 1088.7} [6BC 1088.8] As a gospel minister, it was Paul's privilege to claim a support from those for whom he labored. But though he became the servant of all, yet he worked with his hands to support himself, that none might find occasion to charge him with selfishness. He did not receive wages for his labor, though as a minister of the gospel this was his right. Thus he made it evident that he was working for souls, not for money. {6BC 1088.8} [6BC 1088.9] "What is my reward then?" he asks. "Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel." {6BC 1088.9} [6BC 1088.10] Paul did not depend upon man for his ordination. He had received from the Lord his commission and ordination. He regarded his ministerial labor as a privilege. To him it was not a duty performed in return for money. He labored for the souls of men. "For though I preach the gospel," he said, "I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me: yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" He studied constantly how to make his testimony of the greatest effect. He sought the approval of God. {6BC 1088.10} [6BC 1088.11] Would that today men might be found with faith to do as Paul did, men who would preach the gospel, not looking to men for their reward, but willing to receive their reward in souls (MS 74, 1903). {6BC 1088.11} [6BC 1088.12] 20-23. Paul's Manner of Labor.--［1 Corinthians 9:20-23 quoted.］ We know that the apostle did not sacrifice one jot of principle. He did not allow himself to be led away by the sophistry and maxims of men. He was not to coincide with the suppositions and assurances of men who were teaching for doctrine the commandments of men; because iniquity and transgression were in the ascendancy and advancing, he did not allow his love to wax cold. All zeal and earnestness are to be retained; but at the same 1089 time some features of our faith, if expressed, would, by the elements with which you have to deal, arouse prejudice at once. {6BC 1088.12} [6BC 1089.1] Paul could be as zealous as any of the most zealous, in his allegiance to the law of God, and show that he was perfectly familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures. He could dwell upon the types and shadows that typified Christ; he could exalt Christ, and tell all about Christ and His special work in behalf of humanity, and what a field he had to explore. He could advance most precious light upon the prophecies, that they had not seen; and yet he would not offend them. Thus the foundation was laid nicely, that when the time came that their spirits softened, he could say in the language of John, Behold in Jesus Christ, who was made flesh, and dwelt among us, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. {6BC 1089.1} [6BC 1089.2] To the Gentiles, he preached Christ as their only hope of salvation, but did not at first have anything to say upon the law. But after their hearts were warmed with the presentation of Christ as the gift of God to our world, and what was comprehended in the work of the Redeemer in the costly sacrifice to manifest the love of God to man, in the most eloquent simplicity he showed that love for all mankind--Jew and Gentile--that they might be saved by surrendering their hearts to Him. Thus when, melted and subdued, they gave themselves to the Lord, he presented the law of God as the test of their obedience. This was the manner of his working--adapting his methods to win souls. Had he been abrupt and unskillful in handling the Word, he would not have reached either Jew or Gentile. {6BC 1089.2} [6BC 1089.3] He led the Gentiles along to view the stupendous truths of the love of God, who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us; and how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? The question was asked why such an immense sacrifice was required, and then he went back to the types, and down through the Old Testament Scripture, revealing Christ in the law, and they were converted to Christ and to the law (SpT, Series A, No. 6, pp. 54, 55). {6BC 1089.3} [6BC 1089.4] 24-27 (1 Peter 2:11). A Contest in Which All May Win.--［1 Corinthians 9:24-27 quoted.］ This glorious contest is before us. The apostle seeks to inspire us to enter into a noble emulation, a competition in which will be seen no selfishness, unfairness, or underhanded work. We are to use every spiritual nerve and muscle in the contest for the crown of life. No one who does his best will fail in this contest. {6BC 1089.4} [6BC 1089.5] All who seek for the prize are to place themselves under strict discipline. "Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things." Those who enter into a contest of physical strength for a corruptible prize realize the necessity of rigid abstinence from every indulgence that would weaken the physical powers. They eat simple food at regular hours. {6BC 1089.5} [6BC 1089.6] How much more should those who enter for the gospel race, restrain themselves from the unlawful indulgence of appetite and "abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul." They must be temperate at all times. The same restraint that gives them the power to obtain the victory at one time will, if practiced constantly, give them a great advantage in the race for the crown of life (MS 74, 1903). {6BC 1089.6} [6BC 1089.7] (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5.) Under Discipline to God.--［ 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 quoted.］ Thus Paul presents the conditions which God imposes upon every soul who enlists in His service. The apostle fears for himself, lest he shall fail of bearing the examination test, and be found wanting, and he places himself under severe training. So the Christian today needs to keep strict guard over his appetite. He needs to subject himself to severe training, that he may not run uncertainly or at random, without seeing his standard and striving to reach it. He must obey the laws of God. The physical, mental, and moral powers must be kept in the most perfect condition if he would obtain the approval of God. "I keep under my body," the apostle says. This means literally to beat back its desires and impulses and passions by severe discipline, even as did those competing for an earthly prize (MS 93, 1899). {6BC 1089.7} [6BC 1089.8] 27 (see EGW on 2 Corinthians 12:1-4). Paul on Guard.--［1 Corinthians 9:26, 27 quoted.］ Paul was ever on the watch lest evil propensities should get the better of him. He guarded well his appetites and passions and evil propensities (Letter 27, 1906). 1090 {6BC 1089.8} [6BC 1090.1] Chapter 10 4. See EGW on Acts 15:11. {6BC 1090.1} [6BC 1090.2] 12. See EGW on 1 Kings 11:1-4; Matthew 26:31-35. {6BC 1090.2} [6BC 1090.3] Chapter 11 18-34 (Matthew 26:26-29). The Lord's Supper Perverted.--The Corinthians were departing widely from the simplicity of the faith and the harmony of the church. They continued to assemble for worship, but with hearts that were estranged from one another. They had perverted the true meaning of the Lord's Supper, patterning in a great degree after idolatrous feasts. They came together to celebrate the sufferings and death of Christ, but turned the occasion into a period of feasting and selfish enjoyment. {6BC 1090.3} [6BC 1090.4] It had become customary, before partaking of the communion, to unite in a social meal. Families professing the faith brought their own food to the place of meeting, and ate it without courteously waiting for the others to be ready. The holy institution of the Lord's Supper was, for the wealthy, turned into a gluttonous feast; while the poor were made to blush when their meager fare was brought in contrast with the costly viands of their rich brethren. {6BC 1090.4} [6BC 1090.5] Paul rebukes the Corinthians for making the house of God a place of feasting and revelry, like a company of idolaters: "What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not?" The public religious feasts of the Greeks had been conducted in this way, and it was by following the counsels of false teachers that the Christians had been led to imitate their example. These teachers had begun by assuring them that it was not wrong to attend idolatrous feasts, and had finally introduced similar practices into the Christian church. {6BC 1090.5} [6BC 1090.6] Paul proceeded to give the order and object of the Lord's Supper, and then warned his brethren against perverting this sacred ordinance (LP 170, 171). {6BC 1090.6} [6BC 1090.7] 23-26 (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19, 20). The Only Correct Representation.--The broken bread and pure juice of the grape are to represent the broken body and spilled blood of the Son of God. Bread that is leavened must not come on the communion table; unleavened bread is the only correct representation of the Lord's Supper. Nothing fermented is to be used. Only the pure fruit of the vine and the unleavened bread are to be used (RH June 7, 1898). {6BC 1090.7} [6BC 1090.8] 25. See EGW on Matthew 26:28. {6BC 1090.8} [6BC 1090.9] 26 (see EGW on Mark 16:1, 2). Frequency of the Lord's Supper.-- The salvation of men depends upon a continual application to their hearts of the cleansing blood of Christ. Therefore, the Lord's Supper was not to be observed only occasionally or yearly, but more frequently than the annual passover. This solemn ordinance commemorates a far greater event than the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. That deliverance was typical of the great atonement which Christ made by the sacrifice of His own life for the final deliverance of His people (3SG 228). {6BC 1090.9} [6BC 1090.10] 28. See EGW on John 13:14, 15. {6BC 1090.10} [6BC 1090.11] Chapter 12 4-6, 12 (Ephesians 4:4-13). Each Member to Work in His Appointed Place.--［1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 12 quoted.］ The vine has many branches, but though all the branches are different, they do not quarrel. In diversity there is unity. All the branches obtain their nourishment from one source. This is an illustration of the unity that is to exist among Christ's followers. In their different lines of work they all have but one Head. The same Spirit, in different ways, works through them. There is harmonious action, though the gifts differ. Study this chapter. You will see from it that the man who is truly united with Christ will never act as though he were a complete whole in himself. . . . {6BC 1090.11} [6BC 1090.12] The perfection of the church depends not on each member being fashioned exactly alike. God calls for each one to take his proper place, to stand in his lot to do his appointed work according to the ability which has been given him (Letter 19, 1901). {6BC 1090.12} [6BC 1090.13] Two Chapters to Be Memorized.--The 12th and 13th chapters of 1st Corinthians should be committed to memory, written in the mind and heart. Through His servant Paul, the Lord has placed before us 1091 these subjects for our consideration, and those who have the privilege of being brought together in church capacity will be united, understandingly and intelligently. The figure of the members which compose the body represents the church of God and the relation its members should sustain to one another (MS 82, 1898). {6BC 1090.13} [6BC 1091.1] 27. See EGW on Hebrews 8:1, 2. {6BC 1091.1} [6BC 1091.2] Chapter 13 Read This Chapter Every Day.--The Lord desires me to call the attention of His people to the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians. Read this chapter every day, and from it obtain comfort and strength. Learn from it the value that God places on sanctified, heaven-born love, and let the lesson that it teaches come home to your hearts. Learn that Christlike love is of heavenly birth, and that without it all other qualifications are worthless (RH July 21, 1904). {6BC 1091.2} [6BC 1091.3] An Expression of Obedience.--In the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians the apostle Paul defines true Christlike love. . . . This chapter is an expression of the obedience of all who love God and keep His commandments. It is brought into action in the life of every true believer (Letter 156, 1900). {6BC 1091.3} [6BC 1091.4] 1. God Holds the Balances.--It is not the ready speaker, the sharp intellect, that counts with God. It is the earnest purpose, the deep piety, the love of truth, the fear of God, that has a telling influence. A testimony from the heart, coming from lips in which is no guile, full of faith and humble trust, though given by a stammering tongue, is accounted of God as precious as gold; while the smart speech, the eloquent oratory, of the one to whom is entrusted large talents, but who is wanting in truthfulness, in steadfast purpose, in purity, in unselfishness, are as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. He may say witty things, he may relate amusing anecdotes, he may play upon the feelings; but the spirit of Jesus is not in it. All these things may please unsanctified hearts, but God holds in His hands the balances that weigh the words, the spirit, the sincerity, the devotion, and He pronounces it altogether lighter than vanity (Letter 38, 1890). {6BC 1091.4} [6BC 1091.5] 5. See EGW on Proverbs 16:32. {6BC 1091.5} [6BC 1091.6] 12 (Romans 11:33; Ephesians 2:7; Revelation 7:16, 17; 22:4; see EGW on 1 Corinthians 15:20, 42-52). Mysteries to Be Unfolded in Heaven.--But many mysteries yet remain unrevealed. How much that is acknowledged to be truth is mysterious and unexplainable to the human mind! How dark seem the dispensations of Providence! What necessity there is for implicit faith and trust in God's moral government! We are ready to say with Paul, "How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" {6BC 1091.6} [6BC 1091.7] We are not now sufficiently advanced in spiritual attainments to comprehend the mysteries of God. But when we shall compose the family of heaven, these mysteries will be unfolded before us. Of the members of that family John writes: "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." "And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads." {6BC 1091.7} [6BC 1091.8] Then much will be revealed in explanation of matters upon which God now keeps silence because we have not gathered up and appreciated that which has been made known of the eternal mysteries. The ways of Providence will be made clear; the mysteries of grace through Christ will be unfolded. That which the mind cannot now grasp, which is hard to be understood, will be explained. We shall see order in that which has seemed unexplainable; wisdom in everything withheld; goodness and gracious mercy in everything imparted. Truth will be unfolded to the mind, free from obscurity, in a single line, and its brightness will be endurable. The heart will be made to sing for joy. Controversies will be forever ended, and all difficulties will be solved (ST Jan. 30, 1912). {6BC 1091.8} [6BC 1091.9] 13. Love, the Most Valued Attribute.--The attribute that Christ appreciates most in man is charity (love) out of a pure heart. This is the fruit borne upon the Christian tree (MS 16, 1892). {6BC 1091.9} [6BC 1091.10] A Plant of Heavenly Origin.--Love is a plant of heavenly origin, and if we would have it flourish in our hearts, we must 1092 cultivate it daily. Mildness, gentleness, long-suffering, not being easily provoked, bearing all things, enduring all things--these are the fruits upon the precious tree of love (RH June 5, 1888). {6BC 1091.10} [6BC 1092.1] Chapter 15 6. Sacred Facts Immortalized.--After His resurrection, Christ did not show Himself to any save His followers, but testimony in regard to His resurrection was not wanting. It came from various sources, from the five hundred who assembled in Galilee to see their risen Lord. This testimony could not be quenched. The sacred facts of Christ's resurrection were immortalized (MS 115, 1897). {6BC 1092.1} [6BC 1092.2] Countenance as the Face of God.--After His resurrection, Christ met with His disciples in Galilee. At the time appointed, about five hundred disciples were assembled on the mountainside. Suddenly Jesus stood among them. No one could tell whence or how He came. Many who were present had never before seen Him; but in His hands and feet they beheld the marks of the crucifixion; His countenance was as the face of God, and when they saw Him they worshiped Him (Letter 115, 1904). {6BC 1092.2} [6BC 1092.3] 9. See EGW on Acts 9:1-4. {6BC 1092.3} [6BC 1092.4] 20 (Leviticus 23:10, 11). Christ the Antitypical Wave-Sheaf.--It was to the glory of God that the Prince of life should be the first fruits, the antitype of the typical wavesheaf. "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." . . . {6BC 1092.4} [6BC 1092.5] Christ was the first fruits of them that slept. This very scene, the resurrection of Christ from the dead, was observed in type by the Jews at one of their sacred feasts. . . . They came up to the Temple when the first fruits had been gathered in, and held a feast of thanksgiving. The first fruits of the harvest crop were sacredly dedicated to the Lord. That crop was not to be appropriated for the benefit of man. The first ripe fruit was dedicated as a thank offering to God. He was acknowledged as the Lord of the harvest. When the first heads of grain ripened in the field, they were carefully gathered, and when the people went up to Jerusalem, they were presented to the Lord, waving the ripened sheaf before Him as a thank offering. After this ceremony the sickle could be put to the wheat, and it could be gathered into sheaves (MS 115, 1897). {6BC 1092.5} [6BC 1092.6] 20, 42-52 (ch. 13:12; Romans 8:11). A Sample of the Final Resurrection.--The resurrection of Jesus was a sample of the final resurrection of all who sleep in Him. The risen body of the Saviour, His deportment, the accents of His speech, were all familiar to His followers. In like manner will those who sleep in Jesus rise again. We shall know our friends even as the disciples knew Jesus. Though they may have been deformed, diseased, or disfigured in this mortal life, yet in their resurrected and glorified body their individual identity will be perfectly preserved, and we shall recognize, in the face radiant with the light shining from the face of Jesus, the lineaments of those we love (3SP 219). {6BC 1092.6} [6BC 1092.7] 22, 45 (Romans 5:12-19; see EGW on John 1:1-3, 14; Revelation 1:8). Sinner Given a Second Trial.--As representative of the fallen race, Christ passed over the same ground on which Adam stumbled and fell. By a life of perfect obedience to God's law, Christ redeemed man from the penalty of Adam's disgraceful fall. Man has violated God's law. Only for those who return to their allegiance to God, only for those who obey the law that they have violated, will the blood of Christ avail. Christ will never become a party to sin. Bearing the penalty of the law, He gives the sinner another chance, a second trial. He opens a way whereby the sinner can be reinstated in God's favor. Christ bears the penalty of man's past transgressions, and by imparting to man His righteousness, makes it possible for man to keep God's holy law (MS 126, 1901). {6BC 1092.7} [6BC 1092.8] (Revelation 1:8; 22:13.) The Alpha and Omega.--When the students of prophecy shall set their hearts to know the truths of Revelation, they will realize what an importance is attached to this search. Christ Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the Genesis of the Old Testament, and the Revelation of the New. Both meet together in Christ. Adam and God are reconciled by the obedience of the second Adam, who accomplished the work of overcoming the 1093 temptations of Satan and redeeming Adam's disgraceful failure and fall. {6BC 1092.8} [6BC 1093.1] The two Adams will meet in Paradise and embrace each other, while the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, and all who have refused the opportunities and privileges given to them at such infinite cost, and have not returned to their loyalty, will be shut out of Paradise (MS 33, 1897). {6BC 1093.1} [6BC 1093.2] 42-52 (ch. 13:12). Personality Preserved in a New Body.--Our personal identity is preserved in the resurrection, though not the same particles of matter or material substance as went into the grave. The wondrous works of God are a mystery to man. The spirit, the character of man, is returned to God, there to be preserved. In the resurrection every man will have his own character. God in His own time will call forth the dead, giving again the breath of life, and bidding the dry bones live. The same form will come forth, but it will be free from disease and every defect. It lives again bearing the same individuality of features, so that friend will recognize friend. There is no law of God in nature which shows that God gives back the same identical particles of matter which composed the body before death. God shall give the righteous dead a body that will please Him. {6BC 1093.2} [6BC 1093.3] Paul illustrates this subject by the kernel of grain sown in the field. The planted kernel decays, but there comes forth a new kernel. The natural substance in the grain that decays is never raised as before, but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him. A much finer material will compose the human body, for it is a new creation, a new birth. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body (MS 76, 1900). {6BC 1093.3} [6BC 1093.4] 51-55 (Isaiah 65:17; Matthew 25:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17; Revelation 5:12; 21:4). The Finishing Touch of Immortality.--We have a living, risen Saviour. He burst the fetters of the tomb after He had lain there three days, and in triumph. He proclaimed over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, "I am the resurrection and the life." And He is coming. Are we getting ready for Him? Are we ready so that if we shall fall asleep, we can do so with hope in Jesus Christ? Are you laboring for the salvation of your brothers and sisters? The Life-giver is soon to come. The Life-giver is coming to break the fetters of the tomb. He is to bring forth the captives and proclaim, "I am the resurrection and the life." There stands the risen host. The last thought was of death and its pangs. The last thoughts they had were of the grave and the tomb, but now they proclaim, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" The pangs of death were the last things they felt. "O death, where is thy sting?" The last thing they acknowledged was the pangs of death. When they awake the pain is all gone. . . . {6BC 1093.4} [6BC 1093.5] Here they stand, and the finishing touch of immortality is put upon them, and they go up to meet their Lord in the air. The gates of the city of God swing back upon their hinges, and the nations that have kept the truth enter in. There are the columns of angels on either side, and the ransomed of God walk in through the cherubims and seraphims. Christ bids them welcome and puts upon them His benediction. "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: . . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." What is that joy? He sees of the travail of His soul, and is satisfied. {6BC 1093.5} [6BC 1093.6] That is what we labor for. Here is one, who in the night season we pleaded with God on his behalf. There is one that we talked with on his dying bed, and he hung his helpless soul upon Jesus. Here is one who was a poor drunkard. We tried to get his eyes fixed upon Him who is mighty to save and we told him that Christ could give him the victory. There are the crowns of immortal glory upon their heads, and then the redeemed cast their glittering crowns at the feet of Jesus; and then the angelic choir strikes the note of victory, and the angels in the two columns take up the song, and the redeemed host join as though they had been singing the song on the earth, and they have been. {6BC 1093.6} [6BC 1093.7] Oh, what music! There is not an inharmonious note. Every voice proclaims, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain." He sees of the travail of His soul, and is satisfied. Do you think anyone there will take time to tell of his trials and terrible difficulties? "The former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (MS 18, 1894). {6BC 1093.7} [6BC 1094.1] 2 Corinthians Chapter 2 4. Paul a Friend of the Erring.--The apostle Paul found it necessary to reprove wrong in the church, but he did not lose his self-control in reproving error. He anxiously explains the reason of his action. How carefully he wrought so as to leave the impression that he was a friend of the erring! He made them understand that it cost him pain to give them pain. He left the impression upon their minds that his interest was identified with theirs ［2 Corinthians 2:4 quoted］ (Letter 16a, 1895). {6BC 1094.1} [6BC 1094.2] 11 (Ephesians 6:12; see EGW on 2 Corinthians 4:3-6; 13:5). Give Satan No Advantage.--In the conflict with satanic agencies there are decisive moments that determine the victory either on the side of God or on the side of the prince of this world. If those engaged in the warfare are not wide awake, earnest, vigilant, praying for wisdom, watching unto prayer, . . . Satan comes off victor, when he might have been vanquished by the armies of the Lord. . . . God's faithful sentinels are to give the evil powers no advantage. . . . {6BC 1094.2} [6BC 1094.3] We have unseen foes to meet, evil men are agents for the powers of darkness to work through, and without spiritual discernment the soul will be ignorant of Satan's devices, and be ensnared and stumble and fall. He who would overcome must hold fast to Christ. He must not look back, but keep the eye ever upward. Mount up by the Mediator, keeping hold of the Mediator, reaching upward to one line of work after another, making no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. {6BC 1094.3} [6BC 1094.4] There is no such thing as our entering the heavenly portals through indulgence and folly, amusement, selfishness, but only by constant watchfulness and unceasing prayer. Spiritual vigilance on our part individually is the price of safety. Swerve not to Satan's side a single inch, lest he gain advantage over you (Letter 47, 1893). {6BC 1094.4} [6BC 1094.5] 14-17. The Boldness of a Sanctified Conscience.--［2 Corinthians 2:14-17 quoted.］ These words of Paul do not denote a spiritual pride, but a deep knowledge of Christ. As one of God's messengers sent to confirm the truth of the Word, he knew what was truth; and with the boldness of a sanctified conscience he gloried in that knowledge. He knew that he was called of God to preach the gospel with all the assurance which his confidence in the message gave him. He was called to be God's ambassador to the people, and he preached the gospel as one who was called (MS 43, 1907). {6BC 1094.5} [6BC 1094.6] Chapter 3 6-9 (Romans 8:15-21; see EGW on Hebrews 8:6, 7). The Law Ordained to Life.--The law of God, spoken in awful grandeur from Sinai, is the utterance of condemnation to the sinner. It is the province of the law to condemn, but there is in it no power to pardon or to redeem. It is ordained to life; those who walk in harmony with its precepts will receive the reward of obedience. But it brings bondage and death to those who remain under its condemnation. (RH April 22, 1902). {6BC 1094.6} [6BC 1094.7] 7. See EGW on Exodus 34:29. {6BC 1094.7} [6BC 1094.8] 7-11 (Galatians 3:19; Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 9:9-12; 10:1-7). A Twofold System of Law.--God's people, whom He calls His peculiar treasure, were privileged with a two-fold system of law; the moral and the ceremonial. The one, pointing back to creation to keep in remembrance the living God who made the world, whose claims are binding upon all men in every dispensation, and which will exist through all time and eternity. The other, given because of man's transgression of the moral law, the obedience to which consisted in sacrifices and offerings pointing to the future redemption. Each is clear and distinct from the other. {6BC 1094.8} [6BC 1094.9] From the creation the moral law was an essential part of God's divine plan, and was as unchangeable as Himself. The ceremonial law was to answer a particular purpose in Christ's plan for the salvation of the race. The typical system of sacrifices and 1095 offerings was established that through these services the sinner might discern the great offering, Christ. But the Jews were so blinded by pride and sin that but few of them could see farther than the death of beasts as an atonement for sin; and when Christ, whom these offerings prefigured, came, they could not discern Him. The ceremonial law was glorious; it was the provision made by Jesus Christ in counsel with His Father, to aid in the salvation of the race. The whole arrangement of the typical system was founded on Christ. Adam saw Christ prefigured in the innocent beast suffering the penalty of his transgression of Jehovah's law (RH May 6, 1875). {6BC 1094.9} [6BC 1095.1] Two Laws Bear Stamp of Divinity.--Paul desires his brethren to see that the great glory of a sin-pardoning Saviour gave significance to the entire Jewish economy. He desired them to see also that when Christ came to the world, and died as man's sacrifice, type met antitype. {6BC 1095.1} [6BC 1095.2] After Christ died on the cross as a sin offering the ceremonial law could have no force. Yet it was connected with the moral law, and was glorious. The whole bore the stamp of divinity, and expressed the holiness, justice, and righteousness of God. And if the ministration of the dispensation to be done away was glorious, how much more must the reality be glorious, when Christ was revealed, giving His life-giving, sanctifying, Spirit to all who believe (RH April 22, 1902)? {6BC 1095.2} [6BC 1095.3] The Ministration of Death.--The holy law of God is both brief and comprehensive; for it is easily understood and remembered; and yet it is an expression of the will of God. Its comprehensiveness is summed up in the following words: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. . . . Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." "This do, and thou shalt live." "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.". . . {6BC 1095.3} [6BC 1095.4] If the transgressor is to be treated according to the letter of this covenant, then there is no hope for the fallen race; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. The fallen race of Adam can behold nothing else in the letter of this covenant than the ministration of death; and death will be the reward of everyone who is seeking vainly to fashion a righteousness of his own that will fulfill the claims of the law. By His word God has bound Himself to execute the penalty of the law on all transgressors. Again and again men commit sin, and yet they do not seem to believe that they must suffer the penalty for breaking the law (ST Sept. 5, 1892). {6BC 1095.4} [6BC 1095.5] (Hebrews 8:5.) Ceremonies of Jewish Law Prophetic.--The gospel of Christ reflects glory upon the Jewish age. It sheds light upon the whole Jewish economy, and gives significance to the ceremonial law. The tabernacle, or temple, of God on earth was a pattern of the original in heaven. All the ceremonies of the Jewish law were prophetic, typical of mysteries in the plan of redemption. {6BC 1095.5} [6BC 1095.6] The rites and ceremonies of the law were given by Christ Himself, who, enshrouded in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, was the leader of the hosts of Israel; and this law should be treated with great respect, for it is sacred. Even after it was no longer to be observed, Paul presented it before the Jews in its true position and value, showing its place in the plan of redemption and its relation to the work of Christ; and the great apostle pronounces this law glorious, worthy of its divine Originator. That which was to be done away was glorious, but it was not the law instituted by God for the government of His family in heaven and on earth; for as long as the heavens shall remain, so long shall the law of the Lord endure (ST July 29, 1886). {6BC 1095.6} [6BC 1095.7] (Revelation 22:14.) Glory Gives Way to Greater Glory.--There is no discord between the Old Testament and the New. In the Old Testament we find the gospel of a coming Saviour; in the New Testament we have the gospel of a Saviour revealed as the prophecies had foretold. While the Old Testament is constantly pointing forward to the true offering, the New Testament shows that the Saviour prefigured by the typical offerings has come. The dim glory of the Jewish age has been succeeded by the brighter, clearer glory of the Christian age. 1096 But not once has Christ stated that His coming destroyed the claims of God's law. On the contrary, in the very last message to His church, by way of Patmos, He pronounces a benediction upon those who keep His Father's law: "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (ST July 29, 1886). {6BC 1095.7} [6BC 1096.1] 7-17. The Moral Law Glorified by Christ.--The types and shadows of the sacrificial service, with the prophecies, gave the Israelites a veiled, indistinct view of the mercy and grace to be brought to the world by the revelation of Christ. To Moses was unfolded the significance of the types and shadows pointing to Christ. He saw to the end of that which was to be done away when, at the death of Christ, type met antitype. He saw that only through Christ can man keep the moral law. By transgression of this law man brought sin into the world, and with sin came death. Christ became the propitiation for man's sin. He proffered His perfection of character in the place of man's sinfulness. He took upon Himself the curse of disobedience. The sacrifices and offerings pointed forward to the sacrifice He was to make. The slain lamb typified the Lamb that was to take away the sin of the world. {6BC 1096.1} [6BC 1096.2] It was seeing the object of that which was to be done away, seeing Christ as revealed in the law, that illumined the face of Moses. The ministration of the law, written and engraved in stone, was a ministration of death. Without Christ, the transgressor was left under its curse, with no hope of pardon. The ministration had of itself no glory, but the promised Saviour, revealed in the types and shadows of the ceremonial law, made the moral law glorious (RH April 22, 1902). {6BC 1096.2} [6BC 1096.3] 7-18 (Romans 3:31; 7:7; Galatians 3:13). Christ's Glory Revealed in His Law.--Christ bore the curse of the law, suffering its penalty, carrying to completion the plan whereby man was to be placed where he could keep God's law, and be accepted through the merits of the Redeemer; and by His sacrifice glory was shed upon the law. Then the glory of that which is not to be done away--God's law of ten commandments, His standard of righteousness--was plainly seen by all who saw to the end of that which was done away. {6BC 1096.3} [6BC 1096.4] "We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord." Christ is the sinner's advocate. Those who accept His gospel behold Him with open face. They see the relation of His mission to the law, and they acknowledge God's wisdom and glory as revealed by the Saviour. The glory of Christ is revealed in the law, which is a transcript of His character, and His transforming efficacy is felt upon the soul until men become changed to His likeness. They are made partakers of the divine nature, and grow more and more like their Saviour, advancing step by step in conformity to the will of God, till they reach perfection. {6BC 1096.4} [6BC 1096.5] The law and the gospel are in perfect harmony. Each upholds the other. In all its majesty the law confronts the conscience, causing the sinner to feel his need of Christ as the propitiation for sin. The gospel recognizes the power and immutability of the law. "I had not known sin, but by the law," Paul declares. The sense of sin, urged home by the law, drives the sinner to the Saviour. In his need man may present the mighty arguments furnished by the cross of Calvary. He may claim the righteousness of Christ; for it is imparted to every repentant sinner (RH April 22, 1902). {6BC 1096.5} [6BC 1096.6] 12-15 (see EGW on Exodus 34:29-33). The Veil of Unbelief.--［2 Corinthians 3:12-15 quoted.］ The Jews refused to accept Christ as the Messiah, and they cannot see that their ceremonies are meaningless, that the sacrifices and offerings have lost their significance. The veil drawn by themselves in stubborn unbelief is still before their minds. It would be removed if they would accept Christ, the righteousness of the law. {6BC 1096.6} [6BC 1096.7] Many in the Christian world also have a veil before their eyes and heart. They do not see to the end of that which was done away. They do not see that it was only the ceremonial law which was abrogated at the death of Christ. They claim that the moral law was nailed to the cross. Heavy is the veil that darkens their understanding. The hearts of many are at war with God. They 1097 are not subject to His law. Only as they shall come into harmony with the rule of His government can Christ be of any avail to them. They may talk of Christ as their Saviour; but He will finally say to them, I know you not. You have not exercised genuine repentance toward God for the transgression of His holy law, and you cannot have genuine faith in Me, for it was My mission to exalt God's law. . . . {6BC 1096.7} [6BC 1097.1] The moral law was never a type or a shadow. It existed before man's creation, and will endure as long as God's throne remains. God could not change or alter one precept of His law in order to save man; for the law is the foundation of His government. It is unchangeable, unalterable, infinite, and eternal. In order for man to be saved, and for the honor of the law to be maintained, it was necessary for the Son of God to offer Himself as a sacrifice for sin. He who knew no sin became sin for us. He died for us on Calvary. His death shows the wonderful love of God for man, and the immutability of His law (RH April 22, 1902). {6BC 1097.1} [6BC 1097.2] 14, 16. Christ's Death Lifts the Veil.--The death of Jesus Christ for the redemption of man lifts the veil and reflects a flood of light back hundreds of years, upon the whole institution of the Jewish system of religion. Without the death of Christ all this system was meaningless. The Jews reject Christ, and therefore their whole system of religion is to them indefinite, unexplainable, and uncertain. They attach as much importance to shadowy ceremonies of types which have met their antitype as they do to the law of the ten commandments, which was not a shadow, but a reality as enduring as the throne of Jehovah. The death of Christ elevates the Jewish system of types and ordinances, showing that they were of divine appointment, and for the purpose of keeping faith alive in the hearts of His people (RH May 6, 1875). {6BC 1097.2} [6BC 1097.3] 18 (Hebrews 12:2; see EGW on Psalm 19:14; Romans 8:29; Ephesians 4:20-24; Colossians 3:10; Revelation 7:4-17). The Matchless Charms of Jesus.--Look to Christ, behold the attractive loveliness of His character, and by beholding you will become changed into His likeness. The mist that intervenes between Christ and the soul will be rolled back as we by faith look past the hellish shadow of Satan and see God's glory in His law, and the righteousness of Christ. {6BC 1097.3} [6BC 1097.4] Satan is seeking to veil Jesus from our sight, to eclipse His light; for when we get even a glimpse of His glory, we are attracted to Him. Sin hides from our view the matchless charms of Jesus; prejudice, selfishness, self-righteousness, and passion blind our eyes, so that we do not discern the Saviour. Oh, if we would by faith draw nigh to God, He would reveal to us His glory, which is His character, and the praise of God would flow forth from human hearts and be sounded by human voices. Then we would forever cease to give glory to Satan by sinning against God and talking doubt and unbelief. We should no longer stumble along, grumbling and mourning, and covering the altar of God with our tears (MS 16, 1890). {6BC 1097.4} [6BC 1097.5] (Genesis 5:24; Ephesians 4:13, 15). Too Near the Lowlands of Earth.--It is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, which Jesus said He would send into the world, that changes our character into the image of Christ; and when this is accomplished, we reflect, as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord. That is, the character of the one who thus beholds Christ is so like His, that one looking at him sees Christ's own character shining out as from a mirror. Imperceptibly to ourselves we are changed day by day from our own ways and will into the ways and will of Christ, into the loveliness of His character. Thus we grow up into Christ, and unconsciously reflect His image. {6BC 1097.5} [6BC 1097.6] Professed Christians keep altogether too near the lowlands of earth. Their eyes are trained to see only commonplace things, and their minds dwell upon the things their eyes behold. Their religious experience is often shallow and unsatisfying, and their words are light and valueless. How can such reflect the image of Christ? How can they send forth the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness into all the dark places of the earth? To be a Christian is to be Christlike. {6BC 1097.6} [6BC 1097.7] Enoch kept the Lord ever before him, and the Inspired Word says that he "walked with God." He made Christ his constant companion. He was in the world, and 1098 performed his duties to the world; but he was ever under the influence of Jesus. He reflected Christ's character, exhibiting the same qualities of goodness, mercy, tender compassion, sympathy, forbearance, meekness, humility, and love. His association with Christ day by day transformed him into the image of Him with whom he was so intimately connected. Day by day he was growing away from his own way into Christ's way, the heavenly, the divine, in his thoughts and feelings. He was constantly inquiring, Is this the way of the Lord? His was a constant growth, and he had fellowship with the Father and the Son. This is genuine sanctification (RH April 28, 1891). {6BC 1097.7} [6BC 1098.1] Behold Christ by Studying His Life.--［2 Corinthians 3:18 quoted.］ Beholding Christ means studying His life as given in His Word. We are to dig for truth as for hidden treasure. We are to fix our eyes upon Christ. When we take Him as our personal Saviour, this gives us boldness to approach the throne of grace. By beholding we become changed, morally assimilated to the One who is perfect in character. By receiving His imputed righteousness, through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, we become like Him. The image of Christ is cherished, and it captivates the whole being (MS 148, 1897). {6BC 1098.1} [6BC 1098.2] Striving to Become Christlike.--Beholding Christ for the purpose of becoming like Him, the seeker after truth sees the perfection of the principles of God's law, and he becomes dissatisfied with everything but perfection. Hiding his life in the life of Christ, he sees that the holiness of the divine law is revealed in the character of Christ, and more and more earnestly he strives to be like Him. A warfare may be expected at any time, for the tempter sees that he is losing one of his subjects. A battle must be fought with the attributes which Satan has been strengthening for his own use. The human agent sees what he has to contend with--a strange power opposed to the idea of attaining the perfection that Christ holds out. But with Christ there is saving power that will gain for him victory in the conflict. The Saviour will strengthen and help him as he comes pleading for grace and efficiency (MS 89, 1903). {6BC 1098.2} [6BC 1098.3] Clearing the Moral Atmosphere.--When Christ is loved more than self, the Saviour's beautiful image is reflected in the believer. . . . {6BC 1098.3} [6BC 1098.4] Until self is laid upon the altar of sacrifice, Christ will not be reflected in the character. When self is buried, and Christ occupies the throne of the heart, there will be a revelation of principles that will clear the moral atmosphere surrounding the soul (Letter 108, 1899). {6BC 1098.4} [6BC 1098.5] Human Peculiarities Will Disappear.--The Holy Spirit has been prevented from coming in to mold and fashion heart and mind, because men suppose that they understand best how to form their own characters. And they think that they may safely form their characters after their own model. But there is only one model after which human character is to be formed--the character of Christ. Those who behold the Saviour are changed from glory to greater glory. When men will consent to submit to Christ's will, to be partakers of the divine nature, their crooked, human peculiarities will disappear. When they decide that they will retain their own peculiarities and disagreeable traits of character, Satan takes them and places his yoke on them, using them to do his service. He uses their talents for selfish purposes, causing them to set an example so disagreeable, so un-Christlike, that they become a reproach to the cause of God (MS 102, 1903). {6BC 1098.5} [6BC 1098.6] (Song of Solomon 5:10, 16; Hebrews 12:2.) Approaching the Perfect Pattern.--As one becomes acquainted with the history of the Redeemer, he discovers in himself serious defects; his unlikeness to Christ is so great that he sees the necessity for radical changes in his life. Still he studies with a desire to become like his great Exemplar. He catches the looks, the spirit, of his beloved Master. By beholding, by "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith," he becomes changed into the same image. {6BC 1098.6} [6BC 1098.7] It is not by looking away from Him that we imitate the life of Jesus, but by talking of Him, by dwelling upon His perfections, by seeking to refine the taste and elevate the character, by trying--through faith and love, and by earnest, 1099 persevering effort--to approach the perfect Pattern. By having a knowledge of Christ--His words, His habits, and His lessons of instruction--we borrow the virtues of the character we have so closely studied, and become imbued with the spirit we have so much admired. Jesus becomes to us "the chiefest among ten thousand," the One "altogether lovely" (RH March 15, 1887). {6BC 1098.7} [6BC 1099.1] Christ Will Draw His Image on the Soul.--When the soul is brought into close relationship with the great Author of light and truth, impressions are made upon it revealing its true position before God. Then self will die, pride will be laid low, and Christ will draw His own image in deeper lines upon the soul (MS 1a, 1890). {6BC 1099.1} [6BC 1099.2] Chapter 4 3-6 (ch. 2:11; 15:3). Satan's Bewitching Power.--Justice demands that sin be not merely pardoned, but the death penalty must be executed. God, in the gift of His only-begotten Son, met both these requirements. By dying in man's stead, Christ exhausted the penalty and provided a pardon. {6BC 1099.2} [6BC 1099.3] Man through sin has been severed from the life of God. His soul is palsied through the machinations of Satan, the author of sin. Of himself he is incapable of sensing sin, incapable of appreciating and appropriating the divine nature. Were it brought within his reach there is nothing in it that his natural heart would desire it. The bewitching power of Satan is upon him. All the ingenious subterfuges the devil can suggest are presented to his mind to prevent every good impulse. Every faculty and power given him of God has been used as a weapon against the divine Benefactor. So, although He loves him, God cannot safely impart to him the gifts and blessings He desires to bestow. {6BC 1099.3} [6BC 1099.4] But God will not be defeated by Satan. He sent His Son into the world, that through His taking the human form and nature, humanity and divinity combined in Him would elevate man in the scale of moral value with God. {6BC 1099.4} [6BC 1099.5] There is no other way for man's salvation. "Without me," says Christ, "ye can do nothing." Through Christ, and Christ alone, the springs of life can vitalize man's nature, transform his tastes, and set his affections flowing toward heaven. Through the union of the divine with the human nature, Christ could enlighten the understanding and infuse His life-giving properties through the soul dead in trespasses and sins (MS 50, 1900). {6BC 1099.5} [6BC 1099.6] 17, 18 (Romans 8:18; 1 Peter 1:6, 7; see EGW on 2 Corinthians 12:4). Trials God's Workmen.--［2 Corinthians 4:17, 18 quoted.］ If Paul, troubled on every side, perplexed, persecuted, could call his trials light afflictions, of what has the Christian of today to complain? How trifling are our trials in comparison with Paul's many afflictions! They are not worthy to be compared with the eternal weight of glory awaiting the overcomer. They are God's workmen, ordained for the perfection of character. However great the deprivation and suffering of the Christian, however dark and inscrutable may seem the way of Providence, he is to rejoice in the Lord, knowing that all is working for his good (RH May 6, 1902). {6BC 1099.6} [6BC 1099.7] I have been shown that in the future we shall see how closely all our trials were connected with our salvation, and how these light afflictions worked out for us "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (Letter 5, 1880). {6BC 1099.7} [6BC 1099.8] The Eternal Weight of Glory.--The years of self-denial, of privation, of trial, affliction, and persecution that Paul endured, he called a moment. The things of the present time were not considered worth mentioning when compared with the eternal weight of glory that awaited them when the warfare should be over. These very afflictions were God's workmen, ordained for the perfection of Christian character. Whatever may be the circumstances of the Christian, however dark and mysterious may be the ways of Providence, however great his deprivation and suffering, he may look away from them all to the unseen and the eternal. He has the blessed assurance that all things are working for his good. . . . {6BC 1099.8} [6BC 1099.9] The Holy Spirit irradiated the soul of Paul with light from heaven, and he was assured that he had an interest in the purchased possession reserved for the faithful. Paul's language was strong. He was not able to find words of sufficient force to express 1100 the excellency of that glory, honor, and immortality which believers would receive when Christ should come. Compared with the scene upon which his mind's eye was dwelling, all temporal afflictions were but momentary, light afflictions, unworthy of thought. Viewed in the light of the cross, the things of this life were vanity and emptiness. The glory that attracted him was substantial, weighty, durable, beyond the power of language to describe. {6BC 1099.9} [6BC 1100.1] Yet Paul comes as near to expressing it as he can, that the imagination may grasp the reality as far as is possible to finite minds. It was a weight of glory, a fullness of God, knowledge that was measureless. It was an eternal weight of glory. And yet Paul feels that his language is tame. It falls short of expressing the reality. He reaches out for words more expressive. The boldest figures of speech would fall far short of the truth. He seeks the broadest terms which human language can supply, that the imagination may grasp in some degree the superlative excellency of the glory to be given the final overcomer. {6BC 1100.1} [6BC 1100.2] Holiness, dignity, honor, and felicity in the presence of God are things now unseen except by the eye of faith. But the things which are seen, worldly honor, worldly pleasure, riches, and glory, are eclipsed by the excellency, the beauty, and resplendent glory of the things now unseen. The things of this world are temporal, enduring only for a time, while the things which are not seen are eternal, enduring through endless ages. To secure this infinite treasure is to gain everything and lose nothing (MS 58, 1900). {6BC 1100.2} [6BC 1100.3] 18 (Colossians 3:2; Hebrews 11:27; see EGW on 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18). Seeing Him Who Is Invisible.--Our minds take the level of the things on which our thoughts dwell, and if we think upon earthly things, we shall fail to take the impress of that which is heavenly. We would be greatly benefited by contemplating the mercy, goodness, and love of God; but we sustain great loss by dwelling upon those things which are earthly and temporal. We allow sorrow and care and perplexity to attract our minds to earth, and we magnify a molehill into a mountain. . . . {6BC 1100.3} [6BC 1100.4] Temporal things are not to engage our whole attention, or engross our minds until our thoughts are entirely of the earth and the earthly. We are to train, discipline, and educate the mind so that we may think in a heavenly channel, that we may dwell on things unseen and eternal, which will be discerned by spiritual vision. It is by seeing Him who is invisible that we may obtain strength of mind and vigor of spirit (ST Jan. 9, 1893). {6BC 1100.4} [6BC 1100.5] Chapter 5 7. See EGW on Romans 5:1. {6BC 1100.5} [6BC 1100.6] 10 (John 5:22; Romans 14:10; see EGW on Romans 3:19). Christ the Judge.--God designed that the Prince of sufferers in humanity should be judge of the whole world. He who submitted to be arraigned before an earthly tribunal, He who came from the heavenly courts to save man from eternal death, He whom men despised, rejected, and upon whom they heaped all the contempt of which human beings inspired by Satan are capable, He who suffered the ignominious death of the cross--He alone was to pronounce the sentence of reward or of punishment (MS 39, 1898). {6BC 1100.6} [6BC 1100.7] 11 (Psalm 119:53; Hebrews 4:1). A Proper Fear of God.--［Hebrews 4:1 quoted.］ The Lord would have His people trust in Him and abide in His love, but that does not mean that we shall have no fear or misgivings. Some seem to think that if a man has a wholesome fear of the judgments of God, it is a proof that he is destitute of faith; but this is not so. {6BC 1100.7} [6BC 1100.8] A proper fear of God, in believing His threatenings, works the peaceable fruits of righteousness, by causing the trembling soul to flee to Jesus. Many ought to have this spirit today, and turn to the Lord with humble contrition, for the Lord has not given so many terrible threatenings, pronounced so severe judgments in His Word, simply to have them recorded, but He means what He says. One says, "Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law," Paul says, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" (RH Oct. 21, 1890). {6BC 1100.8} [6BC 1100.9] 14 (John 13:34; 1 John 4:7, 8). Love the Decision of a Sanctified Will.--The love of Christ in the heart is what is needed. Self is in need of being crucified. When self is 1101 submerged in Christ, true love springs forth spontaneously. It is not an emotion or an impulse, but a decision of a sanctified will. It consists not in feeling, but in the transformation of the whole heart, soul, and character, which is dead to self and alive unto God. Our Lord and Saviour asks us to give ourselves to Him. Surrendering self to God is all He requires, giving ourselves to Him to be employed as He sees fit. Until we come to this point of surrender, we shall not work happily, usefully, or successfully anywhere (Letter 97, 1898). {6BC 1100.9} [6BC 1101.1] 17 (John 1:12, 13; 3:5-8). Grace Not Inherited.--The old nature, born of blood and the will of the flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The old ways, the hereditary tendencies, the former habits, must be given up; for grace is not inherited. The new birth consists in having new motives, new tastes, new tendencies. Those who are begotten unto a new life by the Holy Spirit, have become partakers of the divine nature, and in all their habits and practices they will give evidence of their relationship to Christ. When men who claim to be Christians retain all their natural defects of character and disposition, in what does their position differ from that of the worldling? They do not appreciate the truth as a sanctifier, a refiner. They have not been born again (RH April 12, 1892). {6BC 1101.1} [6BC 1101.2] (1 John 2:6; Revelation 3:14-17.) Pure Religion an Imitation of Christ.--Pure religion is an imitation of Christ. A religion that is built on self-confidence and selfishness is worthless. The true Christian is a follower of Christ. This following means walking in the light. The heart must be opened to receive the heavenly guest. As long as the heart is closed against His entrance, there can be in it no abiding peace. No sunshine can flood the chambers of the soul temple, breaking through the mist and cloud. {6BC 1101.2} [6BC 1101.3] God makes no compromise with sin. A genuine conversion changes hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong. The religion of God is a firm fabric, composed of innumerable threads, and woven together with tact and skill. Only the wisdom which comes from God can make this fabric complete. There are a great many kinds of cloth which at first have a fine appearance, but they cannot endure the test. They wash out. The colors are not fast. Under the heat of summer they fade away and are lost. The cloth cannot endure rough handling. {6BC 1101.3} [6BC 1101.4] So it is with the religion of many. When the warp and woof of character will not stand the test of trial, the material of which it is composed is worthless. The efforts made to patch the old with a new piece do not better the condition of things; for the old, flimsy material breaks away from the new, leaving the rent much larger than before. Patching will not do. The only way is to discard the old garment altogether, and procure one entirely new. {6BC 1101.4} [6BC 1101.5] Christ's plan is the only safe one. He declares, "Behold, I make all things new." "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." Christ gives man no encouragement to think that He will accept a patchwork character, made up mostly of self, with a little of Christ. This is the condition of the Laodicean church. At first there seems to be some of self and some of Christ. But soon it is all of self and none of Christ. The root of selfishness is revealed. It continues to grow, striking its roots deeper and deeper, till its branches are covered with objectionable fruit. Christ looks with pitying tenderness on all who have combination characters. Those with such a character have a connection with Christ so frail that it is utterly worthless (Letter 105, 1893). {6BC 1101.5} [6BC 1101.6] Patchwork Character Not Acceptable.--［2 Corinthians 5:17 quoted.］ The patchwork religion is not of the least value with God. He requires the whole heart. No part of it is to be reserved for the development of hereditary or cultivated tendencies to evil. To be harsh, to be severe, too self-important, selfish, to look out for one's own selfish interest and yet be zealous that others shall deal unselfishly is a religion which is an abomination to God. Many have just such an experience daily, but it is a misrepresentation of the character of Christ (Letter 31a, 1894). {6BC 1101.6} [6BC 1101.7] 19 (John 1:18). Satan Sees in Christ a Manifestation of God's Character.--There stood in the world One who was a perfect representative of the Father, One whose character and practices refuted Satan's misrepresentation of God. Satan had charged 1102 upon God the attribute he himself possessed. Now in Christ he saw God revealed in His true character--a compassionate, merciful Father, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to Him in repentance, and have eternal life (ST June 9, 1898). {6BC 1101.7} [6BC 1102.1] 20. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 3:9. {6BC 1102.1} [6BC 1102.2] 21. See EGW on John 1:14. {6BC 1102.2} [6BC 1102.3] Chapter 6 14-18 (see EGW on Judges 2:2). Out of the World, Into God's Family.--Those who come out of the world in spirit and in all practice may regard themselves as sons and daughters of God. They may believe His Word as a child believes every word of his parents. Every promise is sure to him that believes. Those who unite with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who show by their lives that they are no longer following the course they followed before they united with these divine instrumentalities, will receive the wisdom from above. They will not depend on human wisdom. In order to deal righteously with the world, as members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King, Christians must feel their need of a power which comes only from the heavenly agencies who have pledged themselves to work in their behalf. {6BC 1102.3} [6BC 1102.4] After we have formed a union with the great threefold power, we shall regard our duty toward the members of God's family with a much more sacred awe than we have ever done before. This is a phase of religious reform that very few appreciate. Those who seek to answer the prayer, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," will seek by living pure, sanctified lives to show to the world how the will of God is done in heaven (MS 11, 1901). {6BC 1102.4} [6BC 1102.5] 17 (see EGW on Isaiah 8:12). The Sifting Instrument.--The world is the instrument that sifts the church and tests the genuineness of its members. The world holds out inducements that, when accepted, place the believer where his life is not in harmony with his profession. . . . {6BC 1102.5} [6BC 1102.6] If you go forward toward heaven, the world will rub hard against you. At every step you will have to urge your way against Satan and his evil angels, and against all who transgress God's law. Earthly authorities will interpose. You will meet tribulations, bruising of the spirit, hard speeches, ridicule, persecutions. Men will require your conformity to laws and customs that would render you disloyal to God. Here is where God's people find the cross in the way to life (MS 3, 1885). {6BC 1102.6} [6BC 1102.7] 17, 18 (Colossians 3:2; see EGW on Proverbs 1:10; Romans 6:1-4). Sever Every Earthly Tendril.--Many professed Christians are well represented by the vine that is trailing upon the ground and entwining its tendrils about the roots and rubbish that lie in its path. To all such the message comes, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." There are conditions to meet if we would be blessed and honored by God. We are to separate from the world, and refuse to touch those things that will separate our affections from God. God has the first and highest claims upon His people. Set your affections upon Him and upon heavenly things. Your tendrils must be severed from everything earthly. {6BC 1102.7} [6BC 1102.8] You are exhorted to touch not the unclean thing; for in touching this, you will yourself become unclean. It is impossible for you to unite with those who are corrupt, and still remain pure. "What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial?" God and Christ and the heavenly host would have man know that if he unites with the corrupt, he will become corrupt. Ample provision has been made that we may be raised from the lowlands of earth, and have our affections fastened upon God and upon heavenly things (RH Jan. 2, 1900). {6BC 1102.8} [6BC 1102.9] Chapter 8 1-8. Example of Others an Inducement to Giving.--When a people have an earnest longing to help where help is needed in advancing the cause of God in any line, the Lord will impart to these consecrated, unselfish ones a heart to give gladly, as if it was a privilege. God moved on these Macedonians in their deep poverty to bestow 1103 liberally that their example might be recorded, thus leading others to exercise the same beneficence. {6BC 1102.9} [6BC 1103.1] Encouraged by this movement, which showed the special working of the Holy Spirit on the hearts of the believers, Paul requested Titus to visit the Corinthian church and finish the collection which they had proposed and had already begun. He was anxious that they should perform that which they had promised through the grace of God working upon their hearts. {6BC 1103.1} [6BC 1103.2] Lest they should be outstripped in liberality by the comparatively poor Macedonian churches, Paul not only writes to them, but sends Titus to attend to the collection. The apostle greatly desired to see in the believers symmetry of Christian character. He desired them to give evidence of their love and prove the sincerity of their faith. As disciples in full belief of the truth, he longed to see in them a lively sense of their obligation and accountability to God for the gospel. He desired that it should work in them as the power of God, and that they should bear testimony to its work by yielding fruit to the honor of God. As Christians under the control of God they were with all diligence to discharge every duty. . . . {6BC 1103.2} [6BC 1103.3] Paul laid no command upon the Corinthian brethren. But he set before them the necessity of the church at Jerusalem, and showed what others had given who had fewer advantages and less ability than had the Corinthians. He presented the example of others, to induce them to give (MS 12, 1900). {6BC 1103.3} [6BC 1103.4] 6. Ministers to Teach Liberality.--There is a lesson also in this chapter to those who are working in the cause of God. Paul says, "We desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also"-- that is, make you to abound in the grace of liberality. A responsibility rests upon the ministers of Christ to educate the churches to be liberal. Even the poor are to have a part in presenting their offerings to God. They are to be sharers of the grace of Christ in denying self to help those whose need is more pressing than their own. Why should the poor saints be denied the blessing of giving to aid those who are still poorer than themselves (MS 28, 1894)? {6BC 1103.4} [6BC 1103.5] 9. Christ's Poverty a Part of His Great Sacrifice.--The apostle called upon them to consider the example of Christ. The Commander of heaven gave Himself to a life of humiliation and poverty that He might stand side by side with the fallen race, to restore the moral image of God in man. The Lord Jesus was willing to become poor, that through His humiliation and His death on the cross He might pay the ransom for us. {6BC 1103.5} [6BC 1103.6] Whether rich or poor, we must never forget that the poverty of Christ was a part of His legacy in humanity. It was not alone His betrayal in the garden or His agony upon the cross that constituted the atonement. The humiliation of which His poverty formed a part was included in His great sacrifice. The whole series of sorrows which compassed humanity Christ bore upon His divine soul (MS 12, 1900). {6BC 1103.6} [6BC 1103.7] (Matthew 11:28; Philippians 2:5-8.) Why Christ Came as a Poor Man.--When the plan of redemption was laid, it was decided that Christ should not appear in accordance with His divine character; for then He could not associate with the distressed and the suffering. He must come as a poor man. He could have appeared in accordance with His exalted station in the heavenly courts; but no, He must reach to the very lowest depths of human suffering and poverty, that His voice might be heard by the burdened and disappointed, that to the weary, sinsick soul He might reveal Himself as the Restorer, the desire of all nations, the Rest-giver. And to those who are longing for rest and peace today just as truly as to those who listened to His words in Judea, He is saying, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (MS 14, 1897). {6BC 1103.7} [6BC 1103.8] Christ's Poverty Paul's Mighty Argument.--Here was the apostle's mighty argument. It is not the commandment of Paul, but of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Son of God had left His heavenly home, with its riches and honor and glory, and clothed His divinity with humanity--not to live in the palaces of kings, without care or labor, and to be supplied with all the conveniences which human nature naturally craves. In the councils of heaven He had chosen to stand in the ranks of the poor and 1104 oppressed, to take His part with the humble workers, and learn the trade of His earthly parent, which was that of a carpenter, a builder. He came to the world to be a reconstructor of character, and He brought into all His work of building the perfection which He desired to bring into the characters He was transforming by His divine power. {6BC 1103.8} [6BC 1104.1] Paul presents his pattern, his ideal. Christ had given Himself to a life of poverty that they might become rich in heavenly treasure. He would refresh their memories in regard to the sacrifice made in their behalf. Christ was commander in the heavenly courts, yet He took the lowest place in this world. He was rich, yet for our sakes, He became poor. It was not spiritual riches that He left behind; He was always abounding in the gifts of the Spirit. But He was of poor parentage. The world never saw its Lord wealthy (MS 98, 1899). {6BC 1104.1} [6BC 1104.2] Rich in Attainments.--Christ, the Majesty of heaven, became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich. Not rich merely in endowments, but rich in attainments. {6BC 1104.2} [6BC 1104.3] These are the riches that Christ earnestly longs that His followers shall possess. As the true seeker after the truth reads the Word, and opens his mind to receive the Word, he longs after truth with his whole heart. The love, the pity, the tenderness, the courtesy, the Christian politeness, which will be the elements in the heavenly mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for those that love Him, take possession of his soul. His purpose is steadfast. He is determined to stand on the side of righteousness. Truth has found its way into the heart, and is planted there by the Holy Spirit, who is the truth. When truth takes hold of the heart, the man gives sure evidence of this by becoming a steward of the grace of Christ (MS 7, 1898). {6BC 1104.3} [6BC 1104.4] 12. See EGW on Acts 16:14. {6BC 1104.4} [6BC 1104.5] 16-18, 23. Titus Journeys to Corinth.--Paul's testimony was accepted as of great weight, because of the many revelations he had received. He knew better than did many others of the necessities of various places. But Paul was unwilling to take personal charge of the raising of this contribution. He had been largely instrumental in causing it to be raised, but, lest any should find occasion to speak evil, Titus and his companions . . . . made the journey to Corinth; for there was no safe way of transporting money at that time (MS 101, 1906). {6BC 1104.5} [6BC 1104.6] 16-22. Paul Commends Titus to the Corinthians.--Titus has been so successful in raising gifts among the churches in Macedonia that Paul desired him to visit Corinth and continue in the same work. Another brother, "whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches," and still another "whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things," were sent to accompany Titus. Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians commending to them these brethren who had so willingly undertaken such a difficult task. In this letter he reminded them of an effort that had been put forth a year previous to raise a contribution at Corinth (MS 101, 1906). {6BC 1104.6} [6BC 1104.7] 21. See EGW on Romans 12:17. {6BC 1104.7} [6BC 1104.8] Chapters 8, 9 Let not selfish motives lead you to withhold the funds that are needed in unworked fields. When we are tempted to withhold that which is needed in foreign fields, let us study the eighth and ninth chapters of Second Corinthians, and learn to emulate the liberal spirit which made the Macedonians willing to give "beyond their power" to the cause that called for their assistance (MS 11, 1908). {6BC 1104.8} [6BC 1104.9] Chapter 9 2. A Thousand Torches Kindled.--Those who occupy positions of influence and responsibility in the church should be foremost in the work of God. If they move reluctantly, others will not move at all. But their zeal will provoke very many. When their light burns brightly, a thousand torches will be kindled at the flame (SW April 5, 1904). {6BC 1104.9} [6BC 1104.10] 6 (1 Timothy 6:19; Hebrews 11:26). How Bright the Crown?--The reward, the glories of heaven, bestowed upon the overcomers, will be proportionate to the degree in which they have represented the character of Christ to the world. "He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly." Thank God that it is our privilege to sow on earth 1105 the seed that will be harvested in eternity. The crown of life will be bright or dim, will glitter with many stars, or be lighted by few gems, in accordance with our own course of action. {6BC 1104.10} [6BC 1105.1] Day by day we may be laying up a good foundation against the time to come. By self-denial, by the exercise of the missionary spirit, by crowding all the good works possible into our life, by seeking so to represent Christ in character that we shall win many souls to the truth, we shall have respect unto the recompense of reward. It rests with us to walk in the light, to make the most of every opportunity and privilege, to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so we shall work the works of Christ, and ensure for ourselves treasure in the heavens (RH Jan. 29, 1895). {6BC 1105.1} [6BC 1105.2] 7. Giving Grudgingly Mocks God.--It were better not to give at all than to give grudgingly; for if we impart of our means when we have not the spirit to give freely, we mock God. Let us bear in mind that we are dealing with One upon whom we depend for every blessing, One who reads every thought of the heart, every purpose of the mind (RH May 15, 1900). {6BC 1105.2} [6BC 1105.3] Chapter 10 1, 7, 8. See EGW on Acts 18:1-3. {6BC 1105.3} [6BC 1105.4] 4. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 3:9. {6BC 1105.4} [6BC 1105.5] 5 (Colossians 3:10). Every Faculty to Reflect the Divine Mind.--It was a wonderful thing for God to create man, to make mind. The glory of God is to be revealed in the creation of man in God's image and in his redemption. One soul is of more value than a world. God created man that every faculty might be the faculty of the divine mind. The Lord Jesus Christ is the author of our being, and He is also the author of our redemption, and everyone who will enter the kingdom of God will develop a character that is the counterpart of the character of God. None can dwell with God in the holy heaven but those who bear His likeness. Those who are to be redeemed are to be overcomers; they are to be elevated, pure, one with Christ (Letter 55, 1895). {6BC 1105.5} [6BC 1105.6] God the Author of Every Noble Thought.--Will men and women consider how God regards the creatures He has made? He formed man's mind. We do not think one noble thought that does not come from Him. He knows all the mysterious workings of the human mind, for did He not make it? God sees that sin has debased and degraded man, but He looks upon him with pity and compassion; for He sees that Satan has him in his power (MS 56, 1889). {6BC 1105.6} [6BC 1105.7] The Power of Intellect.--Intellect ennobled, purified, heaven directed, is the universal power to build up the kingdom of God. Intellect perverted, has exactly the opposite influence; it is a corrupting of the human power given in trust to be multiplied in earnest labor for good. It deceives and destroys. God has given sufficient endowments to make men capable and wise to carry forward, and strongly and graciously to represent, the Lord's wonderful works to all those who love Him and obey His commandments (MS 63, 1900). {6BC 1105.7} [6BC 1105.8] Yielded to Whom?--Satan cannot touch the mind or intellect unless we yield it to him (MS 17, 1893). {6BC 1105.8} [6BC 1105.9] The devil will use your mind if you give it to him (MS 2, 1893). {6BC 1105.9} [6BC 1105.10] Chapter 11 Judging Not Man's Prerogative.--The 11th chapter of 2 Corinthians contains much instruction. It reveals to us that men who are liable to view matters after human eyesight may make very grave mistakes if they engage in a work that God has not appointed, but condemned. That work is to criticize, to climb upon the judgment seat, and pronounce sentence. How much better would it be for the spiritual advancement of such to look well to their own shortcomings and defects of character through watchful examination of their own hearts, to try to remove from them the beam of faultfinding, of evil surmising, of evil speaking, of bearing false witness, of hatred, and accusing of the brethren (MS 142, 1897). {6BC 1105.10} [6BC 1105.11] 14 (Matthew 24:24; 10:4; see EGW on Ephesians 6:10-12). Meeting Satan's Crowning Deception.--Satan came as an angel of light in the wilderness of temptation to deceive Christ; and he does not come to man in a hideous form, as he is sometimes represented, but as an angel of light. He 1106 will come personating Jesus Christ, working mighty miracles; and men will fall down and worship him as Jesus Christ. We shall be commanded to worship this being, whom the world will glorify as Christ. What shall we do?--Tell them that Christ has warned us against just such a foe, who is man's worst enemy, yet who claims to be God; and that when Christ shall make His appearance, it will be with power and great glory, accompanied by ten thousand times ten thousand angels and thousands of thousands; and that when He shall come, we shall know His voice (RH Dec. 18, 1888). {6BC 1105.11} [6BC 1106.1] (Matthew 7:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12.) An Unfailing Test.--Satan has come down in these last days to work with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish. His satanic majesty works miracles in the sight of false prophets, in the sight of men, claiming that he is indeed Christ Himself. Satan gives his power to those who are aiding him in his deceptions; therefore those who claim to have the great power of God can only be discerned by the great detector, the law of Jehovah. The Lord tells us if it were possible they would deceive the very elect. The sheep's clothing seems so real, so genuine, that the wolf can be discerned only as we go to God's great moral standard and there find that they are transgressors of the law of Jehovah (RH Aug. 25, 1885). {6BC 1106.1} [6BC 1106.2] Preparing for the Final Act.--This world is a theater. The actors, the inhabitants of the world, are preparing to act their part in the last great drama. God is lost sight of. There is no unity of purpose, except as parties of men confederate to gain their ends. God is looking on. His purposes in regard to His rebellious subjects will be fulfilled. The world has not been given into the hands of men, though God is permitting the elements of confusion and disorder to bear sway for a season. A power from beneath is working to bring about the last great scenes in the drama--Satan coming as Christ, and working with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who are binding themselves together in secret societies. Those who are yielding to the passion for confederation are working out the plans of the enemy. The cause will be followed by the effect (Letter 141, 1902). {6BC 1106.2} [6BC 1106.3] (Ephesians 6:10-12.) Constant Vigilance Demanded.--［Ephesians 6:10-12 quoted.］ Every one who has enlisted under the bloodstained banner of Christ has entered upon a warfare that demands constant vigilance. Satan is determined to keep up the warfare to the end. Coming as an angel of light, claiming to be the Christ, he will deceive the world. But his triumph will be short. No storm or tempest can move those whose feet are planted on the principles of eternal truth. They will be able to stand in this time of almost universal apostasy (MS 74, 1903). {6BC 1106.3} [6BC 1106.4] 14, 15. See EGW on Matthew 7:21-23. {6BC 1106.4} [6BC 1106.5] 23-30. Paul's Indomitable Courage.--Gain courage from the experience of the apostle Paul. He had many trials. He was an unwearied worker, and traveled constantly, sometimes through inhospitable regions, sometimes on the water, in storm and tempest. Far harder than ours was his lot, for traveling then had not the conveniences that it has now. But Paul allowed nothing to hinder him from his work (Letter 107, 1904). {6BC 1106.5} [6BC 1106.6] Chapter 12 1 (Philippians 3:8). Paul Taught by the Holy Spirit.--The apostle Paul, who had received many revelations from the Lord, met difficulties from various sources, and amid all his conflicts and discouragements he did not lose his trust and confidence in God. Under the special tuition of the Holy Spirit, his judgment was purified, refined, elevated, sanctified. The devisings of human beings and of the enemy against him were to him a means of discipline and education, and he declares that thus he gained most excellent knowledge, because he made the Lord Jesus his dependence. "Yea doubtless," he declares, "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." How greatly this gospel enriches the garden of the soul, enabling it to produce most precious fruit (Letter 127, 1903)! {6BC 1106.6} [6BC 1106.7] 1-4. Paul's Preaching With Power.--Through Paul God has given many wonderful lessons for our instruction. In his visions Paul saw many things not lawful for a man 1107 to utter. But many other things which he saw in the heavenly courts were woven into his teachings. The truth flashed from his lips as a sharp, two-edged sword. The impressions made upon his mind by the Holy Spirit were strong and vivid, and they were presented to the people in a way that no one else could present them. Paul spoke in the demonstration of the Spirit and with power (Letter 105, 1901). {6BC 1106.7} [6BC 1107.1] (1 Corinthians 9:27.) Paul Remained Humble.--The apostle Paul was highly honored of God, being taken in holy vision to the third heaven, where he looked upon scenes whose glories might not be revealed to mortals. Yet all this did not lead him to boastfulness or self-confidence. He realized the importance of constant watchfulness and self-denial, and plainly declares, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (RH May 3, 1881). {6BC 1107.1} [6BC 1107.2] (Philippians 3:12; 1 Timothy 1:15.) Paul had a very humble opinion of his own advancement in the Christian life. He says, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect." He speaks of himself as the chief of sinners. Yet Paul had been highly honored of the Lord. He had been taken, in holy vision, to the third heaven, and had there received revelations of divine glory which he could not be permitted to make known (ST Jan. 11, 1883). {6BC 1107.2} [6BC 1107.3] (Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:8, 9; Colossians 1:26.) Hidden Mysteries Revealed.--Mysteries which had been hidden for ages were revealed to him ［Paul］, and as much as he could bear of the workings of God, and of His dealings with human minds, was made known. The Lord told Paul that he must preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. Light was to be given to the Gentiles. This is a mystery which had been hidden for ages (ST Jan. 30, 1912). {6BC 1107.3} [6BC 1107.4] 4 (ch. 4:17, 18). Glories of Heaven Indescribable.--Paul had a view of heaven, and in discoursing on the glories there, the very best thing he could do was to not try to describe them. He tells us that eye had not seen nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for those that love Him. So you may put your imagination to the stretch, you may try to the very best of your abilities to take in and consider the eternal weight of glory, and yet your finite senses, faint and weary with the effort, cannot grasp it, for there is an infinity beyond. It takes all of eternity to unfold the glories and bring out the precious treasures of the Word of God (MS 13, 1888). {6BC 1107.4} [6BC 1107.5] 7-9 (see EGW on Acts 9:8, 9). Paul's Affliction Not Removed.-- Paul had a bodily affliction; his eyesight was bad. He thought that by earnest prayer the difficulty might be removed. But the Lord had His own purpose, and He said to Paul, Speak to Me no more of this matter. My grace is sufficient. It will enable you to bear the infirmity (Letter 207, 1899). {6BC 1107.5} [6BC 1107.6] Painful Impediments in Paul's Work.--A deep sadness still rested upon the mind and heart of Paul because of his apprehensions concerning the Corinthian church. While at Philippi he commenced his second epistle to them, for they hung as a heavy weight upon his soul. The depression of spirits from which the apostle suffered was, however, attributable in a great degree to bodily infirmities, which made him very restless when not engaged in active service. But when working for the salvation of souls, he rose superior to physical debility. He felt that the disease under which he suffered was a terrible impediment to him in his great work, and repeatedly besought the Lord to relieve him. God did not see fit to answer his prayers in this respect, though He gave him assurance that divine grace should be sufficient for him (LP 175, 176). {6BC 1107.6} [6BC 1107.7] Chapter 13 5 (ch. 2:11). Satan's Little Wedges.--Those who have no time to give attention to their own souls, to examine themselves daily whether they be in the love of God, and place themselves in the channel of light, will have time to give to the suggestions of Satan, and the working out of his plans. {6BC 1107.7} [6BC 1107.8] Satan will insinuate himself by little wedges, that widen as they make a place for themselves. The specious devices of Satan will be brought into the special work of God at this time (MS 16, 1890). {6BC 1107.8} [6BC 1108.1] Galatians Chapter 1 6, 7. Trouble in Galatia.--In almost every church there were some members who were Jews by birth. To these converts the Jewish teachers found ready access, and through them gained a foothold in the churches. It was impossible, by scriptural arguments, to overthrow the doctrines taught by Paul; hence they resorted to the most unscrupulous measures to counteract his influence and weaken his authority. They declared that he had not been a disciple of Jesus, and had received no commission from Him; yet he had presumed to teach doctrines directly opposed to those held by Peter, James, and the other apostles. Thus the emissaries of Judaism succeeded in alienating many of the Christian converts from their teacher in the gospel. Having gained this point, they induced them to return to the observance of the ceremonial law as essential to salvation. Faith in Christ, and obedience to the law of ten commandments, were regarded as of minor importance. Division, heresy, and sensualism were rapidly gaining ground among the believers in Galatia. {6BC 1108.1} [6BC 1108.2] Paul's soul was stirred as he saw the evils that threatened speedily to destroy these churches. He immediately wrote to the Galatians, exposing their false theories, and with great severity rebuking those who had departed from the faith (LP 188, 189). {6BC 1108.2} [6BC 1108.3] 17, 18. See EGW on Acts 9:25-27. {6BC 1108.3} [6BC 1108.4] Chapter 2 1-10 (Acts 15:4-29). The Wisdom of Paul.--Paul . . . describes the visit which he made to Jerusalem to secure a settlement of the very questions which are now agitating the churches of Galatia, as to whether the Gentiles should submit to circumcision and keep the ceremonial law. This was the only instance in which he had deferred to the judgment of the other apostles as superior to his own. He had first sought a private interview, in which he set the matter in all its bearings before the leading apostles, Peter, James, and John. With far-seeing wisdom, he concluded that if these men could be led to take a right position, everything would be gained. Had he first presented the question before the whole council, there would have been a division of sentiment. The strong prejudice already excited because he had not enforced circumcision on the Gentiles, would have led many to take a stand against him. Thus the object of his visit would have been defeated, and his usefulness greatly hindered. But the three leading apostles, against whom no such prejudice existed, having themselves been won to the true position, brought the matter before the council, and won from all a concurrence in the decision to leave the Gentiles free from the obligations of the ceremonial law (LP 192, 193). {6BC 1108.4} [6BC 1108.5] 11, 12 (James 1:8; see EGW on Acts 21:20-26). When Strong Men Waver.--Even the best of men, if left to themselves, will make grave blunders. The more responsibilities placed upon the human agent, the higher his position to dictate and control, the more mischief he is sure to do in perverting minds and hearts if he does not carefully follow the way of the Lord. At Antioch Peter failed in the principles of integrity. Paul had to withstand his subverting influence face to face. This is recorded that others may profit by it, and that the lesson may be a solemn warning to the men in high places, that they may not fail in integrity, but keep close to principle. {6BC 1108.5} [6BC 1108.6] After all the failures of Peter, after his fall and restoration, his long course of service, his intimate acquaintance with Christ, his knowledge of Christ's pure, straightforward practice of principle; after all the instruction he had received, all the gifts and knowledge and great influence in preaching and teaching the Word, is it not strange that he should dissemble and evade the principles of the gospel, for fear of man, or in order to gain his esteem? Is it not strange that he should waver, and be 1109 two-sided in his position? May God give every man a sense of his own personal helplessness to steer his own vessel straight and safely into the harbor. The grace of Christ is essential every day. His matchless grace alone can save our feet from falling (MS 122, 1897). {6BC 1108.6} [6BC 1109.1] 16 (ch. 3:10-13, 24; Romans 3:19-28; 5:1). No Room for Self-sufficiency.--We are justified by faith. The soul who understands the meaning of these words will never be self-sufficient. We are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves. The Holy Spirit is our efficiency in the work of character building, in forming characters after the divine similitude. When we think ourselves capable of molding our own experience, we make a great mistake. We can never of ourselves obtain the victory over temptation. But those who have genuine faith in Christ will be worked by the Holy Spirit. The soul in whose heart faith abides will grow into a beautiful temple for the Lord. He is directed by the grace of Christ. Just in proportion as he depends on the Holy Spirit's teaching he will grow (MS 8, 1900). {6BC 1109.1} [6BC 1109.2] 20 (Philippians 1:21; Colossians 3:3; see EGW on Revelation 3:1). The Greatest Work in the World.--Everything good in men and women is the fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit teaches us to reveal righteousness in our lives. The greatest work that can be done in our world is to glorify God by living the character of Christ. God will make perfect only those who will die to self. Those who are willing to do this can say, "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" (MS 16, 1900). {6BC 1109.2} [6BC 1109.3] Chapter 3 6-9. See EGW on Romans 8:15. {6BC 1109.3} [6BC 1109.4] 8. See EGW on Genesis 12:2, 3; Acts 15:11. {6BC 1109.4} [6BC 1109.5] 10-13. See EGW on Galatians 2:16; Romans 3:19-28. {6BC 1109.5} [6BC 1109.6] 13. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 3:7-18; Hebrews 13:11-13. {6BC 1109.6} [6BC 1109.7] 19. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 3:7-11. {6BC 1109.7} [6BC 1109.8] 24 (ch. 2:16; Romans 3:19-28). The Law Points to Christ.--The law has no power to pardon the transgressor, but it points him to Christ Jesus, who says to him, I will take your sin and bear it Myself, if you will accept Me as your substitute and surety. Return to your allegiance, and I will impute to you My righteousness (RH May 7, 1901). {6BC 1109.8} [6BC 1109.9] Which Law Is the Schoolmaster?--I am asked concerning the law in Galatians. What law is the schoolmaster to bring us to Christ? I answer: Both the ceremonial and the moral code of ten commandments. {6BC 1109.9} [6BC 1109.10] Christ was the foundation of the whole Jewish economy. The death of Abel was in consequence of Cain's refusing to accept God's plan in the school of obedience, to be saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, typified by the sacrificial offerings pointing to Christ. Cain refused the shedding of blood, which symbolized the blood of Christ to be shed for the world. This whole ceremony was prepared by God, and Christ became the foundation of the whole system. This is the beginning of its work as the schoolmaster to bring sinful human agents to a consideration of Christ. {6BC 1109.10} [6BC 1109.11] All who did service in connection with the sanctuary were being educated constantly in regard to the intervention of Christ in behalf of the human race. This service was designed to create in every heart a love for the law of God, which is the law of His kingdom. The sacrificial offering was to be an object lesson of the love of God revealed in Christ--in the suffering, dying victim, who took upon Himself the sin of which man was guilty, the innocent being made sin for us. {6BC 1109.11} [6BC 1109.12] In the contemplation of this great theme of salvation, we see Christ's work. Not only the promised gift of the Spirit, but also the nature and character of this sacrifice and intervention, is a subject which should create in our hearts elevated, sacred, high ideas of the law of God, which holds its claims upon every human agency. The violation of that law in the small act of eating of the forbidden fruit, brought upon man and upon the earth the consequence of disobedience to the holy law of God. The nature of the intervention should ever make man afraid to do the smallest action in disobedience to God's requirement. {6BC 1109.12} [6BC 1109.13] There should be a clear understanding of that which constitutes sin, and we should avoid the least approach to step over the boundaries from obedience to disobedience. 1110 {6BC 1109.13} [6BC 1110.1] God would have every member of His creation understand the great work of the infinite Son of God in giving His life for the salvation of the world. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not." {6BC 1110.1} [6BC 1110.2] When he sees in Christ the embodiment of infinite and disinterested love and benevolence, there is awakened in the heart of the sinner a thankful disposition to follow where Christ is drawing (MS 87, 1900). {6BC 1110.2} [6BC 1110.3] Especially the Moral Law.--"The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." In this scripture, the Holy Spirit through the apostle is speaking especially of the moral law. The law reveals sin to us, and causes us to feel our need of Christ, and to flee unto Him for pardon and peace by exercising repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . {6BC 1110.3} [6BC 1110.4] The law of ten commandments is not to be looked upon as much from the prohibitory side as from the mercy side. Its prohibitions are the sure guarantee of happiness in obedience. As received in Christ, it works in us the purity of character that will bring joy to us through eternal ages. To the obedient it is a wall of protection. We behold in it the goodness of God, who by revealing to men the immutable principles of righteousness seeks to shield them from the evils that result from transgression. {6BC 1110.4} [6BC 1110.5] We are not to regard God as waiting to punish the sinner for his sin. The sinner brings the punishment upon himself. His own actions start a train of circumstances that bring the sure result. Every act of transgression reacts upon the sinner, works in him a change of character, and makes it more easy for him to transgress again. By choosing to sin, men separate themselves from God, cut themselves off from the channel of blessing, and the sure result is ruin and death. {6BC 1110.5} [6BC 1110.6] The law is an expression of God's idea. When we receive it in Christ, it becomes our idea. It lifts us above the power of natural desires and tendencies, above temptations that lead to sin (MS 23a, 1896). {6BC 1110.6} [6BC 1110.7] The Relation of the Two Laws.--It is not so essential to understand the precise particulars in regard to the relation of the two laws. It is of far greater consequence that we know whether we are transgressing the law of God, whether we stand in obedience or disobedience before the holy precepts (Letter 165, 1901). {6BC 1110.7} [6BC 1110.8] 24-26 (ch. 6:14; 1 John 3:4). Christ the Only Remedy.--When the mind is drawn to the cross of Calvary, Christ by imperfect sight is discerned on the shameful cross. Why did He die? In consequence of sin. What is sin? The transgression of the law. Then the eyes are open to see the character of sin. The law is broken but cannot pardon the transgressor. It is our schoolmaster, condemning to punishment. Where is the remedy? The law drives us to Christ, who was hanged upon the cross that He might be able to impart His righteousness to fallen, sinful man and thus present men to His Father in His righteous character (MS 50, 1900). {6BC 1110.8} [6BC 1110.9] Chapter 4 7. See EGW on Romans 8:17. {6BC 1110.9} [6BC 1110.10] 24-31. See EGW on Romans 8:15-21. {6BC 1110.10} [6BC 1110.11] Chapter 5 1. See EGW on Romans 8:15-21. {6BC 1110.11} [6BC 1110.12] 1, 2 (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). The Controversy Over Circumcision.-- Factions also were beginning to rise through the influence of Judaizing teachers, who urged that the converts to Christianity should observe the ceremonial law in the matter of circumcision. They still maintained that the original Israel were the exalted and privileged children of Abraham, and were entitled to all the promises made to him. They sincerely thought that in taking this medium ground between Jew and Christian, they would succeed in removing the odium which attached to Christianity, and would gather in large numbers of the Jews. {6BC 1110.12} [6BC 1110.13] They vindicated their position, which was in opposition to that of Paul, by showing that the course of the apostle, in receiving the Gentiles into the church without circumcision, prevented more Jews from accepting the faith than there were accessions from the Gentiles. Thus they excused 1111 their opposition to the results of the calm deliberations of God's acknowledged servants. They refused to admit that the work of Christ embraced the whole world. They claimed that He was the Saviour of the Hebrews alone; therefore they maintained that the Gentiles should receive circumcision before being admitted to the privileges of the church of Christ. {6BC 1110.13} [6BC 1111.1] After the decision of the council at Jerusalem concerning this question, many were still of this opinion, but did not then push their opposition any farther. The council had, on that occasion, decided that the converts from the Jewish church might observe the ordinances of the Mosaic law if they chose, while those ordinances should not be made obligatory upon converts from the Gentiles. The opposing class now took advantage of this, to urge a distinction between the observers of the ceremonial law and those who did not observe it, holding that the latter were farther from God than the former. {6BC 1111.1} [6BC 1111.2] Paul's indignation was stirred. His voice was raised in stern rebuke: "If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing." The party maintaining that Christianity was valueless without circumcision arrayed themselves against the apostle, and he had to meet them in every church which he founded or visited: in Jerusalem, Antioch, Galatia, Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome. God urged him out to the great work of preaching Christ, and Him crucified; circumcision or uncircumcision was nothing. The Judaizing party looked upon Paul as an apostate, bent upon breaking down the partition wall which God had established between the Israelites and the world. They visited every church which he had organized, creating divisions. Holding that the end would justify the means, they circulated false charges against the apostle, and endeavored to bring him into disrepute. As Paul, in visiting the churches, followed after these zealous and unscrupulous opposers, he met many who viewed him with distrust, and some who even despised his labors. {6BC 1111.2} [6BC 1111.3] These divisions in regard to the ceremonial law, and the relative merits of the different ministers teaching the doctrine of Christ, caused the apostle much anxiety and hard labor ［1 Corinthians 1:10-13 quoted］ (LP 121, 122). {6BC 1111.3} [6BC 1111.4] 6 (Philippians 2:12; 1 Timothy 6:12; Titus 2:14; James 2:14-20; 1 Peter 1:22; Revelation 2:2; see EGW on Titus 1:9-11). Bible Religion Means Constant Work.--Genuine faith always works by love. When you look to Calvary it is not to quiet your soul in the non-performance of duty, not to compose yourself to sleep, but to create faith in Jesus, faith that will work, purifying the soul from the slime of selfishness. When we lay hold of Christ by faith, our work has just begun. Every man has corrupt and sinful habits that must be overcome by vigorous warfare. Every soul is required to fight the fight of faith. If one is a follower of Christ, he cannot be sharp in deal, he cannot be hardhearted, devoid of sympathy. He cannot be coarse in his speech. He cannot be full of pomposity and self-esteem. He cannot be overbearing, nor can he use harsh words, and censure and condemn. {6BC 1111.4} [6BC 1111.5] The labor of love springs from the work of faith. Bible religion means constant work. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure." We are to be zealous of good works; be careful to maintain good works. And the true Witness says, "I know thy works." {6BC 1111.5} [6BC 1111.6] While it is true that our busy activities will not in themselves ensure salvation, it is also true that faith which unites us to Christ will stir the soul to activity (MS 16, 1890). {6BC 1111.6} [6BC 1111.7] 17 (Ephesians 6:12). Stern Conflicts in the Christian Life.--The life of the Christian is not all smooth. He has stern conflicts to meet. Severe temptations assail him. "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh." The nearer we come to the close of this earth's history, the more delusive and ensnaring will be the attacks of the enemy. His attacks will grow fiercer and more frequent. Those who resist light and truth will become more hardened and unimpressible, and more bitter against those who love God and keep His commandments (MS 33, 1911). 1112 {6BC 1111.7} [6BC 1112.1] 22, 23 (Ephesians 5:9). The Indwelling of the Spirit.--The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul. We do not see Christ and speak to Him, but His Holy Spirit is just as near us in one place as in another. It works in and through every one who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of the Spirit reveal the fruits of the Spirit--love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith (MS 41, 1897). {6BC 1112.1} [6BC 1112.2] Chapter 6 1, 2 (Hebrews 12:12, 13). Working in the Spirit of Meekness.--［Galatians 6:1 quoted.］ The restoring is to be done, not in a proud, officious, masterly manner, but in the spirit of meekness. Do not cast your brother aside, saying. He has disappointed me, and I shall not try to help him ［Galatians 6:2 quoted］ (MS 117a, 1901). {6BC 1112.2} [6BC 1112.3] 7. See EGW on Exodus 4:21; 20:16. {6BC 1112.3} [6BC 1112.4] 7, 8 (Romans 2:6; see EGW on Judges 16). The Harvest of Resistance.--The Spirit of God keeps evil under the control of conscience. When man exalts himself above the influence of the Spirit, he reaps a harvest of iniquity. Over such a man the Spirit has less and less influence to restrain him from sowing seeds of disobedience. Warnings have less and less power over him. He gradually loses his fear of God. He sows to the flesh; he will reap corruption. The harvest of the seed that he himself has sown, is ripening. He has a contempt for God's holy commandments. His heart of flesh becomes a heart of stone. Resistance to truth confirms him in iniquity. It is because men sowed seeds of evil, that lawlessness, crime, and violence prevailed in the antediluvian world. {6BC 1112.4} [6BC 1112.5] All should be intelligent in regard to the agency by which the soul is destroyed. It is not because of any decree that God has sent out against man. He does not make man spiritually blind. God gives sufficient light and evidence to enable man to distinguish truth from error. But He does not force man to receive truth. He leaves him free to choose the good or to choose the evil. If man resists evidence that is sufficient to guide his judgment in the right direction, and chooses evil once, he will do this more readily the second time. The third time he will still more eagerly withdraw himself from God and choose to stand on the side of Satan. And in this course he will continue until he is confirmed in evil, and believes the lie he has cherished as truth. His resistance has produced its harvest (MS 126, 1901). {6BC 1112.5} [6BC 1112.6] (Revelation 3:21.) A Life and Death Question.--［Galatians 6:7, 8 quoted.］ Wonderful truth! This is a two-edged sword which cuts both ways. This life and death question is before the whole human race. The choice we make in this life will be our choice through all eternity. We shall receive either eternal life or eternal death. There is no middle ground, no second probation. We are called upon to overcome in this life as Christ overcame. Heaven has provided us with abundant opportunities and privileges, so that we may overcome as Christ overcame, and sit down with Him on His throne. But in order to be overcomers, there must be in our lives no petting of fleshly inclinations. All selfishness must be cut out by the roots (Letter 156, 1900). {6BC 1112.6} [6BC 1112.7] 14 (see EGW on ch. 3:24-26; John 3:14-17; 12:32; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Revelation 12:10). The Cross the Source of Power.--We behold in the cross of Christ our efficiency, our inexhaustible source of power (Letter 129, 1898). {6BC 1112.7} [6BC 1112.8] The Guarantee of Success.--Behold in the cross of Christ the only sure guarantee for individual excellence and success. And the more the heart is wrapped up in Christ, the more secure is the treasure in the eternal world (Letter 129, 1897). {6BC 1112.8} [6BC 1112.9] (Philippians 1:21.) Paul a Living Example for Every Christian.--Paul was a living example of what every true Christian should be. He lived for God's glory. His words come sounding down the line to our time: "For to me to live is Christ." "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." He who was once a persecutor of Christ in the person of His saints now holds up before the world the cross of Christ. Paul's heart burned with a love for souls, and he gave all his energies for the conversion of men. There never lived a more self-denying, earnest, persevering worker. His life was Christ; he worked the works of Christ. 1113 All the blessings he received were prized as so many advantages to be used in blessing others (RH May 29, 1900). {6BC 1112.9} [6BC 1113.1] (Isaiah 45:21, 22; Matthew 16:24; John 1:29.) Look and Live.--Hanging upon the cross Christ was the gospel. Now we have a message, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world." Will not our church members keep their eyes fixed on a crucified and risen Saviour, in whom their hopes of eternal life are centered? This is our message, our argument, our doctrine, our warning to the impenitent, our encouragement for the sorrowing, the hope for every believer. If we can awaken an interest in men's minds that will cause them to fix their eyes on Christ, we may step aside, and ask them only to continue to fix their eyes upon the Lamb of God. They thus receive their lesson. Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. He whose eyes are fixed on Jesus will leave all. He will die to selfishness. He will believe in all the Word of God, which is so gloriously and wonderfully exalted in Christ. {6BC 1113.1} [6BC 1113.2] As the sinner sees Jesus as He is, an all compassionate Saviour, hope and assurance take possession of his soul. The helpless soul is cast without any reservation upon Jesus. None can bear away from the vision of Christ Jesus crucified a lingering doubt. Unbelief is gone (MS 49, 1898). {6BC 1113.2} [6BC 1113.3] (Psalm 85:10; see EGW on James 2:13.) The Cross of Christ Moves the World.--The cross of Calvary challenges, and will finally vanquish every earthly and hellish power. In the cross all influence centers, and from it all influence goes forth. It is the great center of attraction; for on it Christ gave up His life for the human race. This sacrifice was offered for the purpose of restoring man to his original perfection. Yea, more, it was offered to give him an entire transformation of character, making him more than a conqueror. {6BC 1113.3} [6BC 1113.4] Those who in the strength of Christ overcome the great enemy of God and man, will occupy a position in the heavenly courts above angels who have never fallen. {6BC 1113.4} [6BC 1113.5] Christ declares, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." If the cross does not find an influence in its favor, it creates an influence. Through generation succeeding generation, the truth for this time is revealed as present truth. Christ on the cross was the medium whereby mercy and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each other. This is the means that is to move the world (MS 56, 1899). {6BC 1113.5} [6BC 1113.6] 17. See EGW on Acts 9:8, 9. - {6BC 1113.6} [6BC 1113.7] Ephesians Chapter 1 Precious Instruction for All.--The whole of this first chapter of Ephesians contains precious instruction for every soul (MS 110, 1903). {6BC 1113.7} [6BC 1113.8] 1. See EGW on Revelation 2:1-5. {6BC 1113.8} [6BC 1113.9] 3-6 (John 1:12; Colossians 1:26, 27; 2:2, 3, 10). The Gospel Is True Science.--［Ephesians 1:3-6 quoted.］ These divine heights the true believer may reach. All who will may see the mystery of godliness. But it is only through a correct understanding of Christ's mission and work that the possibility of being complete in Him, accepted in the Beloved, is brought within our reach. His long human arm embraces the human family; His divine arm grasps the throne of the Infinite, that man may have the benefit of the infinite sacrifice made in his behalf. And to as many as receive Him, He gives the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. {6BC 1113.9} [6BC 1113.10] There are many who are too exalted in their own opinion to receive this mystery. There is a science that the Most High 1114 would have these great men understand; but they cannot see the Truth, the Life, the Light of the world. Human science is not divine enlightenment. Divine science is the demonstration of the Spirit of God, inspiring implicit faith in Him. The men of the world suppose this faith to be beneath the notice of their great and intelligent minds, something too low to give attention to; but here they make a great mistake. It is altogether too high for their human intelligence to reach. {6BC 1113.10} [6BC 1114.1] The gospel message is far from being opposed to true knowledge and intellectual attainments. It is itself true science, true intellectual knowledge. True wisdom is infinitely above the comprehension of the worldly wise. The hidden wisdom, which is Christ formed within, the hope of glory, is a wisdom high as heaven. The deep principles of godliness are sublime and eternal. A Christian experience alone can help us to understand this problem, and obtain the treasures of knowledge which have been hidden in the counsels of God, but are now made known to all who have a vital connection with Christ. All who will may know of the doctrine (RH July 18, 1899). {6BC 1114.1} [6BC 1114.2] 4. See EGW on 2 Peter 1:10. {6BC 1114.2} [6BC 1114.3] 4, 5, 11 (Romans 8:29, 30; 1 Peter 1:2). God's Predestination.--The Father sets His love upon His elect people who live in the midst of men. These are the people whom Christ has redeemed by the price of His own blood; and because they respond to the drawing of Christ, through the sovereign mercy of God, they are elected to be saved as His obedient children. Upon them is manifested the free grace of God, the love wherewith He hath loved them. Everyone who will humble himself as a little child, who will receive and obey the Word of God with a child's simplicity, will be among the elect of God. . . . {6BC 1114.3} [6BC 1114.4] ［Ephesians 1:2-11 quoted.］ {6BC 1114.4} [6BC 1114.5] In the council of heaven, provision was made that men, though transgressors, should not perish in their disobedience, but, through faith in Christ as their substitute and surety, might become the elect of God, predestinated unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will. God wills that all men should be saved; for ample provision has been made, in giving His only-begotten Son to pay man's ransom. Those who perish will perish because they refuse to be adopted as children of God through Christ Jesus (ST Jan. 2, 1893). {6BC 1114.5} [6BC 1114.6] Eternal Covenant Given to Abraham.--［Ephesians 1:3-5 quoted.］ Before the foundations of the earth were laid the covenant was made that all who were obedient, all who should through the abundant grace provided become holy in character and without blame before God by appropriating that grace, should be children of God. This covenant, made from eternity, was given to Abraham nineteen hundred years before Christ came. With what interest and what intensity did Christ in humanity study the human race to see if they would avail themselves of the provision offered (MS 9, 1896). {6BC 1114.6} [6BC 1114.7] (Ezekiel 18:20-24; 33:12-16; Romans 11:4-6; 1:2; 2 Peter 1:10; 2:15-21.) No Unconditional Election.--［2 Peter 1:2-10 quoted.］ Here is the condition of the only saving election in the Word of God. We are to become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. We are to add grace to grace, and the promise is, "If ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." {6BC 1114.7} [6BC 1114.8] There is no such thing in the Word of God as unconditional election-- once in grace, always in grace. In the second chapter of Second Peter the subject is made plain and distinct. After a history of some who followed an evil course, the explanation is given: "which have forsaken the right way, . . . following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness." . . . ［2 Peter 2:15-20 quoted.］ Here is a class of whom the apostle warns, "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them." . . . {6BC 1114.8} [6BC 1114.9] There is truth to be received if souls are saved. The keeping of the commandments of God is life eternal to the receiver. But the Scriptures make it plain that those who once knew the way of life and rejoiced in 1115 the truth are in danger of falling through apostasy, and being lost. Therefore there is need of a decided, daily conversion to God. {6BC 1114.9} [6BC 1115.1] All who seek to sustain the doctrine of election, once in grace, always in grace, do this against a plain, "Thus saith the Lord." . . . ［Ezekiel 18:21; 33:13 quoted.］ {6BC 1115.1} [6BC 1115.2] Those who have been truly converted have been buried with Christ in the likeness of His death, and raised from the watery grave in the likeness of His resurrection, to walk in newness of life. By faithful obedience to the truth they are to make their calling and election sure (MS 57, 1900). {6BC 1115.2} [6BC 1115.3] 6 (ch. 2:7; see EGW on Matthew 3:16, 17; Luke 17:10; Ephesians 1:20, 21; Hebrews 4:15, 16; 9:24). Exalting Christ's Character.--The most gifted men on the earth could all find abundant employment, from now until the judgment, for all their God-given powers, in exalting the character of Christ. But they would still fail to present Him as He is. The mysteries of redemption, embracing Christ's divine-human character, His incarnation, His atonement for sin, could employ the pens and the highest mental powers of the wisest men from now until Christ shall be revealed in the clouds of heaven in power and great glory. But though these men should seek with all their power to give a representation of Christ and His work, the representation would fall far short of the reality. . . . {6BC 1115.3} [6BC 1115.4] The theme of redemption will employ the minds and tongues of the redeemed through everlasting ages. The reflection of the glory of God will shine forth forever and ever from the Saviour's face (Letter 280, 1904). {6BC 1115.4} [6BC 1115.5] 7. See EGW on ch. 4:7; Romans 7:12. {6BC 1115.5} [6BC 1115.6] 13. See EGW on Ezekiel 9:2-4. {6BC 1115.6} [6BC 1115.7] 15, 16. See EGW on Revelation 2:1-5. {6BC 1115.7} [6BC 1115.8] 17, 18. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 2:9. {6BC 1115.8} [6BC 1115.9] 18. See EGW on Zechariah 9:16. {6BC 1115.9} [6BC 1115.10] 20, 21. (verse 6; Hebrews 1:3). Accepted in the Beloved.--The Father gave all honor to His Son, seating Him at His right hand, far above all principalities and powers. He expressed His great joy and delight in receiving the crucified One, and crowning Him with glory and honor. {6BC 1115.10} [6BC 1115.11] And all the favors He has shown to His Son in His acceptance of the great atonement, are shown to His people. Those who have united their interests in love with Christ are accepted in the Beloved. They suffered with Christ in His deepest humiliation, and His glorification is of great interest to them, because they are accepted in Him. God loves them as He loves His Son. Christ, Emmanuel, stands between God and the believer, revealing the glory of God to His chosen ones, and covering their defects and transgressions with the garments of His own spotless righteousness (MS 128, 1897). {6BC 1115.11} [6BC 1115.12] Chapter 2 1-6. See EGW on 2 Peter 1:4. {6BC 1115.12} [6BC 1115.13] 4-6. Quickening Power of Christ.--［Ephesians 2:4-6 quoted.］ As God raised Christ from the dead, that He might bring life and immortality to light through the gospel, and thus save His people from their sins, so Christ has raised fallen human beings from spiritual death, quickening them with His life, filling their hearts with hope and joy (MS 89, 1903). {6BC 1115.13} [6BC 1115.14] 5, 6. See EGW on Revelation 5:6. {6BC 1115.14} [6BC 1115.15] 7 (see EGW on ch. 1:6; 1 Corinthians 13:12). A Theme for Study in Eternity.--It will take the whole of eternity for man to understand the plan of redemption. It will open to him line upon line; here a little and there a little (MS 21, 1895). {6BC 1115.15} [6BC 1115.16] 7, 8. See EGW on ch. 4:7. {6BC 1115.16} [6BC 1115.17] 8. See EGW on Genesis 12:2, 3; Romans 4:3-5; 1 Peter 1:22. {6BC 1115.17} [6BC 1115.18] 8, 9 (Romans 3:27; see EGW on Luke 17:10; Romans 3:20-31). Boasting Out of Place.--［Ephesians 2:8, 9 quoted.］ Human beings are in continual danger of boasting, of exalting self. Thus they reveal their weakness. . . . {6BC 1115.18} [6BC 1115.19] The great change that is seen in the life of a sinner after his conversion is not brought about through any human goodness; therefore all human boasting is entirely out of place (MS 36, 1904). {6BC 1115.19} [6BC 1115.20] 14, 15. See EGW on Matthew 27:51. {6BC 1115.20} [6BC 1115.21] 14-16 (Colossians 2:14-17; see EGW on Acts 15:1, 5). Ceremonies End at the Cross.--The ceremonies connected with the services of the temple, prefiguring Christ in types and shadows, were taken away at the time of the crucifixion, because on the 1116 cross type met antitype in the death of the true and perfect offering, the Lamb of God (MS 72, 1901). {6BC 1115.21} [6BC 1116.1] (Romans 3:31.) Christ, Not the Law, Crucified.--The law of the ten commandments lives and will live through the eternal ages. The need for the service of sacrifices and offerings ceased when type met antitype in the death of Christ. In Him the shadow reached the substance. The Lamb of God was the complete and perfect offering. {6BC 1116.1} [6BC 1116.2] The law of God will maintain its exalted character as long as the throne of Jehovah endures. This law is the expression of God's character. . . . Types and shadows, offerings and sacrifices had no virtue after Christ's death on the cross; but God's law was not crucified with Christ. Had it been, Satan would have gained all that he attempted to gain in heaven. For this attempt he was expelled from the heavenly courts. He fell, taking with him the angels he had deceived. And today he is deceiving human beings in regard to the law of God (MS 167, 1898). {6BC 1116.2} [6BC 1116.3] (1 John 3:4.) An Infamous Lie of Satan.--God did not make the infinite sacrifice of giving His only-begotten Son to our world, to secure for man the privilege of breaking the commandments of God in this life and in the future eternal life. This is an infamous lie originated by Satan, which must be made to appear in its false, deceitful character. This law that Satan so much desires to have regarded null and void, is the great moral standard of righteousness. Any violation of it is an act of transgression against God, and will be visited with the penalty of the divine law. To all the inhabitants of the world who make void the law of Jehovah, and continue to live in transgression, death must surely come (MS 72, 1901). {6BC 1116.3} [6BC 1116.4] 18 (chs. 1:6; 3:12; Hebrews 4:15, 16; 9:14). The Merits of Christ's Name.--We have access to God through the merits of the name of Christ, and God invites us to bring to Him our trials and temptations; for He understands them all. He would not have us pour out our woes to human ears. Through the blood of Christ we may come to the throne of grace, and find grace to help in time of need. We may come with assurance, saying, "My acceptance is in the Beloved." "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." "In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him." As an earthly parent encourages his child to come to him at all times, so the Lord encourages us to lay before Him our wants and perplexities, our gratitude and love. Every promise is sure. Jesus is our Surety and Mediator, and has placed at our command every resource, that we may have a perfect character. The blood of Christ in ever-abiding efficacy is our only hope; for through His merits alone we have pardon and peace. When the efficiency of the blood of Christ becomes a reality to the soul through faith in Christ, the believer will let his light shine forth in good works, in bringing forth fruits unto righteousness (YI Sept. 22, 1892). {6BC 1116.4} [6BC 1116.5] 19-21 (1 Peter 2:4, 5). Lusterless Stones Without Value.--When I meditate upon this fountain of living power from which we may freely draw, I mourn that so many are losing the delight they might have in considering His goodness. To be sons and daughters of God, growing into an holy temple to the Lord, "no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;" "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone"-- this is our privilege. {6BC 1116.5} [6BC 1116.6] How amazed is heaven at the present condition of the church that could be so much to the world if every stone were in its proper place, a living stone to emit light! A stone that does not shine is worthless. That which constitutes the value of our churches is not dead, lusterless stones, but living stones, stones that catch the bright beams from the Chief Cornerstone, even the Sun of Righteousness--the bright glory in which are combined the beams of mercy and truth that have met together, of righteousness and peace that have kissed each other (Letter 15, 1892). {6BC 1116.6} [6BC 1116.7] 19-22. See EGW on 1 Kings 6:7. {6BC 1116.7} [6BC 1116.8] Chapter 3 8, 9. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 12:1-4. {6BC 1116.8} [6BC 1116.9] 9. See EGW on Philippians 2:5-8. 1117 {6BC 1116.9} [6BC 1117.1] 9-11. See EGW on Romans 16:25. {6BC 1117.1} [6BC 1117.2] 12. See EGW on Hebrews 4:15, 16. {6BC 1117.2} [6BC 1117.3] 15. See EGW on Genesis 1:26. {6BC 1117.3} [6BC 1117.4] 17-19. See EGW on 1 John 3:1. {6BC 1117.4} [6BC 1117.5] Chapter 4 A Lesson to Learn and Practice.--I point you to the words of the apostle Paul in the fourth chapter of Ephesians. This whole chapter is a lesson that God desires us to learn and practice (MS 55, 1903). {6BC 1117.5} [6BC 1117.6] The Means of Unity Explained.--In the fourth chapter of Ephesians the plan of God is so plainly and simply revealed that all His children may lay hold upon the truth. Here the means which He has appointed to keep unity in His church, that its members may reveal to the world a healthy religious experience, is plainly declared (MS 67, 1907). {6BC 1117.6} [6BC 1117.7] 4-13. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 12. {6BC 1117.7} [6BC 1117.8] 7 (chs. 1:7; 2:7, 8; Romans 3:24; Titus 2:11). What Is Grace?--The Lord saw our fallen condition; He saw our need of grace, and because He loved our souls, He has given us grace and peace. Grace means favor to one who is undeserving, to one who is lost. The fact that we are sinners, instead of shutting us away from the mercy and love of God, makes the exercise of His love to us a positive necessity in order that we may be saved (ST June 5, 1893). {6BC 1117.8} [6BC 1117.9] 8. See EGW on Acts 1:9. {6BC 1117.9} [6BC 1117.10] 13. See EGW on Proverbs 4:23; Philippians 1:21. {6BC 1117.10} [6BC 1117.11] 13, 15. See EGW on v. 30; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Revelation 18:1. {6BC 1117.11} [6BC 1117.12] 15. See EGW on 2 Peter 3:18. {6BC 1117.12} [6BC 1117.13] 20-24 (Hebrews 12:14; see EGW on 1 Thessalonians 4:3). The Secret of Holiness.--No man receives holiness as a birthright, or as a gift from any other human being. Holiness is the gift of God through Christ. Those who receive the Saviour become sons of God. They are His spiritual children, born again, renewed in righteousness and true holiness. Their minds are changed. With clearer vision they behold eternal realities. They are adopted into God's family, and they become conformed to His likeness, changed by His Spirit from glory to glory. From cherishing supreme love for self, they come to cherish supreme love for God and for Christ. . . . {6BC 1117.13} [6BC 1117.14] Accepting Christ as a personal Saviour, and following His example of self-denial--this is the secret of holiness (ST Dec. 17, 1902). {6BC 1117.14} [6BC 1117.15] (2 Corinthians 3:18.) Grace Essential Every Day and Hour.--The sanctification of the soul is accomplished through steadfastly beholding Him ［Christ］ by faith as the only-begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth. The power of truth is to transform heart and character. Its effect is not like a dash of color here and there upon the canvas; the whole character is to be transformed, the image of Christ is to be revealed in words and actions. A new nature is imparted. Man is renewed after the image of Christ in righteousness and true holiness. . . . The grace of Christ is essential every day, every hour. Unless it is with us continually, the inconsistencies of the natural heart will appear and the life will present a divided service. The character is to be full of grace and truth. Wherever the religion of Christ works, it will brighten and sweeten every detail of life with more than an earthly joy and a higher than earthly peace (Letter 2a, 1892). {6BC 1117.15} [6BC 1117.16] 29. No Corrupt Communication.--We are counseled to let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouth; but a corrupt communication is not simply something that is vile and vulgar. It is any communication that will eclipse from the mind the view of Christ, that will blot from the soul true sympathy and love. It is a communication in which the love of Christ is not expressed, but rather sentiments of an un-Christlike character (Letter 43, 1895). {6BC 1117.16} [6BC 1117.17] 30 (Colossians 2:10; Revelation 7:2, 3; 14:1-4; see EGW on Ezekiel 9:2-4; Acts 2:1-4, 14, 41). Reaching the Mark of Perfection.--The mighty power of the Holy Spirit works an entire transformation in the character of the human agent, making him a new creature in Christ Jesus. When a man is filled with the Spirit, the more severely he is tested and tried, the more clearly he proves that he is a representative of Christ. The peace that dwells in the soul is seen on the countenance. The words and actions express the love of the Saviour. There is no striving for the highest place. Self is renounced. The name of Jesus is written on all that is said and done. 1118 {6BC 1117.17} [6BC 1118.1] We may talk of the blessings of the Holy Spirit, but unless we prepare ourselves for its reception, of what avail are our works? Are we striving with all our power to attain to the stature of men and women in Christ? Are we seeking for His fullness, ever pressing toward the mark set before us--the perfection of His character? When the Lord's people reach this mark, they will be sealed in their foreheads. Filled with the Spirit, they will be complete in Christ, and the recording angel will declare, "It is finished" (RH June 10, 1902). {6BC 1118.1} [6BC 1118.2] 32. Kind Words Never Lost.--It should be our aim to bring all the pleasantness possible into our lives, and to do all the kindness possible to those around us. Kind words are never lost. Jesus records them as if spoken to Himself. Sow the seeds of kindness, of love, and of tenderness, and they will blossom and bear fruit (MS 33, 1911). {6BC 1118.2} [6BC 1118.3] Chapter 5 2 (see EGW on Romans 8:26, 34; Revelation 8:3, 4). The Acceptable Offering.--The offering that is made to God without a spirit of reverence and gratitude, He does not accept. It is the humble, grateful, reverential heart that makes the offering as a sweet-smelling savor, acceptable to God. The children of Israel might have given all their substance, but given in a spirit of self-sufficiency or Pharisaism, as though God were indebted to them for their favors, their offerings would have been unaccepted, and utterly contemned by Him. It is our privilege, by diligently trading on our Lord's goods, to increase our store, so that we may impart to those who have fallen into distress. Thus we become the Lord's right hand to work out His benevolent purposes (MS 67, 1907). {6BC 1118.3} [6BC 1118.4] 2, 27. Christ's Life an Oblation to God.--"Christ also hath loved us," writes Paul, "and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." This is the oblation of a life-gift in our behalf, that we may be all that He desires us to be--representatives of Him, expressing the fragrance of His character, His own pure thoughts, His divine attributes as manifested in His sanctified human life, in order that others may behold Him in His human form, and, comprehending God's wonderful design, be led to desire to be like Christ--pure, undefiled, wholly acceptable to God, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing (MS 159, 1903). {6BC 1118.4} [6BC 1118.5] 9. See EGW on Galatians 5:22, 23. {6BC 1118.5} [6BC 1118.6] 23-25. See EGW on Revelation 19:7-9. {6BC 1118.6} [6BC 1118.7] 25 (John 1:4; Revelation 2:1; 21:23). Only One Source of Light.--Christ "loved the church, and gave himself for it." It is the purchase of His blood. The divine Son of God is seen walking amid the seven golden candlesticks. Jesus Himself supplies the oil to these burning lamps. He it is that kindles the flame. "In him was life; and the life was the light of men." {6BC 1118.7} [6BC 1118.8] No candlestick, no church, shines of itself. From Christ emanates all its light. The church in heaven today is only the complement of the church on earth; but it is higher, grander--perfect. The same divine illumination is to continue through eternal ages. The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the light thereof. No church can have light if it fails to diffuse the glory it receives from the throne of God (MS 1a, 1890). {6BC 1118.8} [6BC 1118.9] 25-27 (Malachi 3:17). The Case Which Contains His Jewels.--The church of Christ is very precious in His sight. It is the case which contains His jewels, the fold which encloses His flock (MS 115, 1899). {6BC 1118.9} [6BC 1118.10] 27 (John 14:15). Reaching the Condition of Sinlessness.--Those only who through faith in Christ obey all of God's commandments will reach the condition of sinlessness in which Adam lived before his transgression. They testify to their love of Christ by obeying all His precepts (MS 122, 1901). {6BC 1118.10} [6BC 1118.11] Chapter 6 4 (Colossians 3:20, 21). More Powerful Than Sermons.--Parents, God desires you to make your family a sample of the family in heaven. Guard your children. Be kind and tender with them. Father, mother, and children are to be joined together with the golden links of love. One well-ordered, well-disciplined family is a greater power in demonstrating the efficiency of Christianity than all the sermons in the world. When fathers and mothers realize how their children copy them, they will watch carefully every word and gesture (MS 31, 1901). {6BC 1118.11} [6BC 1118.12] 10-12 (see EGW on 2 Corinthians 11:14; Revelation 1119 12:17). Battling With Unseen Powers.--［Ephesians 6:10-18 quoted.］ In the Word of God are represented two contending parties that influence and control human agencies in our world. Constantly these parties are working with every human being. Those who are under God's control and who are influenced by the heavenly angels, will be able to discern the crafty workings of the unseen powers of darkness. Those who desire to be in harmony with the heavenly agencies should be intensely in earnest to do God's will. They must give no place whatever to Satan and his angels. {6BC 1118.12} [6BC 1119.1] But unless we are constantly on guard, we shall be overcome by the enemy. Although a solemn revelation of God's will concerning us has been revealed to all, yet a knowledge of His will does not set aside the necessity of offering earnest supplications to Him for help, and of diligently seeking to cooperate with Him in answering the prayers offered. He accomplishes His purposes through human instrumentalities (MS 95, 1903). {6BC 1119.1} [6BC 1119.2] 11. Complete Armor Essential.--God wants every one to stand with the whole armor on, ready for the great review (MS 63, 1908). {6BC 1119.2} [6BC 1119.3] 11-17. The Breastplate of Righteousness.--We must put on every piece of the armor, and then stand firm. The Lord has honored us by choosing us as His soldiers. Let us fight bravely for Him, maintaining the right in every transaction. Rectitude in all things is essential to the welfare of the soul. As you strive for the victory over your own inclinations, He will help you by His Holy Spirit to be circumspect in every action, that you may give no occasion for the enemy to speak evil of the truth. Put on as your breastplate that divinely protected righteousness which it is the privilege of all to wear. This will protect your spiritual life (YI Sept. 12, 1901). {6BC 1119.3} [6BC 1119.4] Angels Near to Protect Us.--If we have on the heavenly armor, we shall find that the assaults of the enemy will not have power over us. Angels of God will be round about us to protect us (RH May 25, 1905). {6BC 1119.4} [6BC 1119.5] 12 (Ezekiel 28:17; Revelation 12:7-9; see EGW on Psalm 17:13; 2 Corinthians 2:11; Galatians 5:17; Revelation 16:13-16). A Battle Against Principalities and Powers.--Could human beings know the number of the evil angels, could they know their devices and their activity, there would be far less pride and frivolity. Satan is the prince of demons. The evil angels over whom he rules do his bidding. Through them he multiplies his agencies throughout the world. He instigates all the evil that exists in our world. {6BC 1119.5} [6BC 1119.6] But though the principalities and powers of darkness are both many in number and unceasing in activity, yet the Christian should never feel hopeless or discouraged. He may not hope to escape temptation through any lack of satanic efficiency. He who sent a legion to torture one human being cannot be repulsed by human wisdom or power alone. {6BC 1119.6} [6BC 1119.7] Speaking of Satan, the Lord declares that he abode not in the truth. Once he was beautiful, radiant in light. But God's Word declares of him, "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty." {6BC 1119.7} [6BC 1119.8] Satan instigated others to rebel, and after they were cast out of heaven he bound them together in a confederacy to do all the evil possible to man, as the only means of striking God. Excluded from heaven, he resolved to be avenged by injuring the workmanship of God. Around the standard of rebellion that he planted, evil workers of all generations have rallied. Evil angels have united with evil men in a warfare against Christ's kingdom. {6BC 1119.8} [6BC 1119.9] Satan's aim had been to reproduce his own character in human beings. No sooner was man created than Satan resolved to efface in him the image of God, and to place his stamp where God's should be. And he has succeeded in instilling into the heart of man the spirit of envy, of hatred, of ambition. In this world he has set up a kingdom of darkness, of which he, the leader in guilt, is prince. He desired to usurp the throne of God. Failing in this, he has worked in darkness, in crookedness, in deception, to usurp his place in the hearts of men. He has set up his throne between God and man, to appropriate the adoration that belongs to God alone (MS 33, 1911). {6BC 1119.9} [6BC 1119.10] (Hebrews 1:14.) Under Whose Control?--I want you to consider what kind of a position we should be left in if we had not the ministry of holy angels. . . . "We wrestle not against flesh and blood." We meet the 1120 opposition of men, but there is someone behind that opposition. It is the prince of the powers of darkness with his evil angels that are constantly at work, and we want to consider, all of us, that our warfare is "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world." {6BC 1119.10} [6BC 1120.1] Who is it that is ruling the world today, and who is it that have chosen to stand under the banner of the prince of darkness? Why, it is nearly the whole world at large. All the world that have not accepted Jesus Christ have chosen for their leader the prince of darkness; and just as soon as they stand under his banner, they have connection with evil angels. Either the evil angels or the angels of God are controlling the minds of men. Our minds are given to the control of God, or to the control of the powers of darkness; and it will be well for us to inquire where we are standing today--whether under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel, or under the black banner of the powers of darkness. {6BC 1120.1} [6BC 1120.2] We must make every preparation in our power in order to resist the enemy of souls. Every provision has been made; everything in God's plan has been arranged so that man should not be left to his own impulses, to his own finite powers, to carry on the warfare against the powers of darkness in his own finite strength; because he would certainly fail if he were thus left to himself (MS 1, 1890). {6BC 1120.2} [6BC 1120.3] (Psalm 34:7.) Faithful Sentinels on Guard.--There are good and evil angels. Satan is ever on the alert to deceive and mislead. He is using every enchantment to allure men into the broad road of disobedience. He is working to confuse the senses with erroneous sentiments, and remove the landmarks by placing his false inscription on the signposts which God has established to point the right way. It is because these evil agencies are striving to eclipse every ray of light from the soul that heavenly beings are appointed to do their work of ministry, to guide, guard, and control those who shall be heirs of salvation. None need despair because of the inherited tendencies to evil, but when the Spirit of God convicts of sin, the wrongdoer must repent and confess and forsake the evil. Faithful sentinels are on guard to direct souls in right paths (MS 8, 1900). {6BC 1120.3} [6BC 1120.4] Constant Warfare of the Angels.--If the curtain could be rolled back, and each one could discern the constant activities of the heavenly family to preserve the inhabitants of the earth from Satan's seductive wiles, lest in their careless attitude they should be led astray through satanic strategy, they would lose a large degree of their self-confidence and self-assurance. They would see that the armies of heaven are in continual warfare with satanic agencies, to obtain victories in behalf of those who do not sense their danger, and who are passing on in unconscious indifference (MS 32, 1900). {6BC 1120.4} [6BC 1120.5] 16. See EGW on Colossians 3:3. {6BC 1120.5} [HDL 0.1] HDL - Help In Daily Living (1964) A Practical Guide to Everyday Blessings Table of Contents Preface 5 1. Everyday Living 7 2. Living With Others 23 3. Developing Christian Character 41 4. Pressing Toward the Mark 50 {HDL 0.1} [HDL 0.2] PREFACE THE FOUR CHAPTERS WHICH FOLLOW COMPRISE THE CLOSING SECTION OF THE POPULAR AND WIDELY READ MINISTRY OF HEALING. THEY HAVE PROVIDED WORKABLE, DOWN-TO-EARTH, EVERYDAY GUIDANCE WHICH HAS HELPED THOUSANDS TO LIVE SUCCESSFUL CHRISTIAN LIVES. TO MAKE THESE PRACTICAL COUNSELS AVAILABLE FOR CONVENIENT READING AND REREADING THEY ARE NOW PUBLISHED IN THIS COMPACT FORM. EACH CHAPTER IS A VERITABLE MINE OF RICH GEMS, WORTHY OF RECOUNTING AGAIN AND AGAIN AS YOU FACE THE PRACTICAL REALITIES OF GETTING ALONG WITH YOURSELF, WITH OTHERS, AND WITH GOD. THE AUTHOR WAS A REALISTIC CHRISTIAN OF RICH EXPERIENCE WITH THE SAVIOR, AND ONE EVER ALERT TO OPPORTUNITIES TO RENDER ENCOURAGEMENT AND HELP TO THOSE ABOUT HER. RECOGNIZING THAT TRUE HAPPINESS IS FOUND ONLY AS WE GIVE, SHE VIEWED EVERY CHRISTIAN-LAYMAN, MEDICAL 6 PRACTITIONER, AND GOSPEL LABORER-AS A "WORKER" INTERESTED IN THE WELFARE OF OTHERS, AND REFERRED TO SUCH AS "WORKERS." CARRY THIS BOOKLET WITH YOU. READ A PORTION AS YOU HAVE A FREE MOMENT, AND MEMORIZE SOME OF THE GEMS. PONDER THE WORDS AND PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE. LIFE WILL BECOME RICHER AND MORE MEANINGFUL TO YOU. BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ELLEN G. WHITE ESTATE {HDL 0.2} [HDL 7.1] Chapter 1 —Everyday Living The Ministry of Healing, pp. 469-482.1 There is an eloquence far more powerful than the eloquence of words in the quiet, consistent life of a pure, true Christian. What a man is has more influence than what he says. {HDL 7.1} [HDL 7.2] The officers who were sent to Jesus came back with the report that never man spoke as He spoke. But the reason for this was that never man lived as He lived. Had His life been other than it was, He could not have spoken as He did. His words bore with them a convincing power, because they came from a heart pure and holy, full of love and sympathy, benevolence and truth. {HDL 7.2} [HDL 7.3] It is our own character and experience that determine our influence upon others. In order to convince others of the power of Christ's grace, we must know its power in our own hearts and lives. The gospel we present for the saving of souls must be the gospel by which our 8 own souls are saved. Only through a living faith in Christ as a personal Saviour is it possible to make our influence felt in a skeptical world. If we would draw sinners out of the swift-running current, our own feet must be firmly set upon the Rock, Christ Jesus. {HDL 7.3} [HDL 8.1] The badge of Christianity is not an outward sign, not the wearing of a cross or a crown, but it is that which reveals the union of man with God. By the power of His grace manifested in the transformation of character the world is to be convinced that God has sent His Son as its Redeemer. No other influence that can surround the human soul has such power as the influence of an unselfish life. The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian. {HDL 8.1} [HDL 8.2] The Discipline of Trial To live such a life, to exert such an influence, costs at every step effort, self-sacrifice, discipline. It is because they do not understand this that many are so easily discouraged in the Christian life. Many who sincerely consecrate their lives to God's service are surprised and disappointed to find themselves, as never before, confronted by obstacles and beset by trials and perplexities. They pray for Christlikeness of character, for a fitness for the Lord's work, and they are placed in circumstances that seem to call forth all the evil of their nature. Faults are 9 revealed of which they did not even suspect the existence. Like Israel of old they question, "If God is leading us, why do all these things come upon us?" {HDL 8.2} [HDL 9.1] It is because God is leading them that these things come upon them. Trials and obstacles are the Lord's chosen methods of discipline and His appointed conditions of success. He who reads the hearts of men knows their characters better than they themselves know them. He sees that some have powers and susceptibilities which, rightly directed, might be used in the advancement of His work. In His providence He brings these persons into different positions and varied circumstances that they may discover in their character the defects which have been concealed from their own knowledge. He gives them opportunity to correct these defects and to fit themselves for His service. Often He permits the fires of affliction to assail them that they may be purified. {HDL 9.1} [HDL 9.2] The fact that we are called upon to endure trial shows that the Lord Jesus sees in us something precious which He desires to develop. If He saw in us nothing whereby He might glorify His name, He would not spend time in refining us. He does not cast worthless stones into His furnace. It is valuable ore that He refines. The blacksmith puts the iron and steel into the fire that he may know what manner of metal they are. The Lord allows His chosen ones to be placed in the furnace of affliction 10 to prove what temper they are of and whether they can be fashioned for His work. {HDL 9.2} [HDL 10.1] The potter takes the clay and molds it according to his will. He kneads it and works it. He tears it apart and presses it together. He wets it and then dries it. He lets it lie for a while without touching it. When it is perfectly pliable, he continues the work of making of it a vessel. He forms it into shape and on the wheel trims and polishes it. He dries it in the sun and bakes it in the oven. Thus it becomes a vessel fit for use. So the great Master Worker desires to mold and fashion us. And as the clay is in the hands of the potter, so are we to be in His hands. We are not to try to do the work of the potter. Our part is to yield ourselves to be molded by the Master Worker. {HDL 10.1} [HDL 10.2] "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." 1 Peter 4:12, 13. {HDL 10.2} [HDL 10.3] In the full light of day, and in hearing of the music of other voices, the caged bird will not sing the song that his master seeks to teach him. He learns a snatch of this, a trill of that, but never a separate and entire melody. But the master covers the cage, and places it where the 11 bird will listen to the one song he is to sing. In the dark, he tries and tries again to sing that song until it is learned, and he breaks forth in perfect melody. Then the bird is brought forth, and ever after he can sing that song in the light. Thus God deals with His children. He has a song to teach us, and when we have learned it amid the shadows of affliction we can sing it ever afterward. {HDL 10.3} [HDL 11.1] God’s Choice in Our Lifework Many are dissatisfied with their lifework. It may be that their surroundings are uncongenial; their time is occupied with commonplace work, when they think themselves capable of higher responsibilities; often their efforts seem to them to be unappreciated or fruitless; their future is uncertain. {HDL 11.1} [HDL 11.2] Let us remember that while the work we have to do may not be our choice, it is to be accepted as God's choice for us. {HDL 11.2} [HDL 11.3] Whether pleasing or unpleasing, we are to do the duty that lies nearest. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Ecclesiastes 9:10. {HDL 11.3} [HDL 11.4] If the Lord desires us to bear a message to Nineveh, it will not be as pleasing to Him for us to go to Joppa or to Capernaum. He has reasons for sending us to the place toward which our feet have been directed. At 12 that very place there may be someone in need of the help we can give. He who sent Philip to the Ethiopian councilor, Peter to the Roman centurion, and the little Israelitish maiden to the help of Naaman, the Syrian captain, sends men and women and youth today as His representatives to those in need of divine help and guidance. {HDL 11.4} [HDL 12.1] God's Plans the Best Our plans are not always God's plans. He may see that it is best for us and for His cause to refuse our very best intentions, as He did in the case of David. But of one thing we may be assured, He will bless and use in the advancement of His cause those who sincerely devote themselves and all they have to His glory. If He sees it best not to grant their desires He will counterbalance the refusal by giving them tokens of His love and entrusting to them another service. {HDL 12.1} [HDL 12.2] In His loving care and interest for us, often He who understands us better than we understand ourselves refuses to permit us selfishly to seek the gratification of our own ambition. He does not permit us to pass by the homely but sacred duties that lie next us. Often these duties afford the very training essential to prepare us for a higher work. Often our plans fail that God's plans for us may succeed. {HDL 12.2} [HDL 13.1] 13 We are never called upon to make a real sacrifice for God. Many things He asks us to yield to Him, but in doing this we are but giving up that which hinders us in the heavenward way. Even when called upon to surrender those things which in themselves are good, we may be sure that God is thus working out for us some higher good. {HDL 13.1} [HDL 13.2] In the future life the mysteries that here have annoyed and disappointed us will be made plain. We shall see that our seemingly unanswered prayers and disappointed hopes have been among our greatest blessings. {HDL 13.2} [HDL 13.3] We are to look upon every duty, however humble, as sacred because it is a part of God's service. Our daily prayer should be, "Lord, help me to do my best. Teach me how to do better work. Give me energy and cheerfulness. Help me to bring into my service the loving ministry of the Saviour." {HDL 13.3} [HDL 13.4] A Lesson From the Life of Moses Consider the experience of Moses. The education he received in Egypt as the king's grandson and the prospective heir to the throne was very thorough. Nothing was neglected that was calculated to make him a wise man, as the Egyptians understood wisdom. He received the highest civil and military training. He felt that he was fully prepared for the work of delivering Israel from 14 bondage. But God judged otherwise. His providence appointed Moses forty years of training in the wilderness as a keeper of sheep. {HDL 13.4} [HDL 14.1] The education that Moses had received in Egypt was a help to him in many respects; but the most valuable preparation for his lifework was that which he received while employed as a shepherd. Moses was naturally of an impetuous spirit. In Egypt a successful military leader and a favorite with the king and the nation, he had been accustomed to receiving praise and flattery. He had attracted the people to himself. He hoped to accomplish by his own powers the work of delivering Israel. Far different were the lessons he had to learn as God's representative. As he led his flocks through the wilds of the mountains and into the green pastures of the valleys, he learned faith and meekness, patience, humility, and self-forgetfulness. He learned to care for the weak, to nurse the sick, to seek after the straying, to bear with the unruly, to tend the lambs, and to nurture the old and the feeble. {HDL 14.1} [HDL 14.2] In this work Moses was drawn nearer to the Chief Shepherd. He became closely united to the Holy One of Israel. No longer did he plan to do a great work. He sought to do faithfully as unto God the work committed to his charge. He recognized the presence of God in his surroundings. All nature spoke to him of the Unseen 15 One. He knew God as a personal God, and, in meditating upon His character he grasped more and more fully the sense of His presence. He found refuge in the everlasting arms. {HDL 14.2} [HDL 15.1] After this experience, Moses heard the call from heaven to exchange his shepherd's crook for the rod of authority; to leave his flock of sheep and take the leadership of Israel. The divine command found him self-distrustful, slow of speech, and timid. He was overwhelmed with a sense of his incapacity to be a mouthpiece for God. But he accepted the work, putting his whole trust in the Lord. The greatness of his mission called into exercise the best powers of his mind. God blessed his ready obedience, and he became eloquent, hopeful, self-possessed, fitted for the greatest work ever given to man. Of him it is written: "There hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom Jehovah knew face to face." Deuteronomy 34:10, A.R.V. {HDL 15.1} [HDL 15.2] Let those who feel that their work is not appreciated, and who crave a position of greater responsibility, consider that "promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another." Psalm 75:6, 7. Every man has his place in the eternal plan of heaven. Whether we fill that place depends upon our own faithfulness in co-operating with God. {HDL 15.2} [HDL 16.1] 16 We need to beware of self-pity. Never indulge the feeling that you are not esteemed as you should be, that your efforts are not appreciated, that your work is too difficult. Let the memory of what Christ has endured for us silence every murmuring thought. We are treated better than was our Lord. "Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not." Jeremiah 45:5. The Lord has no place in His work for those who have a greater desire to win the crown than to bear the cross. He wants men who are more intent upon doing their duty than upon receiving their reward—men who are more solicitous for principle than for promotion. {HDL 16.1} [HDL 16.2] Those who are humble, and who do their work as unto God, may not make so great a show as do those who are full of bustle and self-importance; but their work counts for more. Often those who make a great parade call attention to self, interposing between the people and God, and their work proves a failure. "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her." Proverbs 4:7, 8. {HDL 16.2} [HDL 16.3] Because they have not the determination to take themselves in hand and to reform, many become stereotyped in a wrong course of action. But this need not be. They may cultivate their powers to do the very best kind of 17 service, and then they will be always in demand. They will be valued for all that they are worth. {HDL 16.3} [HDL 17.1] If any are qualified for a higher position, the Lord will lay the burden, not alone on them, but on those who have tested them, who know their worth, and who can understandingly urge them forward. It is those who perform faithfully their appointed work day by day, who in God's own time will hear His call, "Come up higher." {HDL 17.1} [HDL 17.2] While the shepherds were watching their flocks on the hills of Bethlehem, angels from heaven visited them. So today while the humble worker for God is following his employment, angels of God stand by his side, listening to his words, noting the manner in which his work is done, to see if larger responsibilities may be entrusted to his hands. {HDL 17.2} [HDL 17.3] True Greatness Not by their wealth, their education, or their position does God estimate men. He estimates them by their purity of motive and their beauty of character. He looks to see how much of His Spirit they possess and how much of His likeness their life reveals. To be great in God's kingdom is to be as a little child in humility, in simplicity of faith, and in purity of love. {HDL 17.3} [HDL 17.4] "Ye know," Christ said, "that the rulers of the Gentiles 18 lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Not so shall it be among you: but whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister." Matthew 20:25, 26, A.R.V. {HDL 17.4} [HDL 18.1] Of all the gifts that heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in His sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest honor. Not Enoch, who was translated to heaven, not Elijah, who ascended in a chariot of fire, was greater or more honored than John the Baptist, who perished alone in the dungeon. "Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake." Philippians 1:29. {HDL 18.1} [HDL 18.2] Plans for the Future Many are unable to make definite plans for the future. Their life is unsettled. They cannot discern the outcome of affairs, and this often fills them with anxiety and unrest. Let us remember that the life of God's children in this world is a pilgrim life. We have not wisdom to plan our own lives. It is not for us to shape our future. "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Hebrews 11:8. {HDL 18.2} [HDL 18.3] Christ in His life on earth made no plans for Himself. He accepted God's plans for Him, and day by day 19 the Father unfolded His plans. So should we depend upon God, that our lives may be the simple outworking of His will. As we commit our ways to Him, He will direct our steps. {HDL 18.3} [HDL 19.1] Too many, in planning for a brilliant future, make an utter failure. Let God plan for you. As a little child, trust to the guidance of Him who will "keep the feet of His saints." 1 Samuel 2:9. God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him. {HDL 19.1} [HDL 19.2] Wages When Christ called His disciples to follow Him, He offered them no flattering prospects in this life. He gave them no promise of gain or worldly honor, nor did they make any stipulation as to what they should receive. To Matthew as he sat at the receipt of custom, the Saviour said, "Follow Me. And he left all, rose up, and followed Him." Luke 5:27, 28. Matthew did not, before rendering service, wait to demand a certain salary equal to the amount received in his former occupation. Without question or hesitation he followed Jesus. It was enough for him that he was to be with the Saviour, that he might hear His words and unite with Him in His work. {HDL 19.2} [HDL 20.1] 20 So it was with the disciples previously called. When Jesus bade Peter and his companions follow Him, immediately they left their boats and nets. Some of these disciples had friends dependent on them for support; but when they received the Saviour's invitation they did not hesitate and inquire, "How shall I live and sustain my family?" They were obedient to the call; and when afterward Jesus asked them, "When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything?" they could answer, "Nothing." Luke 22:35. {HDL 20.1} [HDL 20.2] Today the Saviour calls us, as He called Matthew and John and Peter, to His work. If our hearts are touched by His love, the question of compensation will not be uppermost in our minds. We shall rejoice to be co-workers with Christ, and we shall not fear to trust His care. If we make God our strength we shall have clear perceptions of duty, unselfish aspirations; our life will be actuated by a noble purpose which will raise us above sordid motives. {HDL 20.2} [HDL 20.3] God Will Provide Many who profess to be Christ's followers have an anxious, troubled heart because they are afraid to trust themselves with God. They do not make a complete surrender to Him, for they shrink from the consequences that such a surrender may involve. Unless they do make this surrender they cannot find peace. {HDL 20.3} [HDL 21.1] 21 There are many whose hearts are aching under a load of care because they seek to reach the world's standard. They have chosen its service, accepted its perplexities, adopted its customs. Thus their character is marred and their life made a weariness. The continual worry is wearing out the life forces. Our Lord desires them to lay aside this yoke of bondage. He invites them to accept His yoke; He says, "My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." Worry is blind and cannot discern the future; but Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief. "No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly." Matthew 11:30; Psalm 84:11. {HDL 21.1} [HDL 21.2] Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service of God supreme, will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet. {HDL 21.2} [HDL 21.3] The faithful discharge of today's duties is the best preparation for tomorrow's trials. Do not gather together all tomorrow's liabilities and cares and add them to the burden of today. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matthew 6:34. {HDL 21.3} [HDL 21.4] Let us be hopeful and courageous. Despondency in God's service is sinful and unreasonable. He knows our every necessity. To the omnipotence of the King of kings 22 our covenant-keeping God unites the gentleness and care of the tender shepherd. His power is absolute, and it is the pledge of the sure fulfillment of His promises to all who trust in Him. He has means for the removal of every difficulty, that those who serve Him and respect the means He employs may be sustained. His love is as far above all other love as the heavens are above the earth. He watches over His children with a love that is measureless and everlasting. {HDL 21.4} [HDL 22.1] In the darkest days, when appearances seem most forbidding, have faith in God. He is working out His will, doing all things well in behalf of His people. The strength of those who love and serve Him will be renewed day by day. {HDL 22.1} [HDL 22.2] He is able and willing to bestow upon His servants all the help they need. He will give them the wisdom which their varied necessities demand. {HDL 22.2} [HDL 22.3] Said the tried apostle Paul: "He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10. {HDL 22.3} [HDL 23.1] Chapter 2 —Living With Others The Ministry of Healing, pp. 483-495.2 Every association of life calls for the exercise of self-control, forbearance, and sympathy. We differ so widely in disposition, habits, education, that our ways of looking at things vary. We judge differently. Our understanding of truth, our ideas in regard to the conduct of life, are not in all respects the same. There are no two whose experience is alike in every particular. The trials of one are not the trials of another. The duties that one finds light are to another most difficult and perplexing. {HDL 23.1} [HDL 23.2] So frail, so ignorant, so liable to misconception is human nature, that each should be careful in the estimate he places upon another. We little know the bearing of our acts upon the experience of others. What we do or say may seem to us of little moment, when, could our eyes be opened, we should see that upon it depended the most important results for good or for evil. {HDL 23.2} [HDL 24.1] Consideration for Burden Bearers Many have borne so few burdens, their hearts have known so little real anguish, they have felt so little perplexity and distress in behalf of others, that they cannot understand the work of the true burden bearer. No more capable are they of appreciating his burdens than is the child of understanding the care and toil of his burdened father. The child may wonder at his father's fears and perplexities. These appear needless to him. But when years of experience shall have been added to his life, when he himself comes to bear its burdens, he will look back upon his father's life and understand that which was once so incomprehensible. Bitter experience has given him knowledge. {HDL 24.1} [HDL 24.2] The work of many a burden bearer is not understood, his labors are not appreciated, until death lays him low. When others take up the burdens he has laid down, and meet the difficulties he encountered, they can understand how his faith and courage were tested. Often then the mistakes they were so quick to censure are lost sight of. Experience teaches them sympathy. God permits men to be placed in positions of responsibility. When they err, He has power to correct or to remove them. We should be careful not to take into our hands the work of judging that belongs to God. {HDL 24.2} [HDL 24.3] The conduct of David toward Saul has a lesson. By 25 command of God, Saul had been anointed as king over Israel. Because of his disobedience the Lord declared that the kingdom should be taken from him; and yet how tender and courteous and forbearing was the conduct of David toward him! In seeking the life of David, Saul came into the wilderness and, unattended, entered the very cave where David with his men of war lay hidden. "And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, . . . I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. . . . And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord." The Saviour bids us, "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." Remember that soon your life record will pass in review before God. Remember, too, that He has said, "Thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: . . . for thou that judgest doest the same things." 1 Samuel 24:4-6; Matthew 7:1, 2; Romans 2:1. {HDL 24.3} [HDL 25.1] Forbearance Under Wrong We cannot afford to let our spirits chafe over any real or supposed wrong done to ourselves. Self is the 26 enemy we most need to fear. No form of vice has a more baleful effect upon the character than has human passion not under the control of the Holy Spirit. No other victory we can gain will be so precious as the victory gained over self. {HDL 25.1} [HDL 26.1] We should not allow our feelings to be easily wounded. We are to live, not to guard our feelings or our reputation, but to save souls. As we become interested in the salvation of souls we cease to mind the little differences that so often arise in our association with one another. Whatever others may think of us or do to us, it need not disturb our oneness with Christ, the fellowship of the Spirit. "What glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God." 1 Peter 2:20. {HDL 26.1} [HDL 26.2] Do not retaliate. So far as you can do so, remove all cause for misapprehension. Avoid the appearance of evil. Do all that lies in your power, without the sacrifice of principle, to conciliate others. "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." Matthew 5:23, 24. {HDL 26.2} [HDL 26.3] If impatient words are spoken to you, never reply in the same spirit. Remember that "a soft answer turneth 27 away wrath." Proverbs 15:1. And there is wonderful power in silence. Words spoken in reply to one who is angry sometimes serve only to exasperate. But anger met with silence, in a tender, forbearing spirit, quickly dies away. {HDL 26.3} [HDL 27.1] Under a storm of stinging, faultfinding words, keep the mind stayed upon the word of God. Let mind and heart be stored with God's promises. If you are ill-treated or wrongfully accused, instead of returning an angry answer, repeat to yourself the precious promises: {HDL 27.1} [HDL 27.2] "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21. {HDL 27.2} [HDL 27.3] "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday." Psalm 37:5, 6. {HDL 27.3} [HDL 27.4] "There is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known." Luke 12:2. {HDL 27.4} [HDL 27.5] "Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place." Psalm 66:12. {HDL 27.5} [HDL 27.6] We are prone to look to our fellow men for sympathy and uplifting, instead of looking to Jesus. In His mercy and faithfulness God often permits those in whom we place confidence to fail us, in order that we may learn the folly of trusting in man and making flesh our arm. 28 Let us trust fully, humbly, unselfishly in God. He knows the sorrows that we feel to the depths of our being, but which we cannot express. When all things seem dark and unexplainable, remember the words of Christ, "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." John 13:7. {HDL 27.6} [HDL 28.1] Study the history of Joseph and of Daniel. The Lord did not prevent the plottings of men who sought to do them harm; but He caused all these devices to work for good to His servants who amidst trial and conflict preserved their faith and loyalty. {HDL 28.1} [HDL 28.2] So long as we are in the world, we shall meet with adverse influences. There will be provocations to test the temper; and it is by meeting these in a right spirit that the Christian graces are developed. If Christ dwells in us, we shall be patient, kind, and forbearing, cheerful amid frets and irritations. Day by day and year by year we shall conquer self, and grow into a noble heroism. This is our allotted task; but it cannot be accomplished without help from Jesus, resolute decision, unwavering purpose, continual watchfulness, and unceasing prayer. Each one has a personal battle to fight. Not even God can make our characters noble or our lives useful, unless we become co-workers with Him. Those who decline the struggle lose the strength and joy of victory. {HDL 28.2} [HDL 29.1] Count God’s Blessings, Not the Trials We need not keep our own record of trials and difficulties, griefs, and sorrows. All these things are written in the books, and heaven will take care of them. While we are counting up the disagreeable things, many things that are pleasant to reflect upon are passing from memory, such as the merciful kindness of God surrounding us every moment and the love over which angels marvel, that God gave His Son to die for us. If as workers for Christ you feel that you have had greater cares and trials than have fallen to the lot of others, remember that for you there is a peace unknown to those who shun these burdens. There is comfort and joy in the service of Christ. Let the world see that life with Him is no failure. {HDL 29.1} [HDL 29.2] If you do not feel lighthearted and joyous, do not talk of your feelings. Cast no shadow upon the lives of others. A cold, sunless religion never draws souls to Christ. It drives them away from Him into the nets that Satan has spread for the feet of the straying. Instead of thinking of your discouragements, think of the power you can claim in Christ's name. Let your imagination take hold upon things unseen. Let your thoughts be directed to the evidences of the great love of God for you. Faith can endure trial, resist temptation, bear up under disappointment. Jesus lives as our advocate. All is ours that His mediation secures. {HDL 29.2} [HDL 30.1] 30 Think you not that Christ values those who live wholly for Him? Think you not that He visits those who, like the beloved John in exile, are for His sake in hard and trying places? God will not suffer one of His truehearted workers to be left alone, to struggle against great odds and be overcome. He preserves as a precious jewel everyone whose life is hid with Christ in Him. Of every such one He says: "I . . . will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee." Haggai 2:23. {HDL 30.1} [HDL 30.2] Then talk of the promises; talk of Jesus' willingness to bless. He does not forget us for one brief moment. When, notwithstanding disagreeable circumstances, we rest confidingly in His love, and shut ourselves in with Him, the sense of His presence will inspire a deep, tranquil joy. Of Himself Christ said: "I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father hath taught Me, I speak these things. And He that sent Me is with Me: the Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him." John 8:28, 29. {HDL 30.2} [HDL 30.3] The Father's presence encircled Christ, and nothing befell Him but that which infinite love permitted for the blessing of the world. Here was His source of comfort, and it is for us. He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ. Whatever comes to him comes from the Saviour, who surrounds him with His presence. Nothing can touch him except by the Lord's 31 permission. All our sufferings and sorrows, all our temptations and trials, all our sadness and griefs, all our persecutions and privations, in short, all things work together for our good. All experiences and circumstances are God's workmen whereby good is brought to us. {HDL 30.3} [HDL 31.1] Speak No Evil If we have a sense of the long-suffering of God toward us, we shall not be found judging or accusing others. When Christ was living on the earth, how surprised His associates would have been, if, after becoming acquainted with Him, they had heard Him speak one word of accusation, of fault-finding, or of impatience. Let us never forget that those who love Him are to represent Him in character. {HDL 31.1} [HDL 31.2] "Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another." "Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing." Romans 12:10; 1 Peter 3:9. {HDL 31.2} [HDL 31.3] Courtesy The Lord Jesus demands our acknowledgment of the rights of every man. Men's social rights, and their rights as Christians, are to be taken into consideration. All are to be treated with refinement and delicacy, as the sons and daughters of God. {HDL 31.3} [HDL 32.1] 32 Christianity will make a man a gentleman. Christ was courteous, even to His persecutors; and His true followers will manifest the same spirit. Look at Paul when brought before rulers. His speech before Agrippa is an illustration of true courtesy as well as persuasive eloquence. The gospel does not encourage the formal politeness current with the world, but the courtesy that springs from real kindness of heart. {HDL 32.1} [HDL 32.2] The most careful cultivation of the outward proprieties of life is not sufficient to shut out all fretfulness, harsh judgment, and unbecoming speech. True refinement will never be revealed so long as self is considered as the supreme object. Love must dwell in the heart. A thoroughgoing Christian draws his motives of action from his deep heart love for his Master. Up through the roots of his affection for Christ springs an unselfish interest in his brethren. Love imparts to its possessor grace, propriety, and comeliness of deportment. It illuminates the countenance and subdues the voice; it refines and elevates the whole being. {HDL 32.2} [HDL 32.3] Importance of Little Things Life is chiefly made up, not of great sacrifices and wonderful achievements, but of little things. It is oftenest through the little things which seem so unworthy of notice that great good or evil is brought into our lives. 33 It is through our failure to endure the tests that come to us in little things, that the habits are molded, the character misshaped; and when the greater tests come, they find us unready. Only by acting upon principle in the tests of daily life can we acquire power to stand firm and faithful in the most dangerous and most difficult positions. {HDL 32.3} [HDL 33.1] Self-Discipline We are never alone. Whether we choose Him or not, we have a companion. Remember that wherever you are, whatever you do, God is there. Nothing that is said or done or thought can escape His attention. To your every word or deed you have a witness--the holy, sin-hating God. Before you speak or act, always think of this. As a Christian, you are a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King. Say no word, do no act, that shall bring dishonor upon "that worthy name by the which ye are called." James 2:7. {HDL 33.1} [HDL 33.2] Study carefully the divine-human character, and constantly inquire, "What would Jesus do were He in my place?" This should be the measurement of our duty. Do not place yourselves needlessly in the society of those who by their arts would weaken your purpose to do right, or bring a stain upon your conscience. Do nothing among strangers, in the street, on the cars, in 34 the home, that would have the least appearance of evil. Do something every day to improve, beautify, and ennoble the life that Christ has purchased with His own blood. {HDL 33.2} [HDL 34.1] Let Principle Guide Always act from principle, never from impulse. Temper the natural impetuosity of your nature with meekness and gentleness. Indulge in no lightness or trifling. Let no low witticism escape your lips. Even the thoughts are not to be allowed to run riot. They must be restrained, brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Let them be placed upon holy things. Then, through the grace of Christ, they will be pure and true. {HDL 34.1} [HDL 34.2] We need a constant sense of the ennobling power of pure thoughts. The only security for any soul is right thinking. As a man "thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7. The power of self-restraint strengthens by exercise. That which at first seems difficult, by constant repetition grows easy, until right thoughts and actions become habitual. If we will we may turn away from all that is cheap and inferior, and rise to a high standard; we may be respected by men and beloved of God. {HDL 34.2} [HDL 34.3] Think and Speak Well of Others Cultivate the habit of speaking well of others. Dwell 35 upon the good qualities of those with whom you associate, and see as little as possible of their errors and failings. When tempted to complain of what someone has said or done, praise something in that person's life or character. Cultivate thankfulness. Praise God for His wonderful love in giving Christ to die for us. It never pays to think of our grievances. God calls upon us to think of His mercy and His matchless love, that we may be inspired with praise. {HDL 34.3} [HDL 35.1] Earnest workers have no time for dwelling upon the faults of others. We cannot afford to live on the husks of others' faults or failings. Evilspeaking is a twofold curse, falling more heavily upon the speaker than upon the hearer. He who scatters the seeds of dissension and strife reaps in his own soul the deadly fruits. The very act of looking for evil in others develops evil in those who look. By dwelling upon the faults of others, we are changed into the same image. But by beholding Jesus, talking of His love and perfection of character, we become changed into His image. By contemplating the lofty ideal He has placed before us, we shall be uplifted into a pure and holy atmosphere, even the presence of God. When we abide here, there goes forth from us a light that irradiates all who are connected with us. {HDL 35.1} [HDL 35.2] Instead of criticizing and condemning others, say, "I must work out my own salvation. If I co-operate with 36 Him who desires to save my soul, I must watch myself diligently. I must put away every evil from my life. I must overcome every fault. I must become a new creature in Christ. Then, instead of weakening those who are striving against evil, I can strengthen them by encouraging words." We are too indifferent in regard to one another. Too often we forget that our fellow laborers are in need of strength and cheer. Take care to assure them of your interest and sympathy. Help them by your prayers, and let them know that you do it. {HDL 35.2} [HDL 36.1] Patience With the Erring Not all who profess to be workers for Christ are true disciples. Among those who bear His name, and who are even numbered with His workers, are some who do not represent Him in character. They are not governed by His principles. These persons are often a cause of perplexity and discouragement to their fellow workers who are young in Christian experience; but none need be misled. Christ has given us a perfect example. He bids us follow Him. {HDL 36.1} [HDL 36.2] Till the end of time there will be tares among the wheat. When the servants of the householder, in their zeal for his honor, asked permission to root out the tares, the master said: "Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow 37 together until the harvest." Matthew 13:29, 30. {HDL 36.2} [HDL 37.1] In His mercy and long-suffering, God bears patiently with the perverse and even the falsehearted. Among Christ's chosen apostles was Judas the traitor. Should it then be a cause of surprise or discouragement that there are falsehearted ones among His workers today? If He who reads the heart could bear with him who He knew was to be His betrayer, with what patience should we bear with those at fault. {HDL 37.1} [HDL 37.2] And not all, even of those who appear most faulty, are like Judas. Peter, impetuous, hasty, and self-confident, often appeared to far greater disadvantage than Judas did. He was oftener reproved by the Saviour. But what a life of service and sacrifice was his! What a testimony does it bear to the power of God's grace! So far as we are capable, we are to be to others what Jesus was to His disciples when He walked and talked with them on the earth. {HDL 37.2} [HDL 37.3] Regard yourselves as missionaries, first of all, among your fellow workers. Often it requires a vast amount of time and labor to win one soul to Christ. And when a soul turns from sin to righteousness, there is joy in the presence of the angels. Think you that the ministering spirits who watch over these souls are pleased to see how indifferently they are treated by some who claim to be Christians? Should Jesus deal with us as we too often 38 deal with one another, who of us could be saved? {HDL 37.3} [HDL 38.1] Remember that you cannot read hearts. You do not know the motives which prompted the actions that to you look wrong. There are many who have not received a right education; their characters are warped, they are hard and gnarled, and seem to be crooked in every way. But the grace of Christ can transform them. Never cast them aside, never drive them to discouragement or despair by saying, "You have disappointed me, and I will not try to help you." A few words spoken hastily under provocation—just what we think they deserve--may cut the cords of influence that should have bound their hearts to ours. {HDL 38.1} [HDL 38.2] Influence of a Consistent Christian Life The consistent life, the patient forbearance, the spirit unruffled under provocation, is always the most conclusive argument and the most solemn appeal. If you have had opportunities and advantages that have not fallen to the lot of others, consider this, and be ever a wise, careful, gentle teacher. {HDL 38.2} [HDL 38.3] In order to have the wax take a clear, strong impression of the seal, you do not dash the seal upon it in a hasty, violent way; you carefully place the seal on the plastic wax and quietly, steadily press it down until it has hardened in the mold. In like manner deal with 39 human souls. The continuity of Christian influence is the secret of its power, and this depends on the steadfastness of your manifestation of the character of Christ. Help those who have erred, by telling them of your experiences. Show how, when you made grave mistakes, patience, kindness, and helpfulness on the part of your fellow workers gave you courage and hope. {HDL 38.3} [HDL 39.1] Until the judgment you will never know the influence of a kind, considerate course toward the inconsistent, the unreasonable, the unworthy. When we meet with ingratitude and betrayal of sacred trusts, we are roused to show our contempt or indignation. This the guilty expect; they are prepared for it. But kind forbearance takes them by surprise and often awakens their better impulses and arouses a longing for a nobler life. {HDL 39.1} [HDL 39.2] "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:1, 2. {HDL 39.2} [HDL 39.3] All who profess to be children of God should bear in mind that as missionaries they will be brought into contact with all classes of minds. There are the refined and the coarse, the humble and the proud, the religious and the skeptical, the educated and the ignorant, the rich and the poor. These varied minds cannot be treated alike; 40 yet all need kindness and sympathy. By mutual contact our minds should receive polish and refinement. We are dependent upon one another, closely bound together by the ties of human brotherhood. "Heaven forming each on other to depend, A master or a servant or a friend, Bids each on other for assistance call, Till one man's weakness grows the strength of all." {HDL 39.3} [HDL 40.1] It is through the social relations that Christianity comes in contact with the world. Every man or woman who has received the divine illumination is to shed light on the dark pathway of those who are unacquainted with the better way. Social power, sanctified by the Spirit of Christ, must be improved in bringing souls to the Saviour. Christ is not to be hid away in the heart as a coveted treasure, sacred and sweet, to be enjoyed solely by the possessor. We are to have Christ in us as a well of water, springing up into everlasting life, refreshing all who come in contact with us. {HDL 40.1} [HDL 41.1] Chapter 3 —Developing Christian Character The Ministry of Healing, pp. 497-5023 Christian life is more than many take it to be. It does not consist wholly in gentleness, patience, meekness, and kindliness. These graces are essential; but there is need also of courage, force, energy, and perseverance. The path that Christ marks out is a narrow, self-denying path. To enter that path and press on through difficulties and discouragements requires men who are more than weaklings. {HDL 41.1} [HDL 41.2] Force of Character Men of stamina are wanted, men who will not wait to have their way smoothed and every obstacle removed, men who will inspire with fresh zeal the flagging efforts of dispirited workers, men whose hearts are warm with Christian love and whose hands are strong to do their Master's work. {HDL 41.2} [HDL 42.1] 42 Some who engage in missionary service are weak, nerveless, spiritless, easily discouraged. They lack push. They have not those positive traits of character that give power to do something—the spirit and energy that kindle enthusiasm. Those who would win success must be courageous and hopeful. They should cultivate not only the passive but the active virtues. While they are to give the soft answer that turns away wrath, they must possess the courage of a hero to resist evil. With the charity that endures all things, they need the force of character that will make their influence a positive power. {HDL 42.1} [HDL 42.2] Some have no firmness of character. Their plans and purposes have no definite form and consistency. They are of but little practical use in the world. This weakness, indecision, and inefficiency should be overcome. There is in true Christian character an indomitableness that cannot be molded or subdued by adverse circumstances. We must have moral backbone, an integrity that cannot be flattered, bribed, or terrified. {HDL 42.2} [HDL 42.3] Mental Culture God desires us to make use of every opportunity for securing a preparation for His work. He expects us to put all our energies into its performance and to keep our hearts alive to its sacredness and its fearful responsibilities. {HDL 42.3} [HDL 43.1] 43 Many who are qualified to do excellent work accomplish little because they attempt little. Thousands pass through life as if they had no great object for which to live, no high standard to reach. One reason for this is the low estimate which they place upon themselves. Christ paid an infinite price for us, and according to the price paid He desires us to value ourselves. {HDL 43.1} [HDL 43.2] Be not satisfied with reaching a low standard. We are not what we might be, or what it is God's will that we should be. God has given us reasoning powers, not to remain inactive, or to be perverted to earthly and sordid pursuits, but that they may be developed to the utmost, refined, sanctified, ennobled, and used in advancing the interests of His kingdom. {HDL 43.2} [HDL 43.3] None should consent to be mere machines, run by another man's mind. God has given us ability, to think and to act, and it is by acting with carefulness, looking to Him for wisdom that you will become capable of bearing burdens. Stand in your God-given personality. Be no other person's shadow. Expect that the Lord will work in and by and through you. {HDL 43.3} [HDL 43.4] Never think that you have learned enough, and that you may now relax your efforts. The cultivated mind is the measure of the man. Your education should continue during your lifetime; every day you should be learning and putting to practical use the knowledge gained. {HDL 43.4} [HDL 44.1] 44 Remember that in whatever position you may serve you are revealing motive, developing character. Whatever your work, do it with exactness, with diligence; overcome the inclination to seek an easy task. {HDL 44.1} [HDL 44.2] How Do You Work? The same spirit and principles that one brings into the daily labor will be brought into the whole life. Those who desire a fixed amount to do and a fixed salary, and who wish to prove an exact fit without the trouble of adaptation or training, are not the ones whom God calls to work in His cause. Those who study how to give as little as possible of their physical, mental, and moral power are not the workers upon whom He can pour out abundant blessings. Their example is contagious. Self-interest is the ruling motive. Those who need to be watched and who work only as every duty is specified to them, are not the ones who will be pronounced good and faithful. Workers are needed who manifest energy, integrity, diligence, those who are willing to do anything that needs to be done. {HDL 44.2} [HDL 44.3] Many become inefficient by evading responsibilities for fear of failure. Thus they fail of gaining that education which results from experience, and which reading and study and all the advantages otherwise gained cannot give them. {HDL 44.3} [HDL 45.1] 45 Man can shape circumstances, but circumstances should not be allowed to shape the man. We should seize upon circumstances as instruments by which to work. We are to master them, but should not permit them to master us. {HDL 45.1} [HDL 45.2] Men of power are those who have been opposed, baffled, and thwarted. By calling their energies into action, the obstacles they meet prove to them positive blessings. They gain self-reliance. Conflict and perplexity call for the exercise of trust in God and for that firmness which develops power. {HDL 45.2} [HDL 45.3] The Motive in Service Christ gave no stinted service. He did not measure His work by hours. His time, His heart, His soul and strength, were given to labor for the benefit of humanity. Through weary days He toiled, and through long nights He bent in prayer for grace and endurance that He might do a larger work. With strong crying and tears He sent His petitions to heaven, that His human nature might be strengthened, that He might be braced to meet the wily foe in all his deceptive workings, and fortified to fulfill His missions of uplifting humanity. To His workers He says, "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done." John 13:15. {HDL 45.3} [HDL 46.1] 46 "The love of Christ," said Paul, "constraineth us." 2 Corinthians 5:14. This was the actuating principle of his conduct; it was his motive power. If ever his ardor in the path of duty flagged for a moment, one glance at the cross caused him to gird up anew the loins of his mind and press forward in the way of self-denial. In his labors for his brethren he relied much upon the manifestation of infinite love in the sacrifice of Christ, with its subduing, constraining power. {HDL 46.1} [HDL 46.2] How earnest, how touching, his appeal: "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich." 2 Corinthians 8:9. You know the height from which He stooped, the depth of humiliation to which He descended. His feet entered upon the path of sacrifice and turned not aside until He had given His life. There was no rest for Him between the throne in heaven and the cross. His love for man led Him to welcome every indignity and suffer every abuse. {HDL 46.2} [HDL 46.3] Paul admonishes us to "look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." He bids us possess the mind "which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being 47 found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Philippians 2:4-8. {HDL 46.3} [HDL 47.1] Paul was deeply anxious that the humiliation of Christ should be seen and realized. He was convinced that if men could be led to consider the amazing sacrifice made by the Majesty of heaven, selfishness would be banished from their hearts. The apostle lingers over point after point, that we may in some measure comprehend the wonderful condescension of the Saviour in behalf of sinners. He directs the mind first to the position which Christ occupied in heaven in the bosom of His Father; he reveals Him afterward as laying aside His glory, voluntarily subjecting Himself to the humbling conditions of man's life, assuming the responsibilities of a servant, and becoming obedient unto death, and that the most ignominious and revolting, the most agonizing--the death of the cross. Can we contemplate this wonderful manifestation of the love of God without gratitude and love, and a deep sense of the fact that we are not our own? Such a Master should not be served from grudging, selfish motives. {HDL 47.1} [HDL 47.2] "Ye know," says Peter, "that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold." 1 Peter 1:18. Oh, had these been sufficient to purchase the salvation of man, how easily it might have been accomplished by 48 Him who says, "The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine"! Haggai 2:8. But the sinner could be redeemed only by the precious blood of the Son of God. Those who, failing to appreciate this wonderful sacrifice, withhold themselves from Christ's service, will perish in their selfishness. {HDL 47.2} [HDL 48.1] Singleness of Purpose In the life of Christ, everything was made subordinate to His work, the great work of redemption which He came to accomplish. And the same devotion, the same self-denial and sacrifice, the same subjection to the claims of the word of God, is to be manifest in His disciples. {HDL 48.1} [HDL 48.2] Everyone who accepts Christ as his personal Saviour will long for the privilege of serving God. Contemplating what heaven has done for him, his heart is moved with boundless love and adoring gratitude. He is eager to signalize his gratitude by devoting his abilities to God's service. He longs to show his love for Christ and for His purchased possession. He covets toil, hardship, sacrifice. {HDL 48.2} [HDL 48.3] The true worker for God will do his best, because in so doing he can glorify his Master. He will do right in order to regard the requirements of God. He will endeavor to improve all his faculties. He will perform 49 every duty as unto God. His one desire will be that Christ may receive homage and perfect service. {HDL 48.3} [HDL 49.1] There is a picture representing a bullock standing between a plow and an altar, with the inscription, "Ready for either," ready to toil in the furrow or to be offered on the altar of sacrifice. This is the position of the true child of God—willing to go where duty calls, to deny self, to sacrifice for the Redeemer's cause. {HDL 49.1} [HDL 50.1] Chapter 4 —Pressing Toward the Mark The Ministry of Healing, pp. 503-516.4 We need constantly a fresh revelation of Christ, a daily experience that harmonizes with His teachings. High and holy attainments are within our reach. Continual progress in knowledge and virtue is God's purpose for us. His law is the echo of His own voice, giving to all the invitation, "Come up higher. Be holy, holier still." Every day we may advance in perfection of Christian character. {HDL 50.1} [HDL 50.2] Those who are engaged in service for the Master need an experience much higher, deeper, broader, than many have yet thought of having. Many who are already members of God's great family know little of what it means to behold His glory and to be changed from glory to glory. Many have a twilight perception of Christ's excellence, and their hearts thrill with joy. They long for a fuller, deeper sense of the Saviour's love. Let these cherish 51 every desire of the soul after God. The Holy Spirit works with those who will be worked, molds those who will be molded, fashions those who will be fashioned. Give yourselves the culture of spiritual thoughts and holy communings. You have seen but the first rays of the early dawn of His glory. As you follow on to know the Lord, you will know that "the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Proverbs 4:18, R.V., margin. {HDL 50.2} [HDL 51.1] "These things have I spoken unto you," said Christ, "that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." John 15:11. {HDL 51.1} [HDL 51.2] Ever before Him, Christ saw the result of His mission. His earthly life, so full of toil and self-sacrifice, was cheered by the thought that He would not have all this travail for nought. By giving His life for the life of men, He would restore in humanity the image of God. He would lift us up from the dust, reshape the character after the pattern of His own character, and make it beautiful with His own glory. {HDL 51.2} [HDL 51.3] Christ saw of the travail of His soul and was satisfied. He viewed the expanse of eternity and saw the happiness of those who through His humiliation should receive pardon and everlasting life. He was wounded for 52 their transgressions, bruised for their iniquities. The chastisement of their peace was upon Him, and with His stripes they were healed. He heard the shout of the redeemed. He heard the ransomed ones singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. Although the baptism of blood must first be received, although the sins of the world were to weigh upon His innocent soul, although the shadow of an unspeakable woe was upon Him; yet for the joy that was set before Him He chose to endure the cross and despised the shame. {HDL 51.3} [HDL 52.1] This joy all His followers are to share. However great and glorious hereafter, our reward is not all to be reserved for the time of final deliverance. Even here we are by faith to enter into the Saviour's joy. Like Moses, we are to endure as seeing the Invisible. {HDL 52.1} [HDL 52.2] Now the church is militant. Now we are confronted with a world in darkness, almost wholly given over to idolatry. But the day is coming when the battle will have been fought, the victory won. The will of God is to be done on earth as it is done in heaven. The nations of the saved will know no other law than the law of heaven. All will be a happy, united family, clothed with the garments of praise and thanksgiving—the robe of Christ's righteousness. All nature, in its surpassing loveliness, will offer to God a tribute of praise and adoration. The world will be bathed in the light of heaven. The light of the moon 53 will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold greater than it is now. The years will move on in gladness. Over the scene the morning stars will sing together, the sons of God will shout for joy, while God and Christ will unite in proclaiming, "There shall be no more sin, neither shall there be any more death." {HDL 52.2} [HDL 53.1] These visions of future glory, scenes pictured by the hand of God, should be dear to His children. {HDL 53.1} [HDL 53.2] Evaluating the Things of Time and Eternity Stand on the threshold of eternity and hear the gracious welcome given to those who in this life have co-operated with Christ, regarding it as a privilege and an honor to suffer for His sake. With the angels, they cast their crowns at the feet of the Redeemer, exclaiming, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. . . . Honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." Revelation 5:12, 13. {HDL 53.2} [HDL 53.3] There the redeemed ones greet those who directed them to the uplifted Saviour. They unite in praising Him who died that human beings might have the life that measures with the life of God. The conflict is over. All tribulation and strife are at an end. Songs of victory fill 54 all heaven, as the redeemed stand around the throne of God. All take up the joyful strain, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain" and hath redeemed us to God. {HDL 53.3} [HDL 54.1] "I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." Revelation 7:9, 10. {HDL 54.1} [HDL 54.2] "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." {HDL 54.2} [HDL 54.3] "And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Revelation 7:14-17; 21:4. {HDL 54.3} [HDL 54.4] We need to keep ever before us this vision of things unseen. It is thus that we shall be able to set a right 55 value on the things of eternity and the things of time. It is this that will give us power to influence others for the higher life. {HDL 54.4} [HDL 55.1] In the Mount With God "Come up to Me into the mount," God bids us. To Moses, before he could be God's instrument in delivering Israel, was appointed the forty years of communion with Him in the mountain solitudes. Before bearing God's message to Pharaoh, he spoke with the angel in the burning bush. Before receiving God's law as the representative of His people, he was called into the mount, and beheld His glory. Before executing justice on the idolaters, he was hidden in the cleft of the rock, and the Lord said, "I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee," "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth; . . . and that will by no means clear the guilty." Exodus 33:19; 34:6, 7, A.R.V. Before he laid down, with his life, his burden for Israel, God called him to the top of Pisgah and spread out before him the glory of the Promised Land. {HDL 55.1} [HDL 55.2] Before the disciples went forth on their mission, they were called up into the mount with Jesus. Before the power and glory of Pentecost, came the night of communion with the Saviour, the meeting on the mountain in Galilee, the parting scene upon Olivet, with the angel's 56 promise, and the days of prayer and communion in the upper chamber. {HDL 55.2} [HDL 56.1] Jesus, when preparing for some great trial or some important work, would resort to the solitude of the mountains and spend the night in prayer to His Father. A night of prayer preceded the ordination of the apostles and the Sermon on the Mount, the transfiguration, the agony of the judgment hall and the cross, and the resurrection glory. {HDL 56.1} [HDL 56.2] Communion With God in Prayer We, too, must have times set apart for meditation and prayer and for receiving spiritual refreshing. We do not value the power and efficacy of prayer as we should. Prayer and faith will do what no power on earth can accomplish. We are seldom, in all respects, placed in the same position twice. We continually have new scenes and new trials to pass through, where past experience cannot be a sufficient guide. We must have the continual light that comes from God. {HDL 56.2} [HDL 56.3] Christ is ever sending messages to those who listen for His voice. On the night of the agony in Gethsemane, the sleeping disciples heard not the voice of Jesus. They had a dim sense of the angels' presence, but lost the power and glory of the scene. Because of their drowsiness and stupor they failed of receiving the evidence that 57 would have strengthened their souls for the terrible scenes before them. Thus today the very men who most need divine instruction often fail of receiving it, because they do not place themselves in communion with heaven. {HDL 56.3} [HDL 57.1] The temptations to which we are daily exposed make prayer a necessity. Dangers beset every path. Those who are seeking to rescue others from vice and ruin are especially exposed to temptation. In constant contact with evil, they need a strong hold upon God lest they themselves be corrupted. Short and decisive are the steps that lead men down from high and holy ground to a low level. In a moment decisions may be made that fix one's condition forever. One failure to overcome leaves the soul unguarded. One evil habit, if not firmly resisted, will strengthen into chains of steel, binding the whole man. {HDL 57.1} [HDL 57.2] The reason why so many are left to themselves in places of temptation is that they do not set the Lord always before them. When we permit our communion with God to be broken, our defense is departed from us. Not all your good purposes and good intentions will enable you to withstand evil. You must be men and women of prayer. Your petitions must not be faint, occasional, and fitful, but earnest, persevering, and constant. It is not always necessary to bow 58 upon your knees in order to pray. Cultivate the habit of talking with the Saviour when you are alone, when you are walking, and when you are busy with your daily labor. Let the heart be continually uplifted in silent petition for help, for light, for strength, for knowledge. Let every breath be a prayer. {HDL 57.2} [HDL 58.1] As workers for God we must reach men where they are, surrounded with darkness, sunken in vice, and stained with corruption. But while we stay our minds upon Him who is our sun and our shield, the evil that surrounds us will not bring one stain upon our garments. As we work to save the souls that are ready to perish we shall not be put to shame if we make God our trust. Christ in the heart, Christ in the life, this is our safety. The atmosphere of His presence will fill the soul with abhorrence of all that is evil. Our spirit may be so identified with His that in thought and aim we shall be one with Him. {HDL 58.1} [HDL 58.2] It was through faith and prayer that Jacob, from being a man of feebleness and sin, became a prince with God. It is thus that you may become men and women of high and holy purpose, of noble life, men and women who will not for any consideration be swayed from truth, right, and justice. All are pressed with urgent cares, burdens, and duties, but the more difficult your position and the heavier your burdens, the more you need Jesus. {HDL 58.2} [HDL 59.1] 59 It is a serious mistake to neglect the public worship of God. The privileges of divine service should not be lightly regarded. Those who attend upon the sick are often unable to avail themselves of these privileges, but they should be careful not to absent themselves needlessly from the house of worship. {HDL 59.1} [HDL 59.2] In ministering to the sick, more than in any merely secular business, success depends on the spirit of consecration and self-sacrifice with which the work is done. Those who bear responsibilities need to place themselves where they will be deeply impressed by the Spirit of God. You should have as much greater anxiety than do others for the aid of the Holy Spirit and for a knowledge of God as your position of trust is more responsible than that of others. {HDL 59.2} [HDL 59.3] Nothing is more needed in our work than the practical results of communion with God. We should show by our daily lives that we have peace and rest in the Saviour. His peace in the heart will shine forth in the countenance. It will give to the voice a persuasive power. Communion with God will ennoble the character and the life. Men will take knowledge of us, as of the first disciples, that we have been with Jesus. This will impart to the worker a power that nothing else can give. Of this power he must not allow himself to be deprived. {HDL 59.3} [HDL 60.1] 60 We must live a twofold life—a life of thought and action, of silent prayer and earnest work. The strength received through communion with God, united with earnest effort in training the mind to thoughtfulness and caretaking, prepares one for daily duties and keeps the spirit in peace under all circumstances, however trying. {HDL 60.1} [HDL 60.2] The Divine Counselor When in trouble, many think they must appeal to some earthly friend, telling him their perplexities, and begging for help. Under trying circumstances unbelief fills their hearts, and the way seems dark. And all the time there stands beside them the mighty Counselor of the ages, inviting them to place their confidence in Him. Jesus, the great Burden Bearer, is saying, "Come unto Me, and I will give you rest." Shall we turn from Him to uncertain human beings, who are as dependent upon God as we ourselves are? {HDL 60.2} [HDL 60.3] You may feel the deficiency of your character and the smallness of your ability in comparison with the greatness of the work. But if you had the greatest intellect ever given to man, it would not be sufficient for your work. "Without Me ye can do nothing," says our Lord and Saviour. John 15:5. The result of all we do rests in the hands of God. Whatever may betide, lay hold upon Him with steady, persevering confidence. {HDL 60.3} [HDL 61.1] 61 In your business, in companionship for leisure hours, and in alliance for life, let all the associations you form be entered upon with earnest, humble prayer. You will thus show that you honor God, and God will honor you. Pray when you are fainthearted. When you are desponding, close the lips firmly to men; do not shadow the path of others; but tell everything to Jesus. Reach up your hands for help. In your weakness lay hold of infinite strength. Ask for humility, wisdom, courage, increase of faith, that you may see light in God's light and rejoice in His love. {HDL 61.1} [HDL 61.2] Consecration; Trust When we are humble and contrite we stand where God can and will manifest Himself to us. He is well pleased when we urge past mercies and blessings as a reason why He should bestow on us greater blessings. He will more than fulfill the expectations of those who trust fully in Him. The Lord Jesus knows just what His children need, how much divine power we will appropriate for the blessing of humanity; and He bestows upon us all that we will employ in blessing others and ennobling our own souls. {HDL 61.2} [HDL 61.3] We must have less trust in what we ourselves can do, and more trust in what the Lord can do for and through us. You are not engaged in your own work; you are doing 62 the work of God. Surrender your will and way to Him. Make not a single reserve, not a single compromise with self. Know what it is to be free in Christ. {HDL 61.3} [HDL 62.1] The mere hearing of sermons Sabbath after Sabbath, the reading of the Bible through and through, or the explanation of it verse by verse, will not benefit us or those who hear us, unless we bring the truths of the Bible into our individual experience. The understanding, the will, the affections, must be yielded to the control of the word of God. Then through the work of the Holy Spirit the precepts of the word will become the principles of the life. {HDL 62.1} [HDL 62.2] As you ask the Lord to help you, honor your Saviour by believing that you do receive His blessing. All power, all wisdom, are at our command. We have only to ask. {HDL 62.2} [HDL 62.3] Walk continually in the light of God. Meditate day and night upon His character. Then you will see His beauty and rejoice in His goodness. Your heart will glow with a sense of His love. You will be uplifted as if borne by everlasting arms. With the power and light that God imparts, you can comprehend more and accomplish more than you ever before deemed possible. {HDL 62.3} [HDL 62.4] "Abide in Me." Christ bids us: "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the 63 vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. . . . He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. . . . If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples. {HDL 62.4} [HDL 63.1] "As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love. . . . {HDL 63.1} [HDL 63.2] "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you." John 15:4-16. {HDL 63.2} [HDL 63.3] "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." Revelation 3:20. {HDL 63.3} [HDL 63.4] "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." Revelation 2:17. {HDL 63.4} [HDL 63.5] "He that overcometh, . . . I will give him the Morning Star," "and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God: . . . and I will write upon him My new name." Verses 26-28; 3:12. {HDL 63.5} [HDL 64.1] "This One Thing I Do." He whose trust is in God will with Paul be able to say, "I can do all things in Him that strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13, R.V. Whatever the mistakes or failures of the past, we may, with the help of God, rise above them. With the apostle we may say: {HDL 64.1} [HDL 64.2] "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. {HDL 64.2} [7BC 903.1] 7BC - S.D.A. Bible Commentary Vol. 7 (1957) Philippians Chapter 1 21 (Galatians 2:20; see EGW on Galatians 6:14; Revelation 3:1). What Is a Christian?--When the apostle Paul, through the revelation of Christ, was converted from a persecutor to a Christian, he declared that he was as one born out of due time. Henceforward Christ was all and in all to him. "For to me to live is Christ," he declared. This is the most perfect interpretation in a few words, in all the Scriptures, of what it means to be a Christian. This is the whole truth of the gospel. Paul understood what many seem unable to comprehend. How intensely in earnest he was! His words show that his mind was centered in Christ, that his whole life was bound up with his Lord. Christ was the author, the support, and the source of his life (RH Oct. 19, 1897). {7BC 903.1} [7BC 903.2] (2 Corinthians 11:26, 27; Ephesians 4:13.) Paul's Moral Stature.--Paul attained to the full moral stature of a man in Christ Jesus. By what a process was his soul developed! His life was a continual scene of hardship, conflict, and toil ［2 Corinthians 11:26, 27 quoted］ (Letter 5, 1880). {7BC 903.2} [7BC 903.3] Chapter 2 5 (John 8:12; see EGW on Titus 2:10). Light for the Humble.--"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." If you strive in all humility to understand what is the mind of Christ, you will not be left in darkness. Jesus says, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (YI Oct. 13, 1892). {7BC 903.3} [7BC 903.4] 5-8 (John 1:1-3, 14; Hebrews 2:14-18; see EGW on Mark 16:6; Luke 22:44; 10:17, 18; Romans 5:12-19; 2 Corinthians 8:9; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 3:1-3). The Humble Circumstances of Christ's Life.--After Christ had condescended to leave His high command, step down from an infinite height and assume humanity, He could have taken upon Him any condition of humanity He might choose. But greatness and rank were nothing to Him, and He selected the lowest and most humble walk of life. The place of His birth was Bethlehem, and on one side His parentage was poor, but God, the owner of the world, was His Father. {7BC 903.4} [7BC 903.5] No trace of luxury, ease, selfish gratification, or indulgence was brought into His life, which was a continual round of self-denial and self-sacrifice. In accordance with His humble birth, He had apparently no greatness or riches, in order that the humblest believer need not say Christ never knew the stress of pinching poverty. Had He possessed the semblance of outward show, of riches, of grandeur, the poorest 904 class of humanity would have shunned His society; therefore He chose the lowly condition of the far greater number of the people (MS 9, 1896). {7BC 903.5} [7BC 904.1] Faith Not to Rest on Evidences of Sight.--Before Christ left heaven and came into the world to die, He was taller than any of the angels. He was majestic and lovely. But when His ministry commenced, He was but little taller than the common size of men then living upon the earth. Had He come among men with His noble, heavenly form, His outward appearance would have attracted the minds of the people to Himself, and He would have been received without the exercise of faith. . . . {7BC 904.1} [7BC 904.2] The faith of men in Christ as the Messiah was not to rest on the evidences of sight, and they believe on Him because of His personal attractions, but because of the excellence of character found in Him, which never had been found, neither could be, in another (2SP 39). {7BC 904.2} [7BC 904.3] (Colossians 2:9; Ephesians 3:9; 1 Peter 1:11, 12.) The Mystery Into Which Angels Desire to Look.--In Christ dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead. But the only way in which He could reach men was to veil His glory by a garb of humanity. The angels beheld the hiding of His glory, that divinity might touch humanity. Christ ever retained the utmost hatred for sin, but He loved the purchase of His blood. He suffered in the place of sinful men, taking them into union with Himself. {7BC 904.3} [7BC 904.4] This is the mystery into which angels desire to look. They desire to know how Christ could live and work in a fallen world, how He could mingle with sinful humanity. It was a mystery to them that He who hated sin with intense hatred felt the most tender, compassionate sympathy for the beings that committed sin (ST Jan. 20, 1898). {7BC 904.4} [7BC 904.5] (Colossians 1:26, 27.) An Unexplainable Blending.--Christ could have done nothing during His earthly ministry in saving fallen man if the divine had not been blended with the human. The limited capacity of man cannot define this wonderful mystery--the blending of the two natures, the divine and the human. It can never be explained. Man must wonder and be silent. And yet man is privileged to be a partaker of the divine nature, and in this way he can to some degree enter into the mystery (Letter 5, 1889). {7BC 904.5} [7BC 904.6] The Most Marvelous Thing in Earth or Heaven.--When we want a deep problem to study, let us fix our minds on the most marvelous thing that ever took place in earth or heaven--the incarnation of the Son of God. God gave His Son to die for sinful human beings a death of ignominy and shame. He who was Commander in the heavenly courts laid aside His royal robe and kingly crown, and clothing His divinity with humanity, came to this world to stand at the head of the human race as the pattern-man. He humbled Himself to suffer with the race, to be afflicted in all their afflictions. {7BC 904.6} [7BC 904.7] The whole world was His, but so completely did He empty Himself that during His ministry He declared, "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head" ［Hebrews 2:14-18 quoted］ (MS 76, 1903). {7BC 904.7} [7BC 904.8] Christ Above All Law.--The Son of God came voluntarily to accomplish the work of atonement. There was no obligatory yoke upon Him; for He was independent and above all law. {7BC 904.8} [7BC 904.9] The angels, as God's intelligent messengers, were under the yoke of obligation; no personal sacrifice of theirs could atone for fallen man. Christ alone was free from the claims of the law to undertake the redemption of the sinful race. He had power to lay down His life and to take it up again. "Being in the form of God," He "thought it not robbery to be equal with God" (SW Sept. 4, 1906). {7BC 904.9} [7BC 904.10] (Exodus 3:5.) Christ's Humanity a Golden Chain.--To redeem man, Christ became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. It is the golden linked chain which binds our souls to Christ and through Christ to God. This is to be our study. Christ was a real man, and He gave proof of His humility in becoming a man. And He was God in the flesh. {7BC 904.10} [7BC 904.11] When we approach the subject of Christ's divinity clothed with the garb of humanity, we may appropriately heed the words spoken by Christ to Moses at the burning 905 bush, "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." We must come to the study of this subject with the humility of a learner, with a contrite heart. And the study of the incarnation of Christ is a fruitful field, and will repay the searcher who digs deep for hidden truth (MS 67, 1898). {7BC 904.11} [7BC 905.1] 6 (John 1:1-3, 14; see EGW on John 1:1-3; Revelation 12:10). Equality Between Christ and the Father.--Christ's position with His Father is one of equality. This enabled Him to become a sin-offering for transgressors. He was fully sufficient to magnify the law and make it honorable (MS 48, 1893). {7BC 905.1} [7BC 905.2] 7. See EGW on Matthew 26:42. {7BC 905.2} [7BC 905.3] 7, 8. See EGW on Hebrews 2:17. {7BC 905.3} [7BC 905.4] 9. See EGW on Matthew 27:21, 22, 29. {7BC 905.4} [7BC 905.5] 10, 11. See EGW on Romans 3:19. {7BC 905.5} [7BC 905.6] 12. See EGW on Galatians 5:6. {7BC 905.6} [7BC 905.7] 12, 13. See EGW on Romans 12:2; 2 Peter 1:5-11. {7BC 905.7} [7BC 905.8] Chapter 3 5, 6. See EGW on Romans 7:7-9. {7BC 905.8} [7BC 905.9] 8 (John 17:3; Colossians 1:19; see EGW on Revelation 3:1). The Highest Science.--In Christ all fullness dwells. He teaches us to count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. This knowledge is the highest science that any man can reach. It is the sum of all true science. "This is life eternal," Christ declared, "that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (MS 125, 1907). {7BC 905.9} [7BC 905.10] 8-10. Paul's Estimate of God's Grace.--［Philippians 3:8, 9 quoted.］ The righteousness that before he ［Paul］ had thought worth so much was now worthless in his sight. His own righteousness was unrighteousness. The deep longing of his soul was, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." {7BC 905.10} [7BC 905.11] He would know for himself the power of the Saviour's grace. He trusted in His power to save even him, who had persecuted the church of Christ. In his estimation no treasure could equal the value of the gift of the knowledge of Christ (MS 89, 1903). {7BC 905.11} [7BC 905.12] 9. See EGW on Colossians 2:10. {7BC 905.12} [7BC 905.13] 12. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 12:1-4; 2 Peter 3:18. {7BC 905.13} [7BC 905.14] 12-15. See EGW on Revelation 3:18-21. {7BC 905.14} [7BC 905.15] 13. This One Thing I Do.--Paul's calling demanded from him service of varied kinds--working with his hands to earn his living, traveling from place to place, establishing churches, writing letters to the churches already established. Yet in the midst of these varied labors, he declared, "This one thing I do." {7BC 905.15} [7BC 905.16] One thing he kept steadfastly before him in all his work--to be faithful to Christ, who, when he was blaspheming His name and using every means in his power to make others blaspheme it, had revealed Himself to him. The one great purpose of his life was to serve and honor Him whose name had once filled him with contempt. His one desire was to win souls to the Saviour. Jew and Gentile might oppose and persecute him, but nothing could turn him from his purpose (Letter 107, 1904). {7BC 905.16} [7BC 905.17] Chapter 4 8. See EGW on Psalm 19:14. {7BC 905.17} [7BC 905.18] 18. See EGW on Acts 10:1-4. - {7BC 905.18} [7BC 905.19] Colossians Chapter 1 Instruction of Highest Value.--The manifestation of real goodness is the bearing of fruit in good works. This bears the endorsement of heaven. Read the first chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. The instruction it contains is of the highest value. The religion of Christ makes all who possess it truly benevolent. It countenances no littleness, no mean transactions. 906 True Christians have a nobility which allows none of the cheap, covetous actions that are a disgrace to the doer of them (Letter 58, 1900). {7BC 905.19} [7BC 906.1] What Our Churches Should Be.--The first and second chapters of Colossians have been presented to me as an expression of what our churches in every part of the world should be (Letter 161, 1903). {7BC 906.1} [7BC 906.2] 9-11. God's Will May Be Known.--［Colossians 1:9-11 quoted.］ How complete this prayer is! There is no limit to the blessings that it is our privilege to receive. We may be "filled with the knowledge of his will." The Holy Ghost would never have inspired Paul to offer this prayer in behalf of his brethren, if it had not been possible for them to receive an answer from God in accordance with the request. Since this is so, we know that God's will is manifested to His people as they need a clearer understanding of His will (Letter 179, 1902). {7BC 906.2} [7BC 906.3] 15 (Hebrews 1:3; see EGW on Acts 1:11). The Perfect Photograph of God.--We have only one perfect photograph of God, and this is Jesus Christ (MS 70, 1899). {7BC 906.3} [7BC 906.4] 15-17. See EGW on John 1:1-3. {7BC 906.4} [7BC 906.5] 17. See EGW on Acts 17:28. {7BC 906.5} [7BC 906.6] 19. See EGW on Philippians 3:8. {7BC 906.6} [7BC 906.7] 20. See EGW on John 3:14-17. {7BC 906.7} [7BC 906.8] 26. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 12:1-4. {7BC 906.8} [7BC 906.9] 26, 27. See EGW on John 1:1-3, 14; Romans 16:25; Ephesians 1:3-6; Philippians 2:5-8; 1 Timothy 3:16; Revelation 22:14. {7BC 906.9} [7BC 906.10] Chapter 2 2, 3. See EGW on Ephesians 1:3-6. {7BC 906.10} [7BC 906.11] 8 (1 Timothy 4:1; 6:20; 2 Timothy 2:14-18, 23-26; see EGW on 1 John 2:18). Nature Exalted Above Nature's God.--No man can ever truly excel in knowledge and influence unless he is connected with the God of wisdom and power. . . . All the philosophies of human nature have led to confusion and shame when God has not been recognized as all in all. . . . {7BC 906.11} [7BC 906.12] The most profound intellects of the world, when not enlightened by God's Word, become bewildered and lost while trying to investigate the matters of science and revelation. The Creator and His works are beyond finite comprehension, and men conclude that because they cannot explain the works and ways of God from natural causes, the Bible history is not reliable. Many are so intent upon excluding God from the exercise of sovereign will and power in the established order of the universe, that they demean man, the noblest of His creatures. The theories and speculations of philosophy would make us believe that man has come by slow degrees, not merely from a savage state, but from the very lowest form of the brute creation. They destroy man's dignity because they will not admit God's miraculous power. {7BC 906.12} [7BC 906.13] God has illuminated human intellects, and poured a flood of light on the world through discoveries in art and science. But those who view these from a merely human standpoint will most assuredly come to wrong conclusions. The thorns of error, skepticism, and infidelity are disguised by being covered with the garments of philosophy and science. Satan has devised this ingenious manner of winning souls away from the living God, away from the truth and religion. He exalts nature above nature's Creator (MS 4, 1882). {7BC 906.13} [7BC 906.14] Beware of Human Sophistries.--The natural stubbornness of the human heart resists the light of truth. Its natural pride of opinion leads to independence of judgment and a clinging to human ideas and philosophy. There is with some a constant danger of becoming unsettled in the faith by the desire for originality. They wish to find some new and strange truth to present, to have a new message to bring to the people; but such a desire is a snare of the enemy to captivate the mind and lead away from the truth. {7BC 906.14} [7BC 906.15] In our experience we shall see one and another start up with new theories in regard to what is truth, and, irrespective of what the influence of the advocacy of such theories may be on the mind of the hearers, they will launch out into the work of advocating their ideas, even though these teachings may be in opposition to the belief that has called out Seventh-day Adventists from the world, and made them what they are. The Lord would have those who understand the reasons for their faith rest in their belief of that which they have been convinced is truth, and not be turned from the faith by the presentation of 907 human sophistries. . . . ［Colossians 2:8 quoted］ (RH Aug. 19, 1909). {7BC 906.15} [7BC 907.1] Falsehood Mingled With Truth.--As we near the end of time, falsehood will be so mingled with truth, that only those who have the guidance of the Holy Spirit will be able to distinguish truth from error. We need to make every effort to keep the way of the Lord. We must in no case turn from His guidance to put our trust in man. The Lord's angels are appointed to keep strict watch over those who put their faith in the Lord, and these angels are to be our special help in every time of need. Every day we are to come to the Lord with full assurance of faith, and to look to Him for wisdom. . . . Those who are guided by the Word of the Lord will discern with certainty between falsehood and truth, between sin and righteousness (MS 43, 1907). {7BC 907.1} [7BC 907.2] 9 (1 Peter 1:18, 19; see EGW on Matthew 27:45, 46; Mark 16:6; John 1:1-3, 14; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 4:15). Sufferings of Deity.--"In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Men need to understand that Deity suffered and sank under the agonies of Calvary. Yet Jesus Christ whom God gave for the ransom of the world purchased the church with His own blood. The Majesty of heaven was made to suffer at the hands of religious zealots, who claimed to be the most enlightened people upon the face of the earth (MS 153, 1898). {7BC 907.2} [7BC 907.3] (Hebrews 1:3.) A Perfect Specimen of Sinless Humanity.--In Christ is gathered all the glory of the Father. In Him is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of His person. The glory of the attributes of God are expressed in His character. The gospel is glorious because it is made up of His righteousness. It is Christ unfolded, and Christ is the gospel embodied. Every page of the New Testament Scriptures shines with His light. Every text is a diamond, touched and irradiated by the divine rays. {7BC 907.3} [7BC 907.4] We are not to praise the gospel, but praise Christ. We are not to worship the gospel, but the Lord of the gospel. Christ is a perfect representation of God on the one hand, and a perfect specimen of sinless humanity on the other hand. Thus He has combined divinity and humanity (MS 44, 1898). {7BC 907.4} [7BC 907.5] 9, 10 (John 1:16; Hebrews 4:15). Dwelling Upon Christ's Character.-- In Christ dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily. This is why, although He was tempted in all points like as we are, He stood before the world, from His first entrance into it, untainted by corruption, though surrounded by it. Are we not also to become partakers of that fullness, and is it not thus, and thus only, that we can overcome as He overcame? {7BC 907.5} [7BC 907.6] We lose much by not dwelling constantly upon the character of Christ (MS 16, 1890). {7BC 907.6} [7BC 907.7] 10 (Zechariah 3:1-5; Philippians 3:9; see EGW on Matthew 22:37-39; Hebrews 2:17; 9:24). The Robe of Christ's Perfection.--Through His sacrifice, human beings may reach the high ideal set before them, and hear at last the words, "Ye are complete in him," not having your own righteousness, but the righteousness that He wrought out for you. Your imperfection is no longer seen; for you are clothed with the robe of Christ's perfection (MS 125, 1902). {7BC 907.7} [7BC 907.8] 14. See EGW on Matthew 27:51. {7BC 907.8} [7BC 907.9] 14-17. See EGW on Acts 15:1, 5; Ephesians 2:14-16. {7BC 907.9} [7BC 907.10] Chapter 3 1. See EGW on Romans 6:1-4. {7BC 907.10} [7BC 907.11] 2. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 4:18. {7BC 907.11} [7BC 907.12] 3 (see EGW on Galatians 2:20). Rising Above the Fog of Doubt.--The soul that loves God, rises above the fog of doubt; he gains a bright, broad, deep, living experience, and becomes meek and Christlike. His soul is committed to God, hid with Christ in God. He will be able to stand the test of neglect, of abuse and contempt, because his Saviour has suffered all this. He will not become fretful and discouraged when difficulties press him, because Jesus did not fail or become discouraged. Every true Christian will be strong, not in the strength and merit of his good works, but in the righteousness of Christ, which through faith is imputed unto him. It is a great thing to be meek and lowly in heart, to be pure and undefiled, as was the Prince of heaven when He walked among men (RH Dec. 3, 1889). 908 {7BC 907.12} [7BC 908.1] (Ephesians 6:16.) Shielded From the Darts of the Enemy.--When self is hid in Jesus, we are shielded from the darts of the enemy (Letter 16a, 1895). {7BC 908.1} [7BC 908.2] 5. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. {7BC 908.2} [7BC 908.3] 8. See EGW on Hebrews 12:1. {7BC 908.3} [7BC 908.4] 10. See EGW on Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 10:5; Hebrews 1:3. {7BC 908.4} [7BC 908.5] 20, 21. See EGW on Ephesians 6:4. {7BC 908.5} [7BC 908.6] 23. See EGW on Mark 12:30. {7BC 908.6} [7BC 908.7] Chapter 4 6 (Titus 2:8). Powers of Speech Sanctified.--As you arose from the watery grave at the time of your baptism, you professed to be dead, and declared that your life was changed--hid with Christ in God. You claimed to be dead to sin, and cleansed from your hereditary and cultivated traits of evil. In going forward in the rite of baptism, you pledged yourselves before God to remain dead to sin. Your mouth was to remain a sanctified mouth, your tongue a converted tongue. You were to speak of God's goodness, and to praise His holy name. Thus you were to be a great help and blessing to the church (MS 95, 1906). {7BC 908.7} [7BC 908.8] 12, 13. See EGW on Revelation 3:15-22. - {7BC 908.8} [7BC 908.9] 1 Thessalonians Chapter 2 9. See EGW on Acts 18:1-3; 20:17-35. {7BC 908.9} [7BC 908.10] Chapter 3 13. See EGW on Romans 6:19, 22. {7BC 908.10} [7BC 908.11] Chapter 4 3 (1 Thessalonians 5:23; see EGW on John 17:17; Romans 6:19, 22; Ephesians 4:20-24; 2 Peter 3:18). The Fellowship of the Human and Divine.--Our sanctification is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is the fulfillment of the covenant God has made with those who bind themselves up with Him, to stand with Him, His Son, and His Spirit in holy fellowship. Have you been born again? Have you become a new being in Christ Jesus? Then cooperate with the three great powers of heaven who are working in your behalf (MS 11, 1901). {7BC 908.11} [7BC 908.12] Evidences of Sanctification.--True sanctification will be evidenced by a conscientious regard for all the commandments of God, by a careful improvement of every talent, by a circumspect conversation, by revealing in every act the meekness of Christ (RH Oct. 5, 1886). {7BC 908.12} [7BC 908.13] (1 John 2:3, 4.) The True Sign of Sanctification.--Those who dishonor God by transgressing His law may talk sanctification, but it is of that value, and just as acceptable, as was the offering of Cain. Obedience to all the commandments of God is the only true sign of sanctification. Disobedience is the sign of disloyalty and apostasy (MS 41, 1897). {7BC 908.13} [7BC 908.14] (Romans 3:24-28.) Holiness Within the Reach of All.--God has chosen men from eternity to be holy. "This is the will of God, even your sanctification." God's law tolerates no sin, but demands perfect obedience. The echo of God's voice comes to us, ever saying. Holier, holier still. And ever our answer is to be, Yes, Lord, holier still. Holiness is within the reach of all who reach for it by faith, not because of their good works, but because of Christ's merits. Divine power is provided for every soul struggling for the victory over sin and Satan. {7BC 908.14} [7BC 908.15] Justification means the saving of a soul from perdition, that he may obtain sanctification, and through sanctification, the life of heaven. Justification means that the conscience, purged from dead works, is placed where it can receive the blessings of sanctification (MS 113, 1902). {7BC 908.15} [7BC 908.16] Sanctification and Communion.--Sanctification means habitual communion with God (RH March 15, 1906). {7BC 908.16} [7BC 908.17] 7. See EGW on Romans 6:19, 22. {7BC 908.17} [7BC 908.18] 13, 14. Errors Regarding Christ's Coming.--There was still another reason for 909 Paul's communication to these brethren. Some who were newly brought into the faith had fallen into errors in regard to those who had died since their conversion. They had hoped that all would witness the second coming of Christ; but they were in great sorrow as one after another of the believers fell under the power of death, making it impossible for them to behold that desirable event--the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven. {7BC 908.18} [7BC 909.1] Some, who had fallen into the error that Christ was to come in their day, imbibed the fanatical idea that it was praiseworthy to show their faith by giving up all business, and resigning themselves to idle waiting for the great event which they thought was near (LP 110). {7BC 909.1} [7BC 909.2] 16 (see EGW on Matthew 28:2-4). The Last Trump.--When Christ comes to gather to Himself those who have been faithful, the last trump will sound, and the whole earth, from the summits of the loftiest mountains to the lowest recesses of the deepest mines, will hear. The righteous dead will hear the sound of the last trump, and will come forth from their graves, to be clothed with immortality, and to meet their Lord (SpT Series B, No. 2, p. 24). {7BC 909.2} [7BC 909.3] 16, 17. See EGW on Isaiah 26:19; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; Revelation 1:7. {7BC 909.3} [7BC 909.4] Chapter 5 17. See EGW on Proverbs 4:23. {7BC 909.4} [7BC 909.5] 19-21. See EGW on 1 John 4:1. {7BC 909.5} [7BC 909.6] 23 (1 Thessalonians 4:3; John 17:17). The Whole Man to Be Sanctified.--The truth must sanctify the whole man--his mind, his thoughts, his heart, his strength. His vital powers will not be consumed upon his own lustful practices. These must be overcome, or they will overcome him (Letter 108, 1898). {7BC 909.6} [7BC 909.7] Clearing Away the Miasma of Sin.--Sanctification--how many understand its full meaning? The mind is befogged by sensual malaria. The thoughts need purifying. What might not men and women have been had they realized that the treatment of the body has everything to do with the vigor and purity of mind and heart. {7BC 909.7} [7BC 909.8] The true Christian obtains an experience which brings holiness. He is without a spot of guilt upon the conscience, or a taint of corruption upon the soul. The spirituality of the law of God, with its limiting principles, is brought into his life. The light of truth irradiates his understanding. A glow of perfect love for the Redeemer clears away the miasma which has interposed between his soul and God. The will of God has become his will, pure, elevated, refined, and sanctified. His countenance reveals the light of heaven. His body is a fit temple for the Holy Spirit. Holiness adorns his character. God can commune with him; for soul and body are in harmony with God (Letter 139, 1898). {7BC 909.8} [7BC 909.9] His by Creation and Redemption.--God would have us realize that He has a right to mind, soul, body, and spirit--to all that we possess. We are His by creation and by redemption. As our Creator, He claims our entire service. As our Redeemer, He has a claim of love as well as of right--of love without a parallel. This claim we should realize every moment of our existence. Before believers and unbelievers we must constantly recognize our dependence upon God. Our bodies, our souls, our lives, are His, not only because they are His free gift, but because He constantly supplies us with His benefits, and gives us strength to use our faculties. By returning to Him His own, by willingly laboring for Him, we show that we recognize our dependence upon Him (RH Nov. 24, 1896). {7BC 909.9} [7BC 909.10] Jesus asks us to consecrate ourselves to Him. He has placed signal honor upon the human race; for He says, "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." Shall we not, then, give to Christ that which He has died to redeem? If you will do this, He will quicken your conscience, renew your heart, sanctify your affections, purify your thoughts, and set all your powers at work for Him. Every motive and every thought will be brought into captivity to Jesus Christ. {7BC 909.10} [7BC 909.11] Those who are sons of God will represent Christ in character. Their works will be perfumed by the infinite tenderness, compassion, love, and purity of the Son of God. And the more completely mind and body are yielded to the Holy Spirit, the greater will be the fragrance of our offering to Him (RH Nov. 24, 1896). {7BC 909.11} [7BC 910.1] 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 1-4 (see EGW on 1 John 2:18). The Man of Sin and the Second Advent.--In the days of the apostle Paul, the Thessalonian brethren were laboring under the erroneous impression that the Lord would return in their day, and Paul wrote to correct this false impression, stating what events must transpire before the advent could take place. He declared: "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." {7BC 910.1} [7BC 910.2] The man of sin was to arise, and do his work of exaltation and blasphemy, before the brethren could look for the coming of Christ. That great event was to be preceded by a falling away. There would be revealed a form of Antichrist, and the leaven of apostasy was to work with increasing power to the end of time (RH July 31, 1888). {7BC 910.2} [7BC 910.3] 3, 4 (Matthew 5:17, 18; see EGW on 1 Timothy 2:5; Revelation 13:11-17; 14:8, 9-12; Revelation 18:1-5). The Representative of Satan.--There is one pointed out in prophecy as the man of sin. He is the representative of Satan. Taking the suggestions of Satan concerning the law of God, which is as unchangeable as His throne, this man of sin comes in and represents to the world that he has changed that law, and that the first day of the week instead of the seventh is now the Sabbath. Professing infallibility, he claims the right to change the law of God to suit his own purposes. By so doing, he exalts himself above God, and leaves the world to infer that God is fallible. If it were indeed true that God had made a rule of government that needed to be changed, it would certainly show fallibility. {7BC 910.3} [7BC 910.4] But Christ declared that not one jot or tittle of the law should fail until heaven and earth should pass away. The very work that He came to do was to exalt that law, and show to the created worlds and to heaven that God is just, and that His law need not be changed. But here is Satan's right-hand man ready to carry on the work that Satan commenced in heaven, that of trying to amend the law of God. And the Christian world has sanctioned his efforts by adopting this child of the Papacy--the Sunday institution. They have nourished it, and will continue to nourish it, until Protestantism shall give the hand of fellowship to the Roman power. {7BC 910.4} [7BC 910.5] Then there will be a law against the Sabbath of God's creation, and then it is that God will do His "strange work" in the earth. He has borne long with the perversity of the race; He has tried to win them to Himself. But the time will come when they shall have filled their measure of iniquity; and then it is that God will work. This time is almost reached. God keeps a record with the nations: the figures are swelling against them in the books of heaven; and when it shall have become a law that the transgression of the first day of the week shall be met with punishment, then their cup will be full (RH March 9, 1886). {7BC 910.5} [7BC 910.6] The Man of Sin and the Rival Sabbath.--The man of sin has exalted himself against God, sitting in the temple of God, and showing himself to be God. He has trampled underfoot God's great memorial of creation, established to commemorate His work; and in its stead he has presented to the world a common working day. This day he has set up as a rival Sabbath, to be observed and honored. Thus the world has been turned against God; for the Lord declares that He has sanctified the day of His rest. {7BC 910.6} [7BC 910.7] But though every member of the human family should accept this child of the Papacy, in no case would this invalidate the holy Sabbath of Jehovah. Those who accept the false sabbath exalt the man of sin, and assail the government of God. But 911 the man of sin cannot annul what God has declared shall stand fast forever. The work now to be done in our world is to exalt the law of the Lord, and call the attention of the people to it. The time has come when the truth is to be proclaimed against falsehood and error (RH July 26, 1898). {7BC 910.7} [7BC 911.1] God's Estimate of the Papal Power.--By their treatment of His Word the popes have exalted themselves above the God of heaven. This is the reason that in prophecy the papal power is specified as the "man of sin." Satan is the originator of sin. The power that he causes to alter any one of God's holy precepts, is the man of sin. Under Satan's special direction the papal power has done this very work. {7BC 911.1} [7BC 911.2] Although those standing at the head of the Papacy claim to have great love for God, He looks upon them as haters of Him. They have turned the truth of God into a lie. Tampering with God's commandments and placing in their stead human traditions, is the work of Satan, and will divorce the religious world from God; for He declares, "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." God will fulfill this word (MS 126, 1901). {7BC 911.2} [7BC 911.3] 7-12 (see EGW on Matthew 7:21-23; Revelation 14:9-12; 17:1-5). Satan's Miracles "Right in your Sight."--The time is coming when Satan will work miracles right in your sight, claiming that he is Christ; and if your feet are not firmly established upon the truth of God, then you will be led away from your foundation. The only safety for you is to search for truth as for hid treasures. Dig for the truth as you would for treasures in the earth, and present the word of God, the Bible, before your Heavenly Father and say, Enlighten me; teach me what is truth. . . . You should store the mind with the word of God; for you may be separated, and placed where you will not have the privilege of meeting with the children of God (RH April 3, 1888). {7BC 911.3} [7BC 911.4] (2 Corinthians 11:14; James 5:13-16; Revelation 13:13, 14.) Miracle-working Deceptions of Satan.--None need be deceived. The law of God is as sacred as His throne, and by it every man who cometh into the world is to be judged. There is no other standard by which to test character. "If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Now, shall the case be decided according to the Word of God, or shall man's pretensions be credited? {7BC 911.4} [7BC 911.5] Says Christ, "By their fruits ye shall know them." If those through whom cures are performed, are disposed, on account of these manifestations, to excuse their neglect of the law of God and continue in disobedience, though they have power to any and every extent, it does not follow that they have the great power of God. On the contrary, it is the miracle-working power of the great deceiver. He is a transgressor of the moral law, and employs every device that he can master to blind men to its true character. We are warned that in the last days he will work with signs and lying wonders. And he will continue these wonders until the close of probation, that he may point to them as evidence that he is an angel of light and not of darkness (RH Nov. 17, 1885). {7BC 911.5} [7BC 911.6] (Hebrews 12:26, 27; Revelation 12:11; 14:5.) Ordeal of the Sifting Time.--Satan will work his miracles to deceive; he will set up his power as supreme. The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out--the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place. None but those who have been overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony will be found with the loyal and true, without spot or stain of sin, without guile in their mouths. . . . The remnant that purify their souls by obeying the truth gather strength from the trying process, exhibiting the beauty of holiness amid the surrounding apostasy (Letter 55, 1886). {7BC 911.6} [7BC 911.7] Chapter 3 8. See EGW on Acts 18:1-3; 20:17-35. {7BC 911.7} [7BC 911.8] 10. Complete Dedication of Paul.--If any man will not work, neither shall he eat, applies to the spiritual, religious life as well as to earthly, temporal things. {7BC 911.8} [7BC 911.9] Paul not only endured the taxation of the physical powers in common labor without 912 one feeling of either belittling or degrading himself, and without discontent; but he bore the burden while at the same time exerting the activities of his mind to advance and attain in spiritual knowledge. He taught, and he practiced the lessons he taught. He had repeated visions from God, and from the light given he knew every man must be a worker with brain and muscle and sinew. This faithful disciple of Christ, and apostle of Jesus Christ, was dedicated without reserve to the service of God (Letter 2, 1889). {7BC 911.9} [7BC 912.1] 10, 14, 15 (Romans 12:11). Idleness a Sin.--The apostle in his day considered idleness a sin, and those who indulge this evil today disgrace their profession. They will criticize the faithful worker, and bring reproach upon the gospel of Christ. Those who would believe, they turn from the way of truth and righteousness. {7BC 912.1} [7BC 912.2] We should be warned not to associate with those who by their course of action lay a stumbling block in the way of others. "If any man obey not our word by this epistle," the apostle says, "note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." If he refuses the admonition of the Lord's servants, and follows his own will and judgment under the inspiration of his leader, Satan, he will bring ruin upon himself, and must bear his own sin. {7BC 912.2} [7BC 912.3] The custom of supporting men and women in idleness by private gifts or church money encourages them in sinful habits, and this course should be conscientiously avoided. Every man, woman, and child should be educated to do practical, useful work. All should learn some trade. It may be tentmaking, or it may be business in other lines; but all should be educated to use the members of their body to some purpose, and God is ready and willing to increase the adaptability of all who will educate themselves to industrious habits. {7BC 912.3} [7BC 912.4] If a man in good physical health has property, and has no need of entering into employment for his own support, he should labor to acquire means that he may advance the cause and work of God. He is to be "not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord." God will bless all who will guard their influence in regard to others in this respect (MS 93, 1899). - {7BC 912.4} [7BC 912.5] 1 Timothy Chapter 1 9, 10. See EGW on Romans 8:15-21. {7BC 912.5} [7BC 912.6] 15. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 12:1-4. {7BC 912.6} [7BC 912.7] 19, 20. The Enemies of Paul.--These men had departed from the faith of the gospel, and furthermore had done despite to the Spirit of grace by attributing to the power of Satan the wonderful revelations made to Paul. Having rejected the truth, they were filled with hatred against it, and sought to destroy its faithful advocate (LP 305). {7BC 912.7} [7BC 912.8] Chapter 2 5 (John 1:1-3, 14; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 2:14-18; see EGW on Acts 15:11). Acting in God's Stead.--Adam and Eve were given a probation in which to return to their allegiance; and in this plan of benevolence all their posterity were embraced. After the Fall, Christ became Adam's instructor. He acted in God's stead toward humanity, saving the race from immediate death. He took upon Him the work of mediator between God and man. In the fullness of time He was to be revealed in human form. He was to take His position at the head of humanity by taking the nature but not the sinfulness of man (ST May 29, 1901). {7BC 912.8} [7BC 912.9] (Acts 4:12; Hebrews 7:25; 9:22; 1 John 1:7-9.) Faith in the Blood of Christ.--God is approached through Jesus Christ, the Mediator, the only way through which He forgives sins. God cannot forgive sins at the expense of His justice, His holiness, and 913 His truth. But He does forgive sins and that fully. There are no sins He will not forgive in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the sinner's only hope, and if he rests here in sincere faith, he is sure of pardon and that full and free. There is only one channel and that is accessible to all, and through that channel a rich and abundant forgiveness awaits the penitent, contrite soul and the darkest sins are forgiven. {7BC 912.9} [7BC 913.1] These lessons were taught to the chosen people of God thousands of years ago, and repeated in various symbols and figures, that the work of truth might be riveted in every heart, that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. The great lesson embodied in the sacrifice of every bleeding victim, impressed in every ceremony, inculcated by God Himself, was that through the blood of Christ alone is forgiveness of sins; yet how many carry the galling yoke and how few feel the force of this truth and act upon it personally, and derive the blessings they might receive through a perfect faith in the blood of the Lamb of God. . . . {7BC 913.1} [7BC 913.2] Justice demanded the sufferings of man; but Christ rendered the sufferings of a God. He needed no atonement of suffering for Himself; all His sufferings were for us; all His merits and holiness were open to fallen man, presented as a gift (Letter 12, 1892). {7BC 913.2} [7BC 913.3] (Matthew 11:27; John 14:9; 17:19-26; 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4; Hebrews 8:1; 9:11-14, 24; Hebrews 13:12; 1 John 2:1.) Christ the One True Mediator.--Our great High Priest completed the sacrificial offering of Himself when He suffered without the gate. Then a perfect atonement was made for the sins of the people. Jesus is our Advocate, our High Priest, our Intercessor. Our present position therefore is like that of the Israelites, standing in the outer court, waiting and looking for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. . . . Type met antitype in the death of Christ, the Lamb slain for the sins of the world. The great High Priest has made the only sacrifice that will be of any value. {7BC 913.3} [7BC 913.4] The incense that is offered now by men, the masses that are said for the deliverance of souls from purgatory, are not of the least avail with God. All the altars and sacrifices, the traditions and inventions whereby men hope to earn salvation are fallacies. No sacrifices are to be offered without; for the great High Priest is performing His work in the holy place. No prince or monarch dare venture within the holy enclosure. {7BC 913.4} [7BC 913.5] In His intercession as our Advocate Christ needs no man's virtue, no man's intercession. Christ is the only sin bearer, the only sin-offering. Prayer and confession are to be offered only to Him who has entered once for all into the holy place. Christ has declared, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." He will save to the uttermost all who come to Him in faith. He ever liveth to make intercession for us. This makes of no avail the offering of mass, one of the falsehoods of Romanism. {7BC 913.5} [7BC 913.6] The so-called intercession of the saints is the greatest falsehood that can be invented. Priests and rulers have no right to interpose between Christ and the souls for whom He has died, as though invested with the Saviour's attributes, and able to pardon transgression and sin. They themselves are sinners. They are only human. One day they will see that their deceptive doctrines have led to crimes of every stripe and type, to adultery, robbery, falsehood. They are responsible for many terrible wrongs which men have perpetrated upon their fellow men. {7BC 913.6} [7BC 913.7] For all this the Judge of the whole earth will call them to account at His bar. The case of every soul that has been imprisoned, every human being that has been tortured, has been noted. The recording angel has sustained the martyrs who would not worship idols, or allow their minds and consciences to become the instruments of men who were instigated by Satan to perform wicked deeds. These things are done under the rule of the man of sin, who has placed himself as God, sitting in the temple of God, and taking upon himself the prerogatives of God, that he may carry out his own schemes. {7BC 913.7} [7BC 913.8] The mightiest human being, whatever may be his claim, is not infinite. He cannot understand infinity. Christ plainly stated, "No man knoweth the Son, but the 914 Father." A teacher was once endeavoring to present the exaltation of God, when a voice was heard, saying, "We cannot as yet understand who He is." The teacher nobly replied, "Were I able fully to set forth God, I should either be a god myself, or God Himself would cease to be God." {7BC 913.8} [7BC 914.1] "It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me"--not through confessionals or priests or popes, but through Me, your Saviour. "Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." This is the absolute Godhead. The mightiest created intellect cannot comprehend Him; words from the most eloquent tongue fail to describe Him. Silence is eloquence. {7BC 914.1} [7BC 914.2] Christ represented His Father to the world, and He represents before God the chosen ones in whom He has restored the moral image of God. They are His heritage. To them He says, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." "No man knoweth . . . the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." No priest, no religionist, can reveal the Father to any son or daughter of Adam. {7BC 914.2} [7BC 914.3] Men have only one Advocate, one Intercessor, who is able to pardon transgression. Shall not our hearts swell with gratitude to Him who gave Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins? Think deeply upon the love the Father has manifested in our behalf, the love that He has expressed for us. We cannot measure this love. Measurement there is none. We can only point to Calvary, to the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. It is an infinite sacrifice. Can we comprehend and measure infinity? . . . {7BC 914.3} [7BC 914.4] ［John 17:19-21, 24-26 quoted.］ {7BC 914.4} [7BC 914.5] Here we see the great Intercessor presenting His petition to His Father. No middle man comes between the sinner and Christ. No dead prophet, no buried saint is seen. Christ Himself is our Advocate. All that the Father is to His Son, He is to those whom His Son in His humanity represented. In every line of His work Christ acted as a representative of the Father. He lived as our substitute and surety. He labored as He would have His followers labor, unselfishly appreciating the value of every human being for whom He suffered and died (MS 128, 1897). {7BC 914.5} [7BC 914.6] Twice a Representative.--Christ is the representative of God to man and the representative of man to God. He came to this world as man's substitute and surety, and He is fully able to save all who repent and return to their allegiance. Because of His righteousness, He is able to place man on vantage ground. Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us. He gave His precious, innocent life to save guilty human beings from eternal ruin, that through faith in Him they might stand guiltless before the throne of God (MS 29, 1899). {7BC 914.6} [7BC 914.7] (John 10:30.) Why Only One Mediator.--Jesus alone could give security to God; for He was equal to God. He alone could be a mediator between God and man; for He possessed divinity and humanity (RH April 3, 1894). {7BC 914.7} [7BC 914.8] (Romans 8:34.) A Golden Chain Fastened to God's Throne.--The intercession of Christ is as a golden chain fastened to the throne of God. He has turned the merit of His sacrifice into prayer. Jesus prays, and by prayer succeeds (MS 8, 1892). {7BC 914.8} [7BC 914.9] 7 (Isaiah 52:8). The Truth as It Is in Jesus.--If we teach the truth according to our own ways, we shall see that there will not always be perfect harmony as there should be. But if we teach the truth as it is in Jesus, we shall teach it in the spirit of the true Educator; and we will not have various opinions, and cling to our own ideas with tenacity, but we will see eye to eye. And while we thus teach, believing that Jesus will help us to present the truth as it is in Him, then we may expect His help, and we will have it (RH May 10, 1887). {7BC 914.9} [7BC 914.10] 9, 10. See EGW on Numbers 15:38, 39; 1 Peter 3:3, 4. {7BC 914.10} [7BC 914.11] Chapter 3 1-13 (John 10:11-15). Carefulness in Selecting Church Leaders.-- May the Lord impress upon the minds and hearts of all connected with the sacred work of God, the importance of ascertaining whether those who are to minister as deacons and 915 elders are suitable men to be entrusted with the flock of God. Jesus calls Himself the "Good Shepherd." He does this in contrast with those who occupy positions of trust in connection with the church, but who have no right to these places, because they put a wrong mold upon the work. What is natural will appear. {7BC 914.11} [7BC 915.1] Compare the Good Shepherd, who gave His life for His sheep, with those who are filled with self-esteem, puffed up, dictatorial, loving to rule in the church. The prophets have specified Christ's attributes. They foretold Him as a gentle Shepherd, who would carry the lambs in His bosom. There are others pointed out by prophecy, who have accepted the position of leaders and religious instructors, whom the Word of God rebukes for their neglect, in their ignorance, to do the work which they should have been doing in their places of responsibility (MS 176, 1898). {7BC 915.1} [7BC 915.2] 16 (Colossians 1:26, 27; Romans 16:25; see EGW on John 1:1-3, 14; 2 Timothy 3:16). Beyond the Ken of Man.--Great is the mystery of godliness. There are mysteries in the life of Christ that are to be believed, even though they cannot be explained. The finite mind cannot fathom the mystery of godliness (Letter 65, 1905). {7BC 915.2} [7BC 915.3] (1 Peter 1:11, 12.) The Incarnation a Painful Process.--The work of redemption is called a mystery, and it is indeed the mystery by which everlasting righteousness is brought to all who believe. The race in consequence of sin was at enmity with God. Christ, at an infinite cost, by a painful process, mysterious to angels as well as to men, assumed humanity. Hiding His divinity, laying aside His glory, He was born a babe in Bethlehem. In human flesh He lived the law of God, that He might condemn sin in the flesh, and bear witness to heavenly intelligences that the law was ordained to life and to ensure the happiness, peace, and eternal good of all who obey. But the same infinite sacrifice that is life to those who believe is a testimony of condemnation to the disobedient, speaking death and not life (MS 29, 1899). {7BC 915.3} [7BC 915.4] Chapter 4 1. See EGW on Colossians 2:8; 1 John 4:1. {7BC 915.4} [7BC 915.5] 8. See EGW on Proverbs 3:17. {7BC 915.5} [7BC 915.6] 12 (2 Timothy 3:14, 15). The Humble Dependence of Timothy.--In the history of Timothy are found precious lessons. He was a mere lad when chosen by God as a teacher; but so fixed were his principles by a correct education that he was fitted for this important position. He bore his responsibilities with Christlike meekness. He was faithful, steadfast, and true, and Paul selected him to be his companion in labor and travel. Lest Timothy should meet with slights because of his youthfulness, Paul wrote to him, "Let no man despise thy youth." He could safely do this, because Timothy was not self-sufficient, but continually sought guidance. {7BC 915.6} [7BC 915.7] There are many youth who move from impulse rather than from judgment. But Timothy inquired at every step, "Is this the way of the Lord?" He had no specially brilliant talents, but he consecrated all his abilities to the service of God, and this made his work valuable. The Lord found in him a mind that He could mold and fashion for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. {7BC 915.7} [7BC 915.8] God will use the youth today as He used Timothy, if they will submit to His guidance. It is your privilege to be God's missionaries. He calls upon you to work for your companions. Seek out those you know to be in danger, and in the love of Christ try to help them. How are they to know the Savior unless they see His virtues in His followers (YI Feb. 13, 1902)? {7BC 915.8} [7BC 915.9] 13-16 (2 Timothy 2:1-3, 7, 15). Intellectual Power Not Enough.--［1 Timothy 4:13-16 quoted.］ The charge given to Timothy should be heeded in every household, and become an educating power in every family and in every school. . . . ［2 Timothy 2:1-3, 7, 15 quoted.］ . . . {7BC 915.9} [7BC 915.10] The highest aim of our youth should not be to strain after something novel. There was none of this in the mind and work of Timothy. They should bear in mind that, in the hands of the enemy of all good, knowledge alone may be a power to destroy them. It was a very intellectual being, one who occupied a high position among the angelic throng, that finally became a rebel; and many a mind of superior intellectual attainments is now being led captive by his power (YI May 5, 1898). 916 {7BC 915.10} [7BC 916.1] 16. "Take Heed Unto Thyself."--"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine." Thyself needs the first attention. First give yourself to the Lord for sanctification to His service. A godly example will tell more for the truth than the greatest eloquence unaccompanied by a well-ordered life. Trim the lamp of the soul, and replenish it with the oil of the Spirit. Seek from Christ that grace, that clearness of comprehension, which will enable you to do successful work. Learn from Him what it means to labor for those for whom He gave His life. The most talented worker can do little unless Christ is formed within, the hope and strength of the life (RH Aug. 19, 1902). {7BC 916.1} [7BC 916.2] Chapter 5 13. See EGW on Exodus 31:1-6. {7BC 916.2} [7BC 916.3] 24, 25 (Revelation 20:12, 13). The Disposal of Sin.--Some men's sins are open beforehand, confessed in penitence, and forsaken, and they go beforehand to judgment. Pardon is written over against the names of these men. But other men's sins follow after, and are not put away by repentance and confession, and these sins will stand registered against them in the books of heaven (MS 1a, 1890). {7BC 916.3} [7BC 916.4] Chapter 6 10. See EGW on Matthew 26:14-16. {7BC 916.4} [7BC 916.5] 12 (see EGW on Galatians 5:6). Precious Promises.--"Lay hold on eternal life." Come to Jesus in faith. Ask, and ye shall receive. The forgiveness of sins is promised to him who repents, justification to him who believes, and the crown of life to him who is faithful unto death (Letter 33, 1895). {7BC 916.5} [7BC 916.6] 19. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 9:6. {7BC 916.6} [7BC 916.7] 20 (Colossians 2:8; see EGW on 1 John 2:18). Science and Religion Shed Light on Each Other.--God is the foundation of everything. All true science is in harmony with His works; all true education leads to obedience to His government. Science opens new wonders to our view; she soars high and explores new depths; but she brings nothing from her research that conflicts with divine revelation. Ignorance may seek to support false views of God by appeals to science; but the book of nature and the written Word do not disagree; each sheds light on the other. Rightly understood, they make us acquainted with God and His character by teaching us something of the wise and beneficent laws through which He works (ST March 20, 1884). {7BC 916.7} [7BC 916.8] Sophistry of False Science.--We need to guard continually against the sophistry in regard to geology and other branches of science falsely so-called, which have not one semblance of truth. The theories of great men need to be carefully sifted of the slightest trace of infidel suggestions. One tiny seed sown by teachers in our schools, if received by the students, will raise a harvest of unbelief. The Lord has given all the brilliancy of intellect that man possesses, and it should be devoted to His service (RH March 1, 1898). - {7BC 916.8} [7BC 916.9] 2 Timothy Chapter 1 1, 2 (ch. 4:6-9). Paul's Second Letter to Timothy.--This letter was written to Timotheus, the first bishop of the church at Ephesus, after Paul had been brought before Nero the second time to witness with his life to the faith he held. In placing on record this account of his trials through men who turned from the faith, Paul speaks words which should encourage our hearts as we pass over the same ground (RH July 18, 1907). {7BC 916.9} [7BC 916.10] Affection Between Paul and Timothy.--The apostle's speech had gained him many friends, and he was visited by persons of rank, who accounted his blessing of greater value than the favor of the emperor of the world. But there was one friend for whose sympathy and companionship he longed 917 in those last trying days. That friend was Timothy, to whom he had committed the care of the church at Ephesus, and who had therefore been left behind when Paul made his last journey to Rome. {7BC 916.10} [7BC 917.1] The affection between Paul and Timothy began with Timothy's conversion; and the tie had strengthened as they had shared the hopes, the perils, and the toils of missionary life, till they seemed to be as one. The disparity in their ages and the difference in their characters made their love for each other more earnest. The ardent, zealous, indomitable spirit of Paul found repose and comfort in the mild, yielding, retiring disposition of Timothy. The faithful ministration and tender love of this tried companion had brightened many a dark hour in the apostle's life. All that Melanchthon was to Luther, all that a son could be to a loved and honored father, the youthful Timothy was to the tried and lonely Paul (YI July 10, 1902). {7BC 917.1} [7BC 917.2] 9. See EGW on Luke 17:10; Ephesians 2:8, 9. {7BC 917.2} [7BC 917.3] 10. See EGW on Hebrews 2:14. {7BC 917.3} [7BC 917.4] 12. A Healthful Religious Experience.--"I know whom I have believed." He ［Paul］ does not live under a cloud of doubt, groping his way in the mist and darkness of uncertainty, complaining of hardship and trials. A voice of gladness, strong with hope and courage, sounds all along the line down to our time. Paul had a healthful religious experience. The love of Christ was his grand theme, and the constraining power that governed him (RH Sept. 8, 1885). {7BC 917.4} [7BC 917.5] Chapter 2 1-3, 7, 15. See EGW on 1 Timothy 4:13-16. {7BC 917.5} [7BC 917.6] 1-4. See EGW on ch. 4:1-7. {7BC 917.6} [7BC 917.7] 14. Contentions With a Purpose.--［2 Timothy 2:11-14 quoted.］ What does that mean? It means that there may be contentions over words and over ideas, but they should be to some purpose, they should be to break down the stubbornness and the opposition that is in human hearts in order that their spirits may be softened and subdued, so that when the seeds of truth are dropped into the soil of the heart, they may take root there (MS 13, 1888). {7BC 917.7} [7BC 917.8] 14-16 (2 Timothy 2:23-26; 2 Timothy 4:1-5; Colossians 2:8; see EGW on Revelation 14:1-4; 18:1). Cease All Idle Speculation.--［2 Timothy 2:14 quoted.］ This is a warning appropriate for this time. Then comes a charge which will often need to be given: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Learn to take the truths that have been revealed, and to handle them in such a way that they will be food for the flock of God. {7BC 917.8} [7BC 917.9] We shall meet those who allow their minds to wander into idle speculations about things of which nothing is said in the Word of God. God has spoken in the plainest language upon every subject that affects the salvation of the soul. But He desires us to avoid all day-dreaming, and He says, Go work today in My vineyard. The night cometh wherein no man can work. Cease all idle curiosity; watch, and work, and pray. Study the truths that have been revealed. Christ desires to break up all vacant reveries, and He points us to the fields ripe for the harvest. Unless we work earnestly, eternity will overwhelm us with its burden of responsibility (RH Feb. 5, 1901). {7BC 917.9} [7BC 917.10] 16-18 (Colossians 2:8). Grasping at the Shadows.--We have encouragement in the Scriptures that if we walk humbly before God, we shall receive instruction. But we are warned against undue curiosity. "Shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness," leading into paths of supposition and imagination, with which we have nothing to do. These are vain, unessential theories of human creation, which keep the mind dwelling upon nothingness. They have in them nothing sure or substantial. Of those who advance these theories, Paul says: "Their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some." {7BC 917.10} [7BC 917.11] In the days of the apostles the most foolish heresies were presented as truth. History has been and will be repeated. There will always be those who, though apparently conscientious, will grasp at the shadow, preferring it to the substance. They take error in the place of truth, 918 because error is clothed with a new garment, which they think covers something wonderful. But let the covering be removed, and nothingness appears (RH Feb. 5, 1901). {7BC 917.11} [7BC 918.1] 20 (Matthew 13:47, 48). Both Good and Bad in the Church.--［2 Timothy 2:19, 20 quoted.］ The "great house" represents the church. In the church will be found the vile as well as the precious. The net cast into the sea gathers both good and bad (RH Feb. 5, 1901). {7BC 918.1} [7BC 918.2] 21. Empty Vessels Needed.--What kind of vessels are meet for the Master's use?--Empty vessels. When we empty the soul of every defilement, we are ready for use (RH Feb. 28, 1899). {7BC 918.2} [7BC 918.3] Purification an Individual Work.--"If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work." He is not to accept theories that, if received, would corrupt. He is to purify himself from all unrighteous sentiments, which, if received, would lead away from the sure Word of God to unstable human devisings, degradation, and corruption. He is to resist the working of the enemy through vessels of dishonor. By searching the Scriptures with much prayer, he will find a path to follow, not the path of man, but a path that leads to heaven. {7BC 918.3} [7BC 918.4] The work of purification is an individual work. No one can do this work for another. "If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the Master's use." The Spirit of God will work through sanctified human agencies, leading them to work aright. Ability and grace will be provided. Men will be filled with an earnest desire to preach the truths of the gospel, firmly, decidedly, and in a clear manner (RH Feb. 5, 1901). {7BC 918.4} [7BC 918.5] 23-26 (vs. 14-18; ch. 4:1-5; Colossians 2:8; Revelation 7:3, 4; see EGW on Revelation 3:1-3; 14:1-4). No Place for Prying Curiosity.--There are some things which we need to guard. Letters will come asking questions in regard to the sealing of the people of God, who will be sealed, how many, and other prying questions. I think we must tell them to read and speak of the things that are plainly revealed. We have encouragement in the Word that if we walk humbly with God, we shall receive instruction. But prying curiosity is not to be encouraged. {7BC 918.5} [7BC 918.6] To the second chapter of second Timothy we may refer those who are desirous of originating some new and strange thing, which is the product of the human imagination, and as much below the grand and noble sentiments of Holy Writ as the common is below the sacred. We may answer foolish questions by saying, Wait, and we shall all know what is essential for us to know. Our salvation does not depend on side issues (Letter 58, 1900). {7BC 918.6} [7BC 918.7] Chapter 3 14, 15 (Acts 16:1-3). Timothy's Childhood Training.--Timothy's mother and grandmother were united in their efforts to train him for God. What was his lesson book?--the Bible. Paul, his father in the gospel, declares, "From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures." The faith of the mother and grandmother in the oracles of God was a constant illustration to Timothy of the blessing of doing God's will. {7BC 918.7} [7BC 918.8] When Timothy was little more than a boy, Paul took him with him as his companion in labor. Those who had taught Timothy in his childhood were rewarded by seeing the son of their care linked in close fellowship with the great apostle (MS 117a, 1901). {7BC 918.8} [7BC 918.9] (1 Timothy 4:12.) Influence and Piety of Timothy.--Paul loved Timothy because Timothy loved God. His intelligent knowledge of experimental piety and of the truth gave him distinction and influence. The piety and influence of his home life was not of a cheap order, but pure, sensible, and uncorrupted by false sentiments. The moral influence of his home was substantial, not fitful, not impulsive, not changeable. The Word of God was the rule which guided Timothy. He received his instruction line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little. Impressions of the highest possible order were kept before his mind. His home instructors cooperated with God in educating this young man to bear the burdens that were to come upon him at an early age. . . . 919 {7BC 918.9} [7BC 919.1] We see the advantage that Timothy had in a correct example of piety and true godliness. Religion was the atmosphere of his home. The manifest spiritual power of the piety in the home kept him pure in speech, and free from all corrupting sentiments. From a child Timothy had known the Holy Scriptures. He had the benefit of the Old Testament Scripture, and the manuscript of part of the New, the teachings and lessons of Christ (Letter 33, 1897). {7BC 919.1} [7BC 919.2] 16 (1 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; see EGW on John 17:17). Beyond Finite Comprehension.--There are some that may think they are fully capable with their finite judgment to take the Word of God, and to state what are the words of inspiration, and what are not the words of inspiration. I want to warn you off that ground, my brethren in the ministry. "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." There is no finite man that lives, I care not who he is or whatever is his position, that God has authorized to pick and choose in His Word. {7BC 919.2} [7BC 919.3] It is true that the apostle has said that there are some things that are hard to be understood in the Scriptures. So there are. And if it were not that there are subjects that are difficult and hard to be understood, well might the skeptic who now pleads that God has given a revelation that cannot be understood--well might he, I say--have something else to plead. God's infinity is so much higher than we are, that it is impossible for man to comprehend the mystery of godliness. {7BC 919.3} [7BC 919.4] Angels of God looked with amazement upon Christ, who took upon Himself the form of man and humbly united His divinity with humanity in order that He might minister to fallen man. It is a marvel among the heavenly angels. God has told us that He did do it, and we are to accept the Word of God just as it reads. {7BC 919.4} [7BC 919.5] And although we may try to reason in regard to our Creator, how long He has had existence, where evil first entered into our world, and all these things, we may reason about them until we fall down faint and exhausted with the research when there is yet an infinity beyond. We cannot grasp it, so what man is there that dares to take that Bible and say this part is inspired and that part is not inspired? I would have both my arms taken off at my shoulders before I would ever make the statement or set my judgment upon the Word of God as to what is inspired and what is not inspired. {7BC 919.5} [7BC 919.6] How would finite man know anything about that matter? He is to take the Word of God as it reads, and then to appreciate it as it is, and to bring it into the life and to weave it into the character. There is everything plainly revealed in God's Word which concerns the salvation of men, and if we will take that Word and comprehend it to the very best of our ability, God will help us in its comprehension. {7BC 919.6} [7BC 919.7] Human minds without the special assistance of the Spirit of God will see many things in the Bible very difficult to be understood, because they lack a divine enlightenment. It is not that men should come to the Word of God by setting up their own way, or their own will or their own ideas, but it is to come with a meek and humble and holy spirit. {7BC 919.7} [7BC 919.8] Never attempt to search the Scriptures unless you are ready to listen, unless you are ready to be a learner, unless you are ready to listen to the Word of God as though His voice were speaking directly to you from the living oracles. Never let mortal man sit in judgment upon the Word of God or pass sentence as to how much of this is inspired and how much is not inspired, and that this is more inspired than some other portions. God warns him off that ground. God has not given him any such work to do (MS 13, 1888). {7BC 919.8} [7BC 919.9] (Exodus 3:5.) God's Word Not to Be Dissected.--It takes all of eternity to unfold the glories and bring out the precious treasures of the Word of God. Do not let any living man come to you and begin to dissect God's Word, telling what is revelation, what is inspiration and what is not, without a rebuke. Tell all such they simply do not know. They simply are not able to comprehend the things of the mystery of God. What we want is to inspire faith. We want no one to say, "This I will reject, and this will I receive," but we want to have implicit faith in the Bible as a whole and as it is. 920 {7BC 919.9} [7BC 920.1] We call on you to take your Bible, but do not put a sacrilegious hand upon it, and say, "That is not inspired," simply because somebody else has said so. Not a jot or tittle is ever to be taken from that Word. Hands off, brethren! Do not touch the ark. Do not lay your hand upon it, but let God move. It is with His own power, and He will work in such a manner that He will compass our salvation. We want God to have some room to work. We do not want man's ideas to bind Him about. {7BC 920.1} [7BC 920.2] I know something of the glory of the future life. Once a sister wrote to me and asked if I would not tell her something about the city of our God, further than we have in the Word. She asked me if I could not draw something of its plans. I wrote her that I would have to say to her, "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." "No," said I, "you cannot paint, you cannot picture, and the martyr tongue cannot begin to give any description of the glory of the future life; but I will tell you what you can do: you can 'press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.' You can die to self; you can seek to grow up to the perfection of Christian character in Christ Jesus." That is our work; but when men begin to meddle with God's Word, I want to tell them to take their hands off, for they do not know what they are doing (MS 13, 1888). {7BC 920.2} [7BC 920.3] Chapter 4 1-5 (ch. 2:14-18, 23-26; Romans 1:25; Colossians 2:8). Turning the Truth Into a Lie.--No one is to put truth to the torture by cheap imaginings, by putting a forced, mystical construction upon the Word. Thus they are in danger of turning the truth of God into a lie. There are those who need in their hearts the touch of the divine Spirit. Then the message for this time will be their burden. They will not search for human tests, for something new and strange. The Sabbath of the fourth commandment is the test for this time. . . . {7BC 920.3} [7BC 920.4] There is among young men a burning desire to get hold of something new, even though it be of the cheapest quality. The Lord would not have the mind dwell on unprofitable nothings, seeking for what it will never find. He desires us to seek for a pure, clean soul, a soul washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. It is the white robe of Christ's righteousness that gives the sinner admittance into the presence of the heavenly angels. Not the color of his hair, but his perfect obedience to all God's commandments, opens to him the gates of the Holy City (Letter 207, 1899). {7BC 920.4} [7BC 920.5] 1-7 (ch. 2:1-4). Faithfulness in Ministry.--Paul has almost finished his course, and he desires Timothy to take his place, guarding the churches from the fables and heresies with which Satan and his agents would endeavor to lead them from the truth. He admonishes him to shun temporal pursuits and entanglements, which would prevent him from giving himself wholly to God's work. He is to endure with cheerfulness the opposition, reproach, and persecution to which his faithfulness would expose him. He is to make full proof to his ministry, employing every means of doing good to his fellow men (YI July 10, 1902). {7BC 920.5} [7BC 920.6] 3, 4. See EGW on Acts 20:30; Colossians 2:8; 1 John 4:1. {7BC 920.6} [7BC 920.7] 6-9. See EGW on ch. 1:1, 2. {7BC 920.7} [7BC 920.8] 7, 8. See EGW on Revelation 14:13. {7BC 920.8} [7BC 920.9] 13, 14 (Acts 19:33). Alexander Effects Paul's Final Arrest.--At the house of a disciple in the city of Troas, Paul was again seized, and from this place he was hurried away to his final imprisonment. {7BC 920.9} [7BC 920.10] The arrest was effected by the efforts of Alexander the coppersmith, who had so unsuccessfully opposed the apostle's work at Ephesus, and who now seized the opportunity to be revenged on one whom he could not defeat (LP 305). {7BC 920.10} [7BC 920.11] 13, 16-21. Paul Faces Death Courageously.--Paul concludes his letter with various personal messages, and again and again repeats the urgent request that Timothy use all diligence to come to him soon, and if possible to come before winter. He describes his loneliness from the desertion of some friends and the necessary absence of others, and lest Timothy should still hesitate, fearing that the church at Ephesus demanded his labors, he states that he has already dispatched Tychicus to fill the place of Timothy in his absence. And 921 then he adds the touching request, "The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments." {7BC 920.11} [7BC 921.1] At his second arrest, Paul was seized and hurried away so suddenly that he had no opportunity to gather up his few "books" and "parchments," or even to take with him his cloak. And now winter was coming on, and he knew that he would suffer with cold in his damp prison cell. He had no money to buy another garment, he knew that his end might come at any moment, and with his usual self-forgetfulness and fear to burden the church, he desired that no expense should be incurred on his account (LP 327). {7BC 921.1} [7BC 921.2] 16, 17. Paul and Nero Face to Face.--Paul and Nero face to face!--the countenance of the monarch bearing the shameful record of the passions that raged within; the countenance of the prisoner telling the story of a heart at peace with God and man. The result of opposite systems of education stood that day contrasted--a life of unbounded self-indulgence and a life of entire self-sacrifice. Here were the representatives of two theories of life--all-absorbing selfishness, which counts nothing too valuable to be sacrificed for momentary gratification, and self-denying endurance, ready to give up life itself, if need be, for the good of others (YI July 3, 1902). - {7BC 921.2} [7BC 921.3] Titus Chapter 1 9-11. See EGW on Acts 15:1, 5. {7BC 921.3} [7BC 921.4] Chapter 2 8. See EGW on Colossians 4:6. {7BC 921.4} [7BC 921.5] 10 (Philippians 2:5). Adorning the Doctrine of Christ.--To adorn the doctrine of Christ our Saviour, we must have the same mind which was in Christ. Our likes and dislikes, our desire to favor self to the disadvantage of others must be overcome. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Christ must be in us a living, working power (MS 39, 1896). {7BC 921.5} [7BC 921.6] 11. See EGW on Ephesians 4:7; 1 Peter 1:22. {7BC 921.6} [7BC 921.7] 14. See EGW on Luke 17:10; Romans 3:20-31; Galatians 5:6. {7BC 921.7} [7BC 921.8] Chapter 3 5. See EGW on Luke 17:10; Romans 3:20-31. - {7BC 921.8} [7BC 921.9] Hebrews Chapter 1 3 (Colossians 1:15; 2:9; Colossians 3:10; see EGW on John 1:14; Acts 1:11; 17:28; Ephesians 1:20, 21; Hebrews 2:14-18). The Personality of God.--He ［Christ］ represented God not as an essence that pervaded nature, but as a God who has a personality. Christ was the express image of His Father's person; and He came to our world to restore in man God's moral image, in order that man, although fallen, might through obedience to God's commandments become enstamped with the divine image and character--adorned with the beauty of divine loveliness (MS 24, 1891). {7BC 921.9} [7BC 921.10] 4-14. The Omnipotence of Jesus.--［Hebrews 1:4-12 quoted.］ In this language is represented the omnipotence of the Lord Jesus. He is introduced to the Bible student as the Creator of the world, and was its rightful Ruler. ［Hebrews 1:13, 14 quoted.］ 922 {7BC 921.10} [7BC 922.1] The first chapter of Hebrews contrasts the position of the angels and the position of Christ. God has spoken words concerning Christ that are not to be applied to the angels. They are "sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation," but Christ, as Mediator, is the great Minister in the work of redemption. The Holy Spirit is His representative in our world, to execute the divine purpose of bringing to fallen man power from above, that he may be an overcomer. All who enter into a covenant with Jesus Christ become by adoption the children of God. They are cleansed by the regenerating power of the Word, and angels are commissioned to minister unto them (MS 57, 1907). {7BC 922.1} [7BC 922.2] 6, 8. See EGW on ch. 3:1-3; 1:1-3, 14; Colossians 2:9. {7BC 922.2} [7BC 922.3] 8. See EGW on John 1:1-3. {7BC 922.3} [7BC 922.4] 14 (see EGW on Acts 10:1-6; Revelation 5:11). Power and Efficiency for the Church.--Divine ministration is needed to give power and efficiency to the church in this world. God's family on earth, subject to temptations and trials, is very near to His heart of love. He has ordained that communication be kept up between heavenly intelligences and His children on this earth. Angels from the courts above are sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation (MS 142, 1899). {7BC 922.4} [7BC 922.5] (James 4:8.) Good Angels Restrain Satan.--God has angels whose whole work is to draw those who shall be heirs of salvation. Whenever one takes a step toward Jesus, Jesus is taking steps toward him. The angels' work is to keep back the powers of Satan (MS 17, 1893). {7BC 922.5} [7BC 922.6] (Ephesians 6:12.) To the Aid of Tempted Souls.--Heavenly angels are commissioned to watch the sheep of Christ's pasture. When Satan with his deceptive snares would deceive if possible the very elect, these angels set in operation influences that will save the tempted souls if they will take heed to the Word of the Lord, realize their danger, and say: "No, I will not enter into that scheme of Satan. I have an Elder Brother on the throne in heaven, who has shown that He has a tender interest in me, and I will not grieve His heart of love. I know and am assured that He is watching over His children, keeping them as the apple of His eye. There is no diminishing of His love. I will not grieve the heart of Christ; I will try not to become a tempter to others" (Letter 52, 1906). {7BC 922.6} [7BC 922.7] (Revelation 5:9-12.) Angels Share in the Final Triumph.--As invisible agencies, angels are working through human beings to proclaim the commandments of God. Angels have far more to do with the human family than many suppose. Speaking of the angels, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" {7BC 922.7} [7BC 922.8] Holy angels will join in the song of the redeemed. Though they cannot sing from experimental knowledge, "He hath washed us in His own blood, and redeemed us unto God," yet they understand the great peril from which the people of God have been saved. Were they not sent to lift up for them a standard against the enemy? They can fully sympathize with the glowing ecstasy of those who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony (Letter 79, 1900). {7BC 922.8} [7BC 922.9] Angels Cooperate With Human Agencies.--Holy, ministering agencies of heaven are cooperating with human agencies to lead into safe paths all who love truth and righteousness. It is the greatest joy of the angels of heaven to spread the shield of their tender love over souls who turn to God; and Satan fights determinedly to retain every soul that has had light and evidence. His fierce, unabated desire is to destroy every soul possible. Will you choose to stand under his banner? {7BC 922.9} [7BC 922.10] Angelic agencies are standing firm, determined that he shall not obtain the victory. They would recover every soul in our world who is under Satan's banner if these poor souls would not so eagerly seek to keep out of and away from their merciful ministrations and rescuing power. Their deep and earnest love for the souls for whom Christ has died is beyond measurement. They would make these deceived souls intelligent in regard to how they might arm themselves and break the spell which Satan has cast upon them. {7BC 922.10} [7BC 922.11] If they would only look unto Jesus, and for one moment discern truly, sincerely, what love has been expressed in the sacrifice 923 which has been made for them! If only they could see the determined efforts of Satan to eclipse by his hellish shadow every ray of light that would come into the mind and heart of persons now dead in trespasses and sins! O that they would awake from their torpor as the whole world will soon awake by the trumpet of God, which will announce His appearing! . . . {7BC 922.11} [7BC 923.1] Angels are keeping back the destroying agencies; for they have an intense interest for these rebellious sons, and they want to help them to return to the fold in safety and peace, that they may finally be overcomers, and be saved, eternally saved with the family of God in heaven (MS 29, 1900). {7BC 923.1} [7BC 923.2] (John 17:21.) Heavenly Atmosphere Brought to Earth.--The work of these heavenly beings is to prepare the inhabitants of this world to become children of God, pure, holy, undefiled. But men, though professing to be followers of Christ, do not place themselves in a position where they can understand this ministry, and thus the work of the heavenly messengers is made hard. The angels, who do always behold the face of the Father in heaven, would prefer to remain close by the side of God, in the pure and holy atmosphere of heaven; but a work must be done in bringing this heavenly atmosphere to the souls who are tempted and tried, that Satan may not disqualify them for the place the Lord would have them fill in the heavenly courts. {7BC 923.2} [7BC 923.3] Principalities and powers in heavenly places combine with these angels in their ministration for those who shall be heirs of salvation. But how sad it is that this work is hindered by the coarseness, the roughness, the worldly-mindedness of men and women who are so desirous of securing their own ends, of gratifying their own wishes, that they lose sight of the Word of God, which should be their instructor and their guide. {7BC 923.3} [7BC 923.4] The Lord gives to every angel his work for this fallen world. Divine help is provided for men and women. They have the opportunity of cooperating with the heavenly intelligences, of being laborers together with God. There is placed before them the possibility of gaining a fitness for the presence of God, of being enabled to see His face. Heavenly angels are working to bring the human family into a close brotherhood, a oneness described by Christ as like that existing between the Father and the Son. How can men so highly favored by God fail to appreciate their opportunities and privileges? How can they refuse to accept the divine help proffered? How much it is possible for human beings to gain if they will keep eternity in view! {7BC 923.4} [7BC 923.5] Satanic agencies are always warring for the mastery over the human mind, but the angels of God are constantly at work, strengthening the weak hands and confirming the feeble knees of all who call upon God for help (RH July 4, 1899). {7BC 923.5} [7BC 923.6] The Line of Heavenly Communication.--The angels of God are communicating with and guarding His people, and are pressing back the powers of darkness that they shall not have any control over those who shall be heirs of salvation. Are we working in harmony with the angels? This is the line of communication the Lord has established with the children of men (MS 1, 1890). {7BC 923.6} [7BC 923.7] A Special Work for Each Angel.--The Lord Jesus has a special work appointed for each of the angelic family. Human agencies have also an appointed work to do in behalf of their own souls and the souls of others saved through their influence. The angels of God will make effectual the work of men. . . . {7BC 923.7} [7BC 923.8] They have an intense desire that human agencies shall come where they will find a refuge. The angels had a constant guardianship over Christ from His birth until His reception into the heavenly courts. . . . Angels are working through human agents who will be worked, to bring sinners to God. . . . {7BC 923.8} [7BC 923.9] O that those who are halting between two opinions could only understand the agencies continually at work to keep at bay the armies of the power of darkness! By presenting earthly advantages or earthly obstacles to defeat the purposes of God, and by various other methods, Satan would intercept every ray of light from the messengers of God. But if the curtain could 924 be rolled back, and eyes now blind to the invisible agencies could view with restored spiritual vision the conflict continually going on in behalf of the souls perishing away from Christ, what a difference would be made in the working of the agencies in this world! Decided advance movements would be made. Without delay their entire influence for good would be thrown on the side of Christ. They would behold the intense interest of the angels of God in behalf of souls who are throwing away the opportunities and privileges now so valuable to them to obtain an experimental knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom He has sent (MS 29, 1900). {7BC 923.9} [7BC 924.1] Chapter 2 9. See EGW on Matthew 27:21, 22, 29. {7BC 924.1} [7BC 924.2] 10 (ch. 5:8, 9; Isaiah 53:10). Sundering of the Divine Powers.--The Captain of our salvation was perfected through suffering. His soul was made an offering for sin. It was necessary for the awful darkness to gather about His soul because of the withdrawal of the Father's love and favor; for He was standing in the sinner's place, and this darkness every sinner must experience. The righteous One must suffer the condemnation and wrath of God, not in vindictiveness; for the heart of God yearned with greatest sorrow when His Son, the guiltless, was suffering the penalty of sin. This sundering of the divine powers will never again occur throughout the eternal ages (MS 93, 1899). {7BC 924.2} [7BC 924.3] 14 (see EGW on Matthew 27:50; 3:14-17). Satan Vanquished at the Cross.--He ［Christ］ vanquished Satan in the same nature over which in Eden Satan obtained the victory. The enemy was overcome by Christ in His human nature. The power of the Saviour's Godhead was hidden. He overcame in human nature, relying upon God for power (YI April 25, 1901). {7BC 924.3} [7BC 924.4] (Ch. 12:3; Genesis 3:15; 2 Timothy 1:10; 1 Peter 2:24.) Christ Triumphant in Death.--Christ was nailed to the cross, but He gained the victory. The whole force of evil gathered itself together in an effort to destroy Him who was the Light of the world, the Truth that makes men wise unto salvation. But no advantage was gained by this confederacy. With every advance move, Satan was bringing nearer his eternal ruin. Christ was indeed enduring the contradiction of sinners against Himself. But every pang of suffering that He bore helped tear away the foundation of the enemy's kingdom. Satan bruised Christ's heel, but Christ bruised Satan's head. Through death the Saviour destroyed him that had the power of death. In the very act of grasping his prey, death was vanquished; for by dying, Christ brought to light life and immortality through the gospel. {7BC 924.4} [7BC 924.5] Never was the Son of God more beloved by His Father, by the heavenly family, and by the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds, than when He humbled Himself to bear disgrace, humiliation, shame, and abuse. By becoming the sin bearer, He lifted from the human race the curse of sin. In His own body He paid the penalty of that on which the power of Satan over humanity is founded--sin (YI June 28, 1900). {7BC 924.5} [7BC 924.6] 14-18 (ch. 1:3; John 1:1-3, 14; Philippians 2:5-8; see EGW on Mark 16:6; Luke 22:44; Romans 5:12-19; Hebrews 3:1-3). God Reached Humanity Through Humanity.-- Christ alone was able to represent the Deity. He who had been in the presence of the Father from the beginning, He who was the express image of the invisible God, was alone sufficient to accomplish this work. No verbal description could reveal God to the world. Through a life of purity, a life of perfect trust and submission to the will of God, a life of humiliation such as even the highest seraph in heaven would have shrunk from, God Himself must be revealed to humanity. In order to do this, our Saviour clothed His divinity with humanity. He employed the human faculties, for only by adopting these could He be comprehended by humanity. Only humanity could reach humanity. He lived out the character of God through the human body which God had prepared for Him. He blessed the world by living out in human flesh the life of God, thus showing that He had the power to unite humanity to divinity (RH June 25, 1895). {7BC 924.6} [7BC 924.7] Christ Took Our Place in the Universe.--Under the mighty impulse of His love, He took our place in the universe, and invited the Ruler of all things to treat Him as a representative of the human family. 925 He identified Himself with our interests, bared His breast for the stroke of death, took man's guilt and its penalty, and offered in man's behalf a complete sacrifice to God. By virtue of this atonement, He has power to offer to man perfect righteousness and full salvation. Whosoever shall believe on Him as a personal Saviour shall not perish, but have everlasting life (RH April 18, 1893). {7BC 924.7} [7BC 925.1] Christ Met Man as Man.--Leaving the royal courts of heaven Christ came to our world to represent the character of His Father, and thus help humanity to return to their loyalty. The image of Satan was upon men, and Christ came that He might bring to them moral power and efficiency. He came as a helpless babe, bearing the humanity we bear. "As the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same." He could not come in the form of an angel; for unless He met man as man, and testified by His connection with God that divine power was not given to Him in a different way to what it will be given to us, He could not be a perfect example for us. He came in humility, in order that the humblest being upon the face of the earth could have no excuse because of his poverty, or ignorance, and say, Because of these things, I cannot obey the law of Jehovah. Christ clothed His divinity with humanity, that humanity might touch humanity; that He might live with humanity and bear all the trials and afflictions of man. He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. In His humanity He understood all the temptations that will come to man (MS 21, 1895). {7BC 925.1} [7BC 925.2] (1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:1, 2; Revelation 3:4.) The Subdued Glory of the Human Christ.--As we view Christ by the eye of faith, we see the necessity of becoming pure in thought and holy in character. Christ invites us to draw near to Him, and promises that He will draw nigh to us. Looking upon Him, we behold the invisible God, who clothed His divinity with humanity in order that through humanity He might shed forth a subdued and softened glory, so that our eyes might be enabled to rest upon Him, and our souls not be extinguished by His undimmed splendor. We behold God through Christ, our Creator and Redeemer. It is our privilege to contemplate Jesus by faith, and see Him standing between humanity and the eternal throne. He is our Advocate, presenting our prayers and offerings as spiritual sacrifices to God. Jesus is the great sinless propitiation, and through His merit, God and man may hold converse together. {7BC 925.2} [7BC 925.3] Christ has carried His humanity into eternity. He stands before God as the representative of our race. When we are clothed with the wedding garment of His righteousness, we become one with Him, and He says of us, "They shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy." His saints will behold Him in His glory, with no dimming veil between (YI Oct. 28, 1897). {7BC 925.3} [7BC 925.4] (Isaiah 59:20.) Human Nature but Not Human Sinfulness.--He ［Christ］ was to take His position at the head of humanity by taking the nature but not the sinfulness of man. In heaven was heard the voice, "The Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord" (ST May 29, 1901). {7BC 925.4} [7BC 925.5] (Ch. 9:11-14, 22; Ruth 4:13, 14.) God of the Living and the Dead.-- As the sin bearer, and priest and representative of man before God, He entered into the life of humanity, bearing our flesh and blood. The life is in the living, vital current of blood, which blood was given for the life of the world. Christ made a full atonement, giving His life as a ransom for us. He was born without a taint of sin, but came into the world in like manner as the human family. He did not have a mere semblance of a body, but He took human nature, participating in the life of humanity. {7BC 925.5} [7BC 925.6] According to the law Christ Himself gave, the forfeited inheritance was ransomed by the nearest of kin. Jesus Christ laid off His royal robe, His kingly crown, and clothed His divinity with humanity, in order to become a substitute and surety for humanity, that dying in humanity He might by His death destroy him who had the power of death. He could not have done this as God, but by coming as man Christ could die. By death He overcame death. The death of Christ bore to the 926 death him who had the power of death, and opened the gates of the tomb for all who receive Him as their personal Saviour. {7BC 925.6} [7BC 926.1] Christ proclaimed over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, "I am the resurrection and the life." He, the world's Redeemer, has bruised the serpent's head, depriving him of all power ever to make men feel his scorpion sting; for He has brought life and immortality to light. The gates of eternal life are thrown open to all who believe on Jesus Christ. All believers who pass through a natural death, have, through eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God, eternal life in them, which is the life of Jesus Christ. In dying, Jesus has made it impossible for those who believe on Him to die eternally. . . . {7BC 926.1} [7BC 926.2] Christ lived and died as a man, that He might be God both of the living and of the dead. It was to make it impossible for men to lose eternal life if they believe on Him. The life of men and women is precious in the sight of God; for Christ has purchased that life by being executed in their stead. Thus He made it possible for us to attain to immortality (Letter 97, 1898). {7BC 926.2} [7BC 926.3] Creator and Creature United in Christ.--In Christ were united the divine and the human--the Creator and the creature. The nature of God, whose law had been transgressed, and the nature of Adam, the transgressor, meet in Jesus--the Son of God, and the Son of man. And having with His own blood paid the price of redemption, having passed through man's experience, having in man's behalf met and conquered temptation, having, though Himself sinless, borne the shame and guilt and burden of sin, He becomes man's Advocate and Intercessor. What an assurance here to the tempted and struggling soul, what an assurance to the witnessing universe, that Christ will be "a merciful and faithful high priest" (MS 141, 1901)! {7BC 926.3} [7BC 926.4] Edenic Mind of Man Restored.--Jesus became a man that He might mediate between man and God. He clothed His divinity with humanity, He associated with the human race, that with His long human arm He might encircle humanity, and with His divine arm grasp the throne of Divinity. And this, that He might restore to man the original mind which he lost in Eden through Satan's alluring temptation; that man might realize that it is for his present and eternal good to obey the requirements of God. Disobedience is not in accordance with the nature which God gave to man in Eden (Letter 121, 1897). {7BC 926.4} [7BC 926.5] (2 Peter 1:4.) A Divine Culture for Christians.--Divine culture brings perfection. If in connection with God the work is carried forward, the human agent, through Christ, will day by day gain victory and honor in the battle. Through the grace given he will overcome, and will be placed on vantage ground. In his relation to Christ he will be bone of His bone, flesh of His flesh, one with Christ in a peculiar relationship, because Christ took the humanity of man. He became subject to temptation, endangering as it were, His divine attributes. Satan sought, by the constant and curious devices of his cunning, to make Christ yield to temptation. Man must pass over the ground over which Christ has passed. As Christ overcame every temptation which Satan brought against Him, so man is to overcome. And those who strive earnestly to overcome are brought into a oneness with Christ that the angels in heaven can never know. {7BC 926.5} [7BC 926.6] The divine culture of men and women will be carried forward to completion only as they are partakers of the divine nature. Thus they may overcome as Christ overcame in their behalf. Through the grace given, fallen man may be placed on vantage ground. Through toil, through patient trust and faith in Jesus Christ, through faithful continuance in well-doing, he may rise to spiritual victory (Letter 5, 1900). {7BC 926.6} [7BC 926.7] Full Obedience Possible Through Christ.--Christ came to the earth, taking humanity and standing as man's representative, to show in the controversy with Satan that man, as God created him, connected with the Father and the Son, could obey every divine requirement (ST June 9, 1898). {7BC 926.7} [7BC 926.8] 16 (Philippians 2:5-8). Jesus the Friend of Sinners.--Jesus came to the world not as an angel of light; we could not have endured His glory if He had come thus. One angel at the tomb of Christ was of such exceeding brightness that the Roman guard fell powerless to the ground. As the angel came 927 from the heavens, he parted the darkness from his track, and the sentinels could not endure his glory; they fell as dead men to the earth. Suppose that Jesus had come in the glory of an angel, His brightness would have extinguished the feeble life of mortal men. {7BC 926.8} [7BC 927.1] For our sake Jesus emptied Himself of His glory; He clothed His divinity with humanity that He might touch humanity, that His personal presence might be among us, that we might know that He was acquainted with all our trials, and sympathized with our grief, that every son and daughter of Adam might understand that Jesus is the friend of sinners (ST April 18, 1892). {7BC 927.1} [7BC 927.2] Not Angelic but Human Nature.--The Lord Jesus has made a great sacrifice in order to meet man where he is. He took not on Him the nature of angels. He did not come to save angels. It is the seed of Abraham that He is helping. "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Christ helps humanity by taking human nature (Letter 97, 1898). {7BC 927.2} [7BC 927.3] 17 (Philippians 2:7, 8; Colossians 2:10; 1:4; see EGW on Hebrews 4:14-16). Christ Took Humanity Into Himself.--By His obedience to all the commandments of God, Christ wrought out a redemption for man. This was not done by going out of Himself to another, but by taking humanity into Himself. Thus Christ gave to humanity an existence out of Himself. To bring humanity into Christ, to bring the fallen race into oneness with divinity, is the work of redemption. Christ took human nature that men might be one with Him as He is one with the Father, that God may love man as He loves His only-begotten Son, that men may be partakers of the divine nature, and be complete in Him (RH April 5, 1906). {7BC 927.3} [7BC 927.4] 18 (chs. 4:15; 5:7, 8; John 14:30; see EGW on Matthew 4:1-11; 1 John 2:1). The Refined Sensibilities of Jesus.--Would that we could comprehend the significance of the words, Christ "suffered being tempted." While He was free from the taint of sin, the refined sensibilities of His holy nature rendered contact with evil unspeakably painful to Him. Yet with human nature upon Him, He met the archapostate face to face, and single-handed withstood the foe of His throne. Not even by a thought could Christ be brought to yield to the power of temptation. {7BC 927.4} [7BC 927.5] Satan finds in human hearts some point where he can gain a foothold; some sinful desire is cherished, by means of which his temptations assert their power. But Christ declared of Himself, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." The storms of temptation burst upon Him, but they could not cause Him to swerve from His allegiance to God (RH Nov. 8, 1887). {7BC 927.5} [7BC 927.6] Jesus Not Pulled or Crowded Into Sin.--Have we forgotten that Jesus, the Majesty of heaven, suffered being tempted? Jesus did not allow the enemy to pull Him into the mire of unbelief, or crowd Him into the mire of despondency and despair. But many poor souls are feeble in moral power because they do not do the words of Christ (Letter 43, 1892). {7BC 927.6} [7BC 927.7] Power Assured for the Children of Faith.--Christ in the weakness of humanity was to meet the temptations of one possessing the powers of the higher nature that God had bestowed on the angelic family. But Christ's humanity was united with divinity, and in this strength He would bear all the temptations that Satan could bring against Him, and yet keep His soul untainted by sin. And this power to overcome He would give to every son and daughter of Adam who would accept by faith the righteous attributes of His character (RH Jan. 28, 1909). {7BC 927.7} [7BC 927.8] Chapter 3 1-3 (chs. 1:6-8; 2:14-18; Philippians 2:5-8). A Heavier Retribution Than Israel's.--［Hebrews 3:1-3 quoted.］ Because of the unbelief manifested toward Christ, the originator and foundation of the whole Jewish economy, a heavier retribution will come upon men than befell unbelieving Israel in the wilderness. Moses was the prophet by whom God communicated to the church in the wilderness; but great as was Moses, a greater than he is the Son of God, who builded the house. {7BC 927.8} [7BC 927.9] The presence of Jesus Christ, enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, followed this people in 928 their wilderness wandering. The Angel of the covenant came in the name of God, as the invisible leader of Israel. The Son of God over His own house is higher than Moses, higher than the highest angel. He bears the name of Jehovah upon His miter, while on His breastplate is written the name of Israel. Christ took humanity that humanity might touch humanity. In the form of man He humbled Himself, and became a servant, but as the Son of God He was higher than the angels. By His life in humanity man may become a partaker of the divine nature. As the Majesty of heaven, He was exalted above the angels, and in His work of redemption He carries with Him all who have received Him and believed on His name (Letter 97, 1898). {7BC 927.9} [7BC 928.1] 3. See EGW on John 1:14. {7BC 928.1} [7BC 928.2] 6. See EGW on ch. 4:14; Revelation 3:3. {7BC 928.2} [7BC 928.3] 12 (ch. 11:6). No Encouragement Given for Unbelief.--There is no encouragement given for unbelief. The Lord manifests His grace and His power over and over again, and this should teach us that it is always profitable under all circumstances to cherish faith, to talk faith, to act faith. We are not to have our hearts and hands weakened by allowing the suggestions of suspicious minds to plant in our hearts the seeds of doubt and distrust ［Hebrews 3:12 quoted］ (Letter 97, 1898). {7BC 928.3} [7BC 928.4] Study to Believe and Obey.--The Lord works in cooperation with the will and action of the human agent. It is the privilege and duty of every man to take God at His word, to believe in Jesus as his personal Saviour, and to respond eagerly, immediately, to the gracious propositions which He makes. He is to study to believe and obey the divine instruction in the Scriptures. He is to base his faith not on feeling but upon the evidence and the Word of God (MS 3, 1895). {7BC 928.4} [7BC 928.5] 14. See EGW on ch. 4:15. {7BC 928.5} [7BC 928.6] Chapter 4 1. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 5:11. {7BC 928.6} [7BC 928.7] 9, 11 (see EGW on Proverbs 31:27). The Rest Obtained by Labor.-- ［Hebrews 4:9, 11 quoted.］ The rest here spoken of is the rest of grace, obtained by following the prescription, Labor diligently. Those who learn of Jesus His meekness and lowliness find rest in the experience of practicing His lessons. It is not in indolence, in selfish ease and pleasure-seeking, that rest is obtained. Those who are unwilling to give the Lord faithful, earnest, loving service will not find spiritual rest in this life or in the life to come. Only from earnest labor comes peace and joy in the Holy Spirit--happiness on earth and glory hereafter. {7BC 928.7} [7BC 928.8] Let us therefore labor. Speak often words that will be a strength and an inspiration to those who hear. We are altogether too indifferent in regard to one another. We forget that our fellow laborers are often in need of words of hope and cheer. When one is in trouble, call upon him and speak comforting words to him. This is true friendship (MS 42, 1901). {7BC 928.8} [7BC 928.9] 12 (see EGW on John 17:17). Cutting Away the Surplus of Self.-- Practical truth must be brought into the life, and the Word, like a sharp, two-edged sword, must cut away the surplus of self that there is in our characters ［Hebrews 4:12 quoted］ (Letter 5, 1897). {7BC 928.9} [7BC 928.10] Transforming Power of the Word.--The Word makes the proud humble, the perverse meek and contrite, the disobedient obedient. The sinful habits natural to man are interwoven with the daily practice. But the Word cuts away the fleshly lusts. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the mind. It divides the joints and marrow, cutting away the lusts of the flesh, making men willing to suffer for their Lord (MS 42, 1901). {7BC 928.10} [7BC 928.11] 13. See EGW on Proverbs 16:2; Revelation 3:1-4; 20:12, 13. {7BC 928.11} [7BC 928.12] 14 (chs. 3:6, 14; 10:23; see EGW on Revelation 3:3). Questions to Ponder.--［Hebrews 4:14 quoted.］ What is our profession? We profess to be following Christ. We claim to be Christians. Do we, then, reveal the Christlikeness? Do we serve the Saviour intelligently? Does the love of God continually flow from us to others? Do we, in word and action, confess our Redeemer? Do we conform our lives to His holy principles? Are we pure and undefiled? Christians must hold the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end. It is not enough to profess the faith. There must be a 929 patient endurance of all trials and a brave resistance to all temptations. Faith can be maintained only by bringing the Christian religion to the test of practice, thus demonstrating its transforming power and the faithfulness of its promises (MS 42, 1901). {7BC 928.12} [7BC 929.1] 14-16 (chs. 2:17; 7:24-26; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1). Phases of Christ's Priesthood.--［Hebrews 4:15 quoted.］ The Son of God . . . has fulfilled His pledge, and has passed into the heavens, to take upon Himself the government of the heavenly host. He fulfilled one phase of His priesthood by dying on the cross for the fallen race. He is now fulfilling another phase by pleading before the Father the case of the repenting, believing sinner, presenting to God the offerings of His people. Having taken human nature and in this nature having overcome the temptations of the enemy, and having divine perfection, to Him has been committed the judgment of the world. The case of each one will be brought in review before Him. He will pronounce judgment, rendering to every man according to his works (MS 42, 1901). {7BC 929.1} [7BC 929.2] 15 (ch. 3:14; Matthew 4:1-11; 19:17; John 10:30; 2 Peter 1:4; Revelation 3:21; see EGW on Mark 16:6; John 1:1-3, 14; Romans 5:12-19; Colossians 2:9, 10; 1 John 2:1). No trace of Imperfection in Christ.--Those who claim that it was not possible for Christ to sin, cannot believe that He really took upon Himself human nature. But was not Christ actually tempted, not only by Satan in the wilderness, but all through His life, from childhood to manhood? In all points He was tempted as we are, and because He successfully resisted temptation under every form, He gave man the perfect example, and through the ample provision Christ has made, we may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption which is in the world through lust. {7BC 929.2} [7BC 929.3] Jesus says, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Here is the beginning of our confidence which we must hold steadfast unto the end. If Jesus resisted Satan's temptations, He will help us to resist. He came to bring divine power to combine with human effort. {7BC 929.3} [7BC 929.4] Jesus was free from all sin and error; there was not a trace of imperfection in His life or character. He maintained spotless purity under circumstances the most trying. True, He declared, "There is none good but one, that is, God"; but again He said, "I and my Father are one." Jesus speaks of Himself as well as the Father as God, and claims for Himself perfect righteousness (MS 141, 1901). {7BC 929.4} [7BC 929.5] The Obedience of a God or a Man?--Christ's overcoming and obedience is that of a true human being. In our conclusions, we make many mistakes because of our erroneous views of the human nature of our Lord. When we give to His human nature a power that it is not possible for man to have in his conflicts with Satan, we destroy the completeness of His humanity. His imputed grace and power He gives to all who receive Him by faith. {7BC 929.5} [7BC 929.6] The obedience of Christ to His Father was the same obedience that is required of man. Man cannot overcome Satan's temptations without divine power to combine with his instrumentality. So with Jesus Christ; He could lay hold of divine power. He came not to our world to give the obedience of a lesser God to a greater, but as a man to obey God's holy law, and in this way He is our example. The Lord Jesus came to our world, not to reveal what a God could do, but what a man could do, through faith in God's power to help in every emergency. Man is, through faith, to be a partaker in the divine nature, and to overcome every temptation wherewith he is beset. {7BC 929.6} [7BC 929.7] The Lord now demands that every son and daughter of Adam, through faith in Jesus Christ, serve Him in human nature which we now have. The Lord Jesus has bridged the gulf that sin has made. He has connected earth with heaven, and finite man with the infinite God. Jesus, the world's Redeemer, could only keep the commandments of God in the same way that humanity can keep them (MS 1, 1892). {7BC 929.7} [7BC 929.8] (Ch. 2:14.) Christ Kept the Level of Humanity.--Satan thought that by his temptations he could delude the world's Redeemer to make one bold move in manifesting His divine power. . . . 930 {7BC 929.8} [7BC 930.1] It was a difficult task for the Prince of life to carry out the plan which He had undertaken for the salvation of man, in clothing His divinity with humanity. He had received honor in the heavenly courts, and was familiar with absolute power. It was as difficult for Him to keep the level of humanity as for men to rise above the low level of their depraved natures, and be partakers of the divine nature. {7BC 930.1} [7BC 930.2] Christ was put to the closest test, requiring the strength of all His faculties to resist the inclination when in danger, to use His power to deliver Himself from peril, and triumph over the power of the prince of darkness. Satan showed his knowledge of the weak points of the human heart, and put forth his utmost power to take advantage of the weakness of the humanity which Christ had assumed in order to overcome his temptations on man's account (RH April 1, 1875). {7BC 930.2} [7BC 930.3] No Particular Adaptation for Obedience.--We need not place the obedience of Christ by itself, as something for which He was particularly adapted, by His particular divine nature, for He stood before God as man's representative and was tempted as man's substitute and surety. If Christ had a special power which it is not the privilege of man to have, Satan would have made capital of this matter. The work of Christ was to take from the claims of Satan his control of man, and He could do this only in the way that He came--a man, tempted as a man, rendering the obedience of a man (MS 1, 1892). {7BC 930.3} [7BC 930.4] (2 Corinthians 5:19) God Endured Temptation in Christ.--God was in Christ in human form, and endured all the temptations wherewith man was beset; in our behalf He participated in the suffering and trials of sorrowful human nature (SW Dec. 10, 1907). {7BC 930.4} [7BC 930.5] 15, 16. See EGW on Ephesians 2:18. {7BC 930.5} [7BC 930.6] 16. See EGW on Matthew 3:13-17. {7BC 930.6} [7BC 930.7] Chapter 5 5, 6 (ch. 4:15, 16; 2:1). Christ Appointed to the Priesthood.--Christ glorified not Himself in being made High Priest. God gave Him His appointment to the priesthood. He was to be an example to all the human family. He qualified Himself to be, not only the representative of the race, but their Advocate, so that every soul if he will may say, I have a Friend at court. He is a High Priest that can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities (MS 101, 1897). {7BC 930.7} [7BC 930.8] 7, 8. See EGW on ch. 2:18. {7BC 930.8} [7BC 930.9] 8, 9. See EGW on ch. 2:10. {7BC 930.9} [7BC 930.10] 9-12. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 3:1, 2. {7BC 930.10} [7BC 930.11] Chapter 6 19 (chs. 10:19, 20; 11:27; see EGW on Matthew 27:51). A Faith That Pierces the Veil.--Our faith must pierce beyond the veil, seeing things that are invisible. No one else can look for you. You must behold for yourself. In the place of murmuring for blessings that are withheld, let us remember and appreciate the blessings already bestowed (MS 42, 1901). {7BC 930.11} [7BC 930.12] Chapter 7 17 (Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 110:4). A High Priest After the Order of Melchisedec.--The high priest was designed in an especial manner to represent Christ, who was to become a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. This order of priesthood was not to pass to another, or be superseded by another (Redemption: The First Advent of Christ, p. 14). {7BC 930.12} [7BC 930.13] 22. See EGW on ch. 8:6, 7. {7BC 930.13} [7BC 930.14] 24-26. See EGW on ch. 4:14-16. {7BC 930.14} [7BC 930.15] 24-28. See EGW on Romans 8:26, 34. {7BC 930.15} [7BC 930.16] 25 (ch. 9:24; Romans 8:34; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:1; see EGW on Romans 3:20-31; Hebrews 9:11, 12; 10:19-21). "I Will Take Their Sins."--What is Christ doing in heaven? He is interceding for us. By His work the threshold of heaven is flushed with the glory of God which will shine upon every soul who will open the windows of the soul heavenward. As the prayers of the sincere and contrite ones ascend to heaven Christ says to the Father, "I will take their sins. Let them stand before you innocent." As He takes their sins from them, He fills their hearts with the glorious light of truth and love (MS 28, 1901). {7BC 930.16} [7BC 930.17] (Ch. 8:1, 2; 2 Peter 1:10; Revelation 8:3, 4.) The Terms of Our Election.--［Hebrews 7:25 quoted］. By His spotless life, His obedience, His death on the cross of Calvary, Christ interceded for the lost race. And now not 931 as a mere petitioner does the Captain of our salvation intercede for us, but as a conqueror claiming His victory. His offering is complete, and as our intercessor He executes His self-appointed work, holding before God the censer containing His own spotless merits and the prayers, confessions, and thanksgiving of His people. Perfumed with the fragrance of His righteousness, the incense ascends to God as a sweet savor. The offering is wholly acceptable, and pardon covers all transgression. To the true believer Christ is indeed the minister of the sanctuary, officiating for him in the sanctuary, and speaking through God's appointed agencies. {7BC 930.17} [7BC 931.1] Christ is able to save to the uttermost all who come to Him in faith. He will cleanse them from all defilement if they will let Him. But if they cling to their sins, they cannot possibly be saved; for Christ's righteousness covers no sin unrepented of. God has declared that those who receive Christ as their Redeemer, accepting Him as the One who takes away all sin, will receive pardon for their transgressions. These are the terms of our election. Man's salvation depends upon his receiving Christ by faith. Those who will not receive Him lose eternal life because they refused to avail themselves of the only means provided by the Father and the Son for the salvation of a perishing world (MS 142, 1899). {7BC 931.1} [7BC 931.2] Personal Character of Christ's Intercession.--Christ is watching. He knows all about our burdens, our dangers, and our difficulties; and He fills His mouth with arguments in our behalf. He fits His intercessions to the needs of each soul, as He did in the case of Peter. . . . Our Advocate fills His mouth with arguments to teach His tried, tempted ones to brace against Satan's temptations. He interprets every movement of the enemy. He orders events (Letter 90, 1906). {7BC 931.2} [7BC 931.3] 25-27. See EGW on Romans 8:34. {7BC 931.3} [7BC 931.4] 26. See EGW on ch. 9:14. {7BC 931.4} [7BC 931.5] Chapter 8 1. See EGW on 1 Timothy 2:5. {7BC 931.5} [7BC 931.6] 1, 2 (Romans 12:4, 5; 1 Corinthians 12:27; see EGW on Romans 8:26, 34; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24). Tabernacle a Type of the Christian Church.--The Jewish tabernacle was a type of the Christian church. . . . The church on earth, composed of those who are faithful and loyal to God, is the "true tabernacle," whereof the Redeemer is the minister. God, and not man, pitched this tabernacle on a high, elevated platform. {7BC 931.6} [7BC 931.7] This tabernacle is Christ's body, and from north, south, east, and west He gathers those who shall help to compose it. . . . A holy tabernacle is built up of those who receive Christ as their personal Saviour. . . . Christ is the minister of the true tabernacle, the high priest of all who believe in Him as a personal Saviour (ST Feb. 14, 1900). {7BC 931.7} [7BC 931.8] 5. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 3:7-11. {7BC 931.8} [7BC 931.9] 5-13 (chs. 10:16-18; 12:24; Jeremiah 31:31; John 1:12). New Covenant Grounded on Mercy.--The blessings of the new covenant are grounded purely on mercy in forgiving unrighteousness and sins. The Lord specifies, I will do thus and thus unto all who turn to Me, forsaking the evil and choosing the good. "I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." All who humble their hearts, confessing their sins, will find mercy and grace and assurance. Has God, in showing mercy to the sinner, ceased to be just? Has He dishonored His holy law, and will He henceforth pass over the violation of it? God is true. He changes not. The conditions of salvation are ever the same. Life, eternal life, is for all who will obey God's law. . . . {7BC 931.9} [7BC 931.10] Under the new covenant, the conditions by which eternal life may be gained are the same as under the old--perfect obedience. Under the old covenant, there were many offenses of a daring, presumptuous character, for which there was no atonement specified by law. In the new and better covenant, Christ has fulfilled the law for the transgressors of law, if they receive Him by faith as a personal Saviour. "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God." Mercy and forgiveness are the reward of all who come to Christ trusting in His merits to take away their sins. In the better covenant we are cleansed from sin by the blood of Christ (Letter 276, 1904). {7BC 931.10} [7BC 931.11] 6. See EGW on ch. 9:11, 12. 932 {7BC 931.11} [7BC 932.1] 6, 7 (chs. 7:22; 10:19, 20; 13:20; Matthew 27:51; Luke 10:27, 28; 2 Corinthians 3:6-9). Terms of God's Covenant.--God's people are justified through the administration of the "better covenant," through Christ's righteousness. A covenant is an agreement by which parties bind themselves and each other to the fulfillment of certain conditions. Thus the human agent enters into agreement with God to comply with the conditions specified in His Word. His conduct shows whether or not he respects these conditions. {7BC 932.1} [7BC 932.2] Man gains everything by obeying the covenant-keeping God. God's attributes are imparted to man, enabling him to exercise mercy and compassion. God's covenant assures us of His unchangeable character. Why, then, are those who claim to believe in God changeable, fickle, untrustworthy? Why do they not do service heartily, as under obligation to please and glorify God? It is not enough for us to have a general idea of God's requirements. We must know for ourselves what His requirements and our obligations are. The terms of God's covenant are, "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 neighbour as thyself." These are the conditions of life. "This do," Christ said, "and thou shalt live." {7BC 932.2} [7BC 932.3] Christ's death and resurrection completed His covenant. Before this time, it was revealed through types and shadows, which pointed to the great offering to be made by the world's Redeemer, offered in promise for the sins of the world. Anciently believers were saved by the same Saviour as now, but it was a God veiled. They saw God's mercy in figures. The promise given to Adam and Eve in Eden was the gospel to a fallen race. The promise was made that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, and it should bruise His heel. Christ's sacrifice is the glorious fulfillment of the whole Jewish economy. The Sun of Righteousness has risen. Christ our righteousness is shining in brightness upon us. {7BC 932.3} [7BC 932.4] God did not lessen His claim upon men in order to save them. When as a sinless offering Christ bowed His head and died, when by the Almighty's unseen hand the veil of the temple was rent in twain, a new and living way was opened. All can now approach God through the merits of Christ. It is because the veil has been rent that men can draw nigh to God. They need not depend on priest or ceremonial sacrifice. Liberty is given to all to go directly to God through a personal Saviour. {7BC 932.4} [7BC 932.5] It is God's pleasure and will that the blessings bestowed on man shall be given in perfect completeness. He has made provision that every difficulty may be overcome, every want supplied through the Holy Spirit. Thus He designs that man shall perfect a Christian character. God would have us contemplate His love, His promises, given so freely to those who have no merit in themselves. He would have us depend fully, gratefully, rejoicingly, in the righteousness provided for us in Christ. To all who come to God in His appointed way, He freely listens (MS 148, 1897). {7BC 932.5} [7BC 932.6] Chapter 9 9-12. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 3:7-11. {7BC 932.6} [7BC 932.7] 11, 12 (chs. 7:25; 8:6; see EGW on ch. 9:24). The Rewards of Christ's Sacrifice.--Christ's priestly intercession is now going on in the sanctuary above in our behalf. But how few have a real understanding that our great High Priest presents before the Father His own blood, claiming for the sinner who receives Him as his personal Saviour all the graces which His covenant embraces as the reward of His sacrifice. This sacrifice made Him abundantly able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him, seeing He liveth to make intercession for them (MS 92, 1899). {7BC 932.7} [7BC 932.8] 11-14, 22 (John 1:29; Revelation 13:8; see EGW on Romans 8:34; Hebrews 2:14-18; 1 John 1:7, 9). Without Shedding of Blood Is No Remission.--Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. To many it has been a mystery why so many sacrificial offerings were required in the old dispensation, why so many bleeding victims were led to the altar. But the great truth that was to be kept before men, and imprinted upon mind and heart, was this, "Without shedding of blood is no remission." In every bleeding sacrifice was typified "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." 933 {7BC 932.8} [7BC 933.1] Christ Himself was the originator of the Jewish system of worship, in which, by types and symbols, were shadowed forth spiritual and heavenly things. Many forgot the true significance of these offerings; and the great truth that through Christ alone there is forgiveness of sin, was lost to them. The multiplying of sacrificial offerings, the blood of bulls and goats, could not take away sin (ST Jan. 2, 1893). {7BC 933.1} [7BC 933.2] The Lesson of the Animal Sacrifices.--A lesson was embodied in every sacrifice, impressed in every ceremony, solemnly preached by the priest in his holy office, and inculcated by God Himself--that through the blood of Christ alone is there forgiveness of sins. How little we as a people feel the force of this great truth! How seldom, by living, acting faith, do we bring into our lives this great truth, that there is forgiveness for the least sin, forgiveness for the greatest sin (RH Sept. 21, 1886)! {7BC 933.2} [7BC 933.3] 11-14, 24. See EGW on 1 Timothy 2:5. {7BC 933.3} [7BC 933.4] 13, 14. See EGW on Revelation 8:3, 4. {7BC 933.4} [7BC 933.5] 14 (chs. 7:26; 13:20; see EGW on Acts 15:11; Ephesians 2:18). Everlasting Covenant Sealed Forever.--Christ was without sin, else His life in human flesh and His death on the cross would have been of no more value in procuring grace for the sinner than the death of any other man. While He took upon Him humanity, it was a life taken into union with Deity. He could lay down His life as priest and also victim. He possessed in Himself power to lay it down and take it up again. He offered Himself without spot to God. {7BC 933.5} [7BC 933.6] The atonement of Christ sealed forever the everlasting covenant of grace. It was the fulfilling of every condition upon which God suspended the free communication of grace to the human family. Every barrier was then broken down which intercepted the freest exercise of grace, mercy, peace, and love to the most guilty of Adam's race (MS 92, 1899). {7BC 933.6} [7BC 933.7] (John 14:30.) Offerer and Offering, Priest and Victim.--The infinite sufficiency of Christ is demonstrated by His bearing the sins of the whole world. He occupies the double position of offerer and of offering, of priest and of victim. He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. "The prince of this world cometh," He declares, "and hath nothing in me." He was a Lamb without blemish and without spot (Letter 192, 1906). {7BC 933.7} [7BC 933.8] 22. See EGW on Leviticus 17:11; 1 Timothy 2:5; Revelation 12:10. {7BC 933.8} [7BC 933.9] 24 (John 15:4; Ephesians 1:6; Colossians 2:10; see EGW on Romans 8:26, 34; Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1). Jesus Stands in the Holy of Holies.--Jesus stands in the holy of holies, now to appear in the presence of God for us. There He ceases not to present His people moment by moment, complete in Himself. But because we are thus represented before the Father, we are not to imagine that we are to presume upon His mercy, and become careless, indifferent, and self-indulgent. Christ is not the minister of sin. We are complete in Him, accepted in the Beloved, only as we abide in Him by faith (ST July 4, 1892). {7BC 933.9} [7BC 933.10] (Revelation 5:11.) Not in a State of Solitude and Grandeur.--Do not let your thoughts dwell upon yourselves. Think of Jesus. He is in His holy place, not in a state of solitude and grandeur, but surrounded by ten thousand times ten thousand of heavenly beings who wait to do their Master's bidding. And He bids them go and work for the weakest saint who puts his trust in God. High and low, rich and poor, have the same help provided (Letter 134, 1899). {7BC 933.10} [7BC 933.11] Chapter 10 1-7. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 3:7-11. {7BC 933.11} [7BC 933.12] 16-18. See EGW on ch. 8:5-13. {7BC 933.12} [7BC 933.13] 19, 20. See EGW on chs. 6:19; 8:6, 7; Matthew 27:51; Revelation 3:8. {7BC 933.13} [7BC 933.14] 19-21 (ch. 7:25; 2:1). Entering the Sanctuary With Christ.--This is the great day of atonement, and our Advocate is standing before the Father, pleading as our intercessor. In place of wrapping about us the garments of self-righteousness, we should be found daily humbling ourselves before God, confessing our own individual sins, seeking the pardon of our transgressions, and cooperating with Christ in the work of preparing our souls to reflect the divine image. Unless we enter the sanctuary above, and unite with Christ in working out our own salvation with fear and trembling, we shall be weighed in 934 the balances of the sanctuary, and shall be pronounced wanting (MS 168, 1898). {7BC 933.14} [7BC 934.1] 23. See EGW on ch. 4:14; 2 Peter 1:4; Revelation 3:3. {7BC 934.1} [7BC 934.2] 25 (see EGW on Malachi 3:16). Seeking the Assembly of the Saints.--Those who do not feel the necessity of seeking the assembly of the saints, with the precious assurance that the Lord will meet with them, show how lightly they value the help that God has provided for them. Satan is constantly at work to wound and poison the soul; in order to withstand his efforts we must breathe the atmosphere of heaven. We must individually get hold and keep hold of Christ (MS 16, 1890). {7BC 934.2} [7BC 934.3] Chapter 11 1. See EGW on Romans 5:1. {7BC 934.3} [7BC 934.4] 6. See EGW on ch. 3:12. {7BC 934.4} [7BC 934.5] 16. See EGW on ch. 1:3. {7BC 934.5} [7BC 934.6] 24-27. See EGW on Exodus 2:10. {7BC 934.6} [7BC 934.7] 26. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 9:6. {7BC 934.7} [7BC 934.8] 27. See EGW on ch. 6:19; 4:18; 3:18. {7BC 934.8} [7BC 934.9] 37. See EGW on Isaiah 1:1. {7BC 934.9} [7BC 934.10] Chapter 12 1 (Colossians 3:8). Who Are the Witnesses?--［Hebrews 12:1 quoted.］ The weights that are here referred to are the evil habits and practices we have formed by following our own natural dispositions. Who are the witnesses? They are those spoken of in the previous chapter--those who have breasted the evils and difficulties in their way, and who in the name of the Lord have braced themselves successfully against the opposing forces of evil. They were sustained and strengthened and the Lord held them by His hand. {7BC 934.10} [7BC 934.11] There are other witnesses. All about us are those who are watching us closely, to see how we who profess a belief in the truth conduct ourselves. At all times and in all places, so far as possible, we must magnify the truth before the world (MS 61, 1907). {7BC 934.11} [7BC 934.12] 3. See EGW on ch. 2:14. {7BC 934.12} [7BC 934.13] 4. See EGW on ch. 4:15; Matthew 4:1-11. {7BC 934.13} [7BC 934.14] 11 (James 1:2, 3; 1 Peter 1:6, 7). Blossoms Which Mature Amidst Clouds.--Faith, patience, forbearance, heavenly-mindedness, trust in your wise, heavenly Father, are the perfect blossoms which mature amidst clouds and disappointments and bereavements (Letter 1, 1883). {7BC 934.14} [7BC 934.15] 12, 13. See EGW on Galatians 6:1, 2. {7BC 934.15} [7BC 934.16] 14. See EGW on Romans 6:19, 22; Ephesians 4:20-24. {7BC 934.16} [7BC 934.17] 15. See EGW on James 3:15, 16; 1 Peter 2:1, 2. {7BC 934.17} [7BC 934.18] 16, 17. See EGW on Genesis 25:29-34. {7BC 934.18} [7BC 934.19] 24. See EGW on ch. 8:5-13. {7BC 934.19} [7BC 934.20] 26, 27. See EGW on 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12. {7BC 934.20} [7BC 934.21] Chapter 13 11-13 (Galatians 3:13). He Suffered Without the Camp.--As Adam and Eve were banished from Eden for transgressing the law of God, so Christ was to suffer without the boundaries of the holy place. He died outside the camp, where felons and murderers were executed. There He trod the winepress alone, bearing the penalty that should have fallen on the sinner. How deep and full of significance are the words, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." He went forth without the camp, thus showing that He gave His life not only for the Jewish nation, but for the whole world (YI June 28, 1900). {7BC 934.21} [7BC 934.22] Christ Died for All Mankind.--Christ suffered without the gates of Jerusalem, for Calvary was outside the city walls. This was to show that He died, not for the Hebrews alone, but for all mankind. He proclaims to a fallen world that He is their Redeemer, and urges them to accept the salvation He offers (SW Sept. 4, 1906). {7BC 934.22} [7BC 934.23] 12. See EGW on 1 Timothy 2:5. {7BC 934.23} [7BC 934.24] 15. See EGW on Romans 8:34. {7BC 934.24} [7BC 934.25] 20 (ch. 8:5-13, 6, 7; see EGW on ch. 9:14). The Everlasting Covenant of Mercy.--Let those who are oppressed under a sense of sin remember that there is hope for them. The salvation of the human race has ever been the object of the councils of heaven. The covenant of mercy was made before the foundation of the world. It has existed from all eternity, and is called the everlasting covenant. So surely as there never was a time when God was not, so surely there never was a moment when it was not the delight of the eternal mind to manifest His grace to humanity (ST June 12, 1901). {7BC 934.25} [7BC 935.1] James Chapter 1 2, 3. See EGW on Hebrews 12:11. {7BC 935.1} [7BC 935.2] 8. See EGW on ch. 4:8; Matthew 6:24. {7BC 935.2} [7BC 935.3] 13. See EGW on Genesis 22:1. {7BC 935.3} [7BC 935.4] 22-25. See EGW on Romans 8:15-21. {7BC 935.4} [7BC 935.5] 23-25. See EGW on Revelation 3:18. {7BC 935.5} [7BC 935.6] 23-27 (see EGW on Romans 7:7-9). God's Moral Looking Glass.--［James 1:23-27 quoted.］ This is the word of the living God. The law is God's great moral looking glass. Man is to compare his words, his spirit, his actions with the Word of God. . . . True religion means living the Word in your practical life. Your profession is not of any value without the practical doing of the Word (MS 7, 1898). {7BC 935.6} [7BC 935.7] 25 (1 John 2:1, 2). The Office of the Mirror.--Here is a mirror into which we are to look, and search out every defect of character. But suppose that you look into this mirror and see many defects in your character, and then go away and say, "I am righteous"; will you be righteous? In your own eyes you will be righteous and holy. But how will it be at the bar of God? God has given us a rule, and we are to comply with its requirements; if we dare to do otherwise, to trample this under our feet, and then stand up before God and say, "I am holy, I am holy," we shall be lost in the great day of accounts. {7BC 935.7} [7BC 935.8] What if we were to go out into the streets and soil our clothes with mud, and then come into the house and, beholding our filthy garments as we stand before the glass, we should say to the mirror, "Cleanse me from my filth"; would it cleanse us from our filth? That is not the office of the looking glass. All that it can do is to reveal that our garments are defiled; it cannot take the defilement away. {7BC 935.8} [7BC 935.9] So it is with the law of God. It points out the defects of character. It condemns us as sinners, but it offers no pardon to the transgressor. It cannot save him from his sins. But God has made a provision. Says John, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." So we come to Him and there we find the character of Jesus, and the righteousness of His character saves the transgressor--if we have done on our part all that we could. {7BC 935.9} [7BC 935.10] And yet while He saves the transgressor, He does not do away with the law of God, but He exalts the law. He exalts the law because it is the detector of sin. And it is Christ's cleansing blood that takes away our sins, when we come to Him with contrition of soul seeking His pardon. He imputes His righteousness, He takes the guilt upon Himself (MS 5, 1885). {7BC 935.10} [7BC 935.11] 26. See EGW on ch. 3:2. {7BC 935.11} [7BC 935.12] 27. True Religion a Fountain of Charity.--The pure religion of Jesus is the fountain from which flow streams of charity, love, self-sacrifice (Letter 7, 1883). {7BC 935.12} [7BC 935.13] A Christian is a Christlike man, a Christlike woman, who is active in God's service, who is present at the social meeting, whose presence will encourage others also. Religion does not consist in works, but religion works; it is not dormant (Letter 7, 1883). {7BC 935.13} [7BC 935.14] Genuine Religion Never Cramps.--Many seem to feel that religion has a tendency to make its possessor narrow and cramped, but genuine religion does not have a narrowing influence; it is the lack of religion that cramps the faculties and narrows the mind. When a man is narrow, it is an evidence that he needs the grace of God, the heavenly anointing; for a Christian is one whom the Lord, the God of hosts, can work through, that he may keep the ways of the Lord of the earth and make manifest His will to men (MS 3, 1892). {7BC 935.14} [7BC 935.15] Chapter 2 13 (Psalm 89:14; Galatians 6:14). The Cross Joins Justice and Mercy.--His ［Christ's］ object was to reconcile the prerogatives of Justice and Mercy, and let each stand separate in its dignity, yet united. His mercy was not weakness, but a terrible power to punish sin because it is sin; yet a power to draw 936 to it the love of humanity. Through Christ, Justice is enabled to forgive without sacrificing one jot of its exalted holiness. {7BC 935.15} [7BC 936.1] Justice and Mercy stood apart, in opposition to each other, separated by a wide gulf. The Lord our Redeemer clothed His divinity with humanity, and wrought out in behalf of man a character that was without spot or blemish. He planted His cross midway between heaven and earth, and made it the object of attraction which reached both ways, drawing both Justice and Mercy across the gulf. Justice moved from its exalted throne, and with all the armies of heaven approached the cross. There it saw One equal with God bearing the penalty for all injustice and sin. With perfect satisfaction Justice bowed in reverence at the cross, saying, It is enough (MS 94, 1899). {7BC 936.1} [7BC 936.2] 14-20. See EGW on Galatians 5:6. {7BC 936.2} [7BC 936.3] 21-26 (Romans 3:31). Saving Faith More Than Mere Belief.--The apostle James saw that dangers would arise in presenting the subject of justification by faith, and he labored to show that genuine faith cannot exist without corresponding works. The experience of Abraham is presented. "Seest thou," he says, "how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" Thus genuine faith does a genuine work in the believer. Faith and obedience bring a solid, valuable experience. {7BC 936.3} [7BC 936.4] There is a belief that is not a saving faith. The Word declares that the devils believe and tremble. The so-called faith that does not work by love and purify the soul will not justify any man. . . . Abraham believed God. How do we know that he believed? His works testified to the character of his faith, and his faith was accounted to him for righteousness. {7BC 936.4} [7BC 936.5] We need the faith of Abraham in our day, to lighten the darkness that gathers around us, shutting out the sweet sunlight of God's love, and dwarfing spiritual growth. Our faith should be prolific of good works; for faith without works is dead. Every duty performed, every sacrifice made in the name of Jesus, brings an exceeding great reward. In the very act of duty, God speaks and gives His blessing (ST May 19, 1898). {7BC 936.5} [7BC 936.6] 22. See EGW on Luke 17:10; Ephesians 2:8, 9. {7BC 936.6} [7BC 936.7] Chapter 3 2. One of the Highest Gifts.--The talent of speech ranks with the highest gifts (MS 92, 1899). {7BC 936.7} [7BC 936.8] (Ch. 1:26.) Power to Bridle the Tongue.--Through the help that Christ can give, we shall be able to learn to bridle the tongue. Sorely as He was tried on the point of hasty and angry speech, He never once sinned with His lips. With patient calmness He met the sneers, the taunts, and the ridicule of His fellow workers at the carpenter's bench. Instead of retorting angrily, He would begin to sing one of David's beautiful psalms; and His companions, before realizing what they were doing, would unite with Him in the hymn. What a transformation would be wrought in this world if men and women today would follow Christ's example in the use of words (RH May 26, 1904). {7BC 936.8} [7BC 936.9] 8. See EGW on Psalm 5:5-12. {7BC 936.9} [7BC 936.10] 13, 14. Heavenly Fragrance of Truth.--［James 3:13, 14 quoted.］ What is lying against the truth? It is claiming to believe the truth while the spirit, the words, the deportment, represent not Christ but Satan. To surmise evil, to be impatient and unforgiving, is lying against the truth; but love, patience, and long forbearance are in accordance with the principles of truth. Truth is ever pure, ever kind, breathing a heavenly fragrance unmingled with selfishness (RH March 12, 1895). {7BC 936.10} [7BC 936.11] 15, 16 (Hebrews 12:15). Climbing on the Judgment Seat.--［James 3:15-18 quoted.］ . . . He who opens his heart to the suggestions of the enemy, taking in evil surmisings, and cherishing jealousy, frequently misconstrues this evil-mindedness, calling it special foresight, discrimination, or discernment in detecting guilt and fathoming the evil motives of others. He considers that a precious gift has been vouchsafed to him; and he draws apart from the very brethren with whom he should be in harmony; he climbs upon the judgment seat, and shuts his heart against the one he supposes to be in error, as though he himself were above temptation. Jesus separates from him, and leaves him to walk in the sparks of his own kindling. {7BC 936.11} [7BC 936.12] Let no one among you glory any longer 937 against the truth by declaring that this spirit is a necessary consequence of dealing faithfully with wrongdoers and of standing in defense of the truth. Such wisdom has many admirers, but it is very deceptive and harmful. It does not come from above, but is the fruit of an unregenerated heart. Its originator is Satan himself. Let no accuser of others credit himself with discernment; for in so doing he clothes the attributes of Satan with the garments of righteousness. I call upon you, my brethren, to purify the soul temple of all these things that defile; for they are roots of bitterness. {7BC 936.12} [7BC 937.1] How true are the words of the apostle, "Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." One person in an institution or in a church who gives loose rein to unkind thoughts by speaking evil of the brethren, may stir up the worst passions of the human heart, and spread abroad a leaven of evil that will work in all who come into association with him. In this way the enemy of all righteousness gains the victory, and the result of his work is to make of no effect the Saviour's prayer when He pleaded that His disciples might be one as He is one with the Father (RH March 12, 1895). {7BC 937.1} [7BC 937.2] 17 (see EGW on John 13:34). The Right Kind of Sensitiveness.--Those who criticize and condemn one another are breaking God's commandments, and are an offense to Him. They neither love God nor their fellow beings. Brethren and sisters, let us clear away the rubbish of criticism and suspicion and complaint, and do not wear your nerves on the outside. Some are so sensitive that they cannot be reasoned with. Be very sensitive in regard to what it means to keep the law of God, and in regard to whether you are keeping or breaking the law. It is this that God wants us to be sensitive about (GCB April 1, 1903). {7BC 937.2} [7BC 937.3] Chapter 4 4. See EGW on Matthew 6:24. {7BC 937.3} [7BC 937.4] 7, 8. Annoyances Vanish When Jesus Draws Near.--"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." How precious to the tempted soul is this positive promise. Now if the one in trouble and temptation keeps his eye fixed on Jesus, and draws nigh to God, talking of His goodness and mercy, Jesus draws nigh to him, and his annoyances that he thought almost unbearable vanish (Letter 43, 1892). {7BC 937.4} [7BC 937.5] Breaking Satan's Power.--The soul that loves God, loves to draw strength from Him by constant communion with Him. When it becomes the habit of the soul to converse with God, the power of the evil one is broken; for Satan cannot abide near the soul that draws nigh unto God (RH Dec. 3, 1889). {7BC 937.5} [7BC 937.6] 8 (ch. 5:16; see EGW on Hebrews 1:14). Safe in God's Presence.--"Draw nigh to God." What is the result of this? We cannot draw nigh to God and behold His loveliness and compassion without realizing our defects and being filled with a desire to rise higher. "And he will draw nigh to you." The Lord will draw nigh to him who confesses to his brethren the wrongs he has done them, and then comes to God in humility and contrition. {7BC 937.6} [7BC 937.7] He who feels his own danger is on the watch lest he shall grieve the Holy Spirit and then draw away from God because he knows that He is not pleased with his course of action. How much better and safer it is to draw nigh to God, that the pure light shining from His Word may heal the wounds that sin has made in the soul. The closer we are to God, the safer we are, for Satan hates and fears the presence of God (Letter 40, 1901). {7BC 937.7} [7BC 937.8] (John 17:21-23.) Answering the Prayer of Christ.--If we draw nigh to God, individually, then don't you see what the result will be? Can't you see that we will draw nigh to one another? We cannot draw nigh to God, and come to the same cross, without our hearts being blended together in perfect unity, answering the prayer of Christ "that they may be one" as He is one with the Father. And therefore we should seek in spirit, in understanding, in faith, that we may be one, that God may be glorified in us as He is glorified in the Son; and that God shall love us as He loves the Son (MS 7, 1890). {7BC 937.8} [7BC 937.9] Draw Nigh By Prayer.--"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you." Draw nigh to Him by prayer, by contemplation, by reading His Word. When He draws 938 nigh to you, He lifts up for you a standard against the enemy. Let us take courage; for the enemy cannot pass this standard (MS 92, 1901). {7BC 937.9} [7BC 938.1] (Ch. 1:8; Matthew 6:24.) Essential Work for the Sinner Defined.--The Lord says, "Draw nigh to God." How? By secret, earnest examination of your own heart, by childlike, heartfelt, humble dependence upon God, making known all your weakness to Jesus, and by confessing your sins. Thus you may draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. {7BC 938.1} [7BC 938.2] But let us read the remainder of the lesson given for our instruction, that we may more fully comprehend what it means to draw nigh to God. "Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." The work that is essential to be done by the sinner is here clearly defined. It is a work not agreeable to the inclination of the human heart; but unless it is done the soul is not in a condition to appreciate the purity and perfection of the character of Christ, and in no condition either to understand the offensiveness of sin. The exhortation is given, "Purify your hearts, ye double minded." While professing to be Christians, many have the mold of the world upon them, and their affections are not set upon God. They are double minded, making an attempt to serve God and mammon at the same time; but the world's Redeemer has declared, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24). By trying to serve two masters, they are unstable in all their ways, and cannot be depended upon. To all appearances they are serving God, while at the same time in heart they are yielding to the temptation of Satan and cherishing sin. They may speak words that are smoother than oil, yet their hearts are full of deception and deceit in all their practices. Professing to be righteous, yet they have a heart that is desperately wicked. {7BC 938.2} [7BC 938.3] Of what profit is it to say pleasant things, to deplore the work of Satan, and yet at the same time to enter into the fulfillment of all his devices? This is being double minded (Letter 13, 1893). {7BC 938.3} [7BC 938.4] 8, 9 (Matthew 5:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10). The Sorrow of True Repentance.--"Be afflicted, and mourn and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy into heaviness." It is right to be cheerful, and even joyful. It is right to cultivate cheerfulness of spirit through sanctification of the truth; but it is not right to indulge in foolish jesting and joking, in lightness and trifling, in words of criticism and condemnation of others. {7BC 938.4} [7BC 938.5] Those who observe such persons who make a profession of religion, know that they are deceived. They know that the hands of such professors need to be cleansed, their hearts need to be purified. They need to experience genuine repentance for sin. What have they to mourn over? They should mourn over their inclination to sin, over the danger they are in from inward corruption and from outward temptation. They should be afraid because they have so feeble a sense of the sinfulness of sin, and so little idea of what constitutes sin (Letter 13, 1893). {7BC 938.5} [7BC 938.6] 10 (1 Peter 5:6). Humility Before Pardon.--God grants no pardon to him whose penitence produces no humility (MS 11, 1888). Chapter 5 {7BC 938.6} [7BC 938.7] 14-16. Miracles and Natural Remedies.--God's miracles do not always bear the outward semblance of miracles. Often they are brought about in a way which looks like the natural course of events. When we pray for the sick, we also work for them. We answer our own prayers by using the remedies within our reach. Water, wisely applied, is a most powerful remedy. As it is used intelligently, favorable results are seen. God has given us intelligence, and He desires us to make the most of His health-giving blessings. We ask that God will give bread to the hungry; we are then to act as His helping hand in relieving hunger. We are to use every blessing God has placed within our reach for the deliverance of those in danger. {7BC 938.7} [7BC 938.8] Natural means, used in accordance with God's will, bring about supernatural results. We ask for a miracle, and the Lord directs the mind to some simple remedy. We ask to be kept from the pestilence that walketh in darkness, that is stalking with such power through the world; we are then to cooperate with God, observing the laws of health and life. Having done 939 all that we possibly can, we are to keep asking in faith for health and strength. We are to eat that food which will preserve the health of the body. {7BC 938.8} [7BC 939.1] God gives us no encouragement that He will do for us what we can do for ourselves. Natural laws are to be obeyed. We are not to fail of doing our part. God says to us, "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." {7BC 939.1} [7BC 939.2] We cannot disregard the laws of nature without disregarding the laws of God. We cannot expect the Lord to work a miracle for us while we neglect the simple remedies He has provided for our use, which aptly and opportunely applied, will bring about a miraculous result. Therefore, pray, believe, and work (Letter 66, 1901). {7BC 939.2} [7BC 939.3] Healed in Spite of Unconsecrated Minister.--A case was held up before me of a . . . minister; eighty miles he was sent for, to pray for a sick sister who sent for him in compliance with the teaching of James. He went and prayed in earnest, and she prayed; she believed the minister to be a man of God, a man of faith. Physicians had given her up to die of consumption. She was healed immediately. She arose and prepared supper, a thing she had not done for ten years. Now the minister was vile, his life was corrupt, and yet here was a great work. He took the glory all to himself. {7BC 939.3} [7BC 939.4] Then again the scene mentioned above passed before me. I saw that the woman was a true disciple of Christ; her faith was that she should be healed. I saw their prayers: one was misty, dark, fell downward. The other prayer was mixed with light or specks which looked to me like diamonds, and arose upward to Jesus and He sent it up to His Father like sweet incense, and a beam of light was immediately sent to the afflicted one and she revived and strengthened under its influence. Said the angel, God will gather every particle of true, sincere faith; like diamonds shall they be gathered up and will surely bring a return or answer; and God will separate the precious from the vile. Although He bears long with the hypocrite and sinner, yet he will be searched out. Though he may flourish with the honest a while like the green bay tree, yet the time will come when his folly will be made manifest (Letter 2, 1851). {7BC 939.4} [7BC 939.5] (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12.) The Work of False Healers.--Men under the influence of evil spirits will work miracles. They will make people sick by casting their spell upon them, and will then remove the spell, leading others to say that those who were sick have been miraculously healed. This Satan has done again and again (Letter 259, 1903). {7BC 939.5} [7BC 939.6] 16 (see EGW on ch 4:8). The Eloquence That God Accepts.--He who strives for eloquent language when praying is entirely out of place. The eloquence that God accepts is the earnest, longing cry of the soul which feels that it must have help. {7BC 939.6} [7BC 939.7] Long prayers are not essential. Those who labor in the right spirit will pray in the right spirit. He who labors as Christ labored will be in earnest when he prays. And the Word of God assures us, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (Letter 121, 1901). - {7BC 939.7} [7BC 939.8] 1 Peter Chapter 1 2. See EGW on Romans 11:4-6; Ephesians 1:4, 5, 11; 2 Peter 1:10. {7BC 939.8} [7BC 939.9] 5. See EGW on Revelation 2:1-5. {7BC 939.9} [7BC 939.10] 6, 7. See EGW on 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18; Hebrews 12:11. {7BC 939.10} [7BC 939.11] 11, 12. See EGW on Philippians 2:5-8; 1 Timothy 3:16. {7BC 939.11} [7BC 939.12] 16 (Hebrews 12:14). The Drawing Cords of Love.--As Jehovah is holy, He requires His people to be holy, pure, undefiled; for without holiness no man shall see the Lord. 940 Those who worship Him in sincerity and truth will be accepted by Him. If church members will put away all self-worship, and will receive in their hearts the love for God and for one another that filled Christ's heart, our heavenly Father will constantly manifest His power through them. Let His people be drawn together with the cords of divine love. Then the world will recognize the miracle-working power of God, and will acknowledge that He is the Strength and the Helper of His commandment-keeping people (MS 125, 1907). {7BC 939.12} [7BC 940.1] 18, 19. See EGW on Colossians 2:9. {7BC 940.1} [7BC 940.2] 19. See EGW on John 1:14. {7BC 940.2} [7BC 940.3] 22 (Romans 5:1; Galatians 5:6; Ephesians 2:8; Hebrews 11:1). The Creation of Faith.--Under the inspiration of the Spirit, the apostle Peter represents Christians as those who have purified their souls in obeying the truth. Just in accordance with the faith and love we bring into our work will be the power brought into it. No man can create faith. The Spirit operating upon and enlightening the human mind, creates faith in God. In the Scriptures faith is stated to be the gift of God, powerful unto salvation, enlightening the hearts of those who search for truth as for hidden treasure. The Spirit of God impresses the truth on the heart. The gospel is called the power of God unto salvation because God alone can make the truth a power which sanctifies the soul. He alone can render the cross of Christ triumphant (MS 56, 1899). {7BC 940.3} [7BC 940.4] (John 3:21; Titus 2:11; 1 John 3:3; see EGW on 1 John 3:3-6; 4:7, 8.) Airing the Soul of Sin.--The Lord purifies the heart very much as we air a room. We do not close the doors and windows, and throw in some purifying substance; but we open the doors and throw wide the windows, and let heaven's purifying atmosphere flow in. The Lord says, "He that doeth truth cometh to the light." The windows of impulse, of feeling, must be opened up toward heaven, and the dust of selfishness and earthliness must be expelled. The grace of God must sweep through the chambers of the mind, the imagination must have heavenly themes for contemplation, and every element of the nature must be purified and vitalized by the Spirit of God (MS 3, 1892). {7BC 940.4} [7BC 940.5] Chapter 2 1, 2 (Hebrews 12:15). Objectionable Missionary Work.--［1 Peter 2:1, 2 quoted.］ . . . We are fellow pilgrims, seeking a better country, even a heavenly. God will never say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant," at the end of our journey, if we now cherish a spirit which craves to crowd out and supplant others. Malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking are things which God abhors, and no one who reveals those fruits in his life will enter the kingdom of heaven. . . . {7BC 940.5} [7BC 940.6] Those who make faultfinding their work, may appear to be constantly anxious and interested in regard to the welfare of others. They may seem to be actively engaged in good work. But their work does harm, and by the Lord it is not regarded as of any value. "They say," is whispered here and there; by blind suggestions, other minds are filled with suspicion and distrust; uneasiness is created. Those who have listened to the "They say," call to mind something they have observed in their brethren, which might have been wrong, and much is made of that which is worthy of but little notice. These apparently innocent words strike long, fibrous roots into the minds of those that hear them, and untold harm is done. Seeds of bitterness are planted; evil suggestions rankle in human hearts, and the seed springs up to bear an abundant harvest. {7BC 940.6} [7BC 940.7] The enemy of all righteousness sets in operation objectionable missionary work of this kind. One who is professedly working for Christ is tempted by him to probe the minds of others, and ask their opinions of words which have been spoken. In this way suspicion and envy are planted in many breasts. If those who carry on this missionary work could see it as it is regarded by the Lord of heaven; if for one day they could trace the course of their work, and see its baleful results, they would repent. {7BC 940.7} [7BC 940.8] To do good to all, to faithfully perform our home duties, to devote our time to comparing our lives with the life of Christ, praying for a humble, sanctified mind--this is the missionary work which the Lord requires us to do. Angels of heaven cannot work with the human agent who sows 941 the seeds of dissension and strife, but evil angels attend him wherever he goes (MS 47, 1896). {7BC 940.8} [7BC 941.1] 2. Feeding the Soul With Truth.--Coming to God inspires confidence, and stimulates the soul to action. The body will die if deprived of suitable nourishment, and so with the soul. In order to have spiritual strength, or even life, it must be nourished by the Word, which is spirit and life. It must be constantly fed by the truth which connects the soul with Him in whom we live, and move, and have our being (MS 16, 1890). {7BC 941.1} [7BC 941.2] 4, 5. See EGW on Ephesians 2:19-21. {7BC 941.2} [7BC 941.3] 5. See EGW on Psalm 144:12. {7BC 941.3} [7BC 941.4] 11. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. {7BC 941.4} [7BC 941.5] 12. See EGW on Romans 12:17. {7BC 941.5} [7BC 941.6] 21. See EGW on Revelation 14:4. {7BC 941.6} [7BC 941.7] 24 (see EGW on Hebrews 2:14; 7:25). Bad Habits to Be Firmly Resisted.--Christ is represented as bearing the griefs and sorrows caused by sin, and He does this, not only as our sympathizing friend, but as our substitute. Therefore our sins of selfishness, of unamiable temper, of indolence, of wrong habits and practices, are to be positively and firmly put away. The one who breaks with Satan is to give no place to his temptations. Let the souls who come to Christ consider that He is the sin bearer. . . . Let the repenting soul lay hold by faith of the provision made to save him, not in his sin, but from his sin. Christ as the sin bearer must take away the sin and rescue the sinner from his morbid spiritual condition (MS 56, 1900). {7BC 941.7} [7BC 941.8] A Bridge Over the Gulf.--By transgression man was severed from God, the communion between them was broken; but Jesus Christ died upon the cross of Calvary, bearing in His body the sins of the whole world, and the gulf between heaven and earth was bridged by that cross. Christ leads men to the gulf, and points to the bridge by which it is spanned, saying, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (MS 21, 1895). {7BC 941.8} [7BC 941.9] Chapter 3 1-5. See EGW on Isaiah 3:18-23. {7BC 941.9} [7BC 941.10] 3, 4 (Exodus 32:1-6; see EGW on Numbers 15:38, 39). The Buds and Blossoms of Pride.--There are idols cherished in our families and in our churches today which have the same influence upon us as did the golden calf upon the Israelites. Will the people search themselves? Will the shepherds do their work as faithful sentinels of God? Will they see what idols they are cherishing? Will every one that is in moderate circumstances consider that they are to be a people distinct and separate in their fashions of dress, their speech, their deportment, from the world? Will they see their idolatry in small as well as in large matters, and that it is separating them from God? When reproofs come they are ashamed, but not repentant. They have had great light, great opportunities, line upon line, and precept upon precept, but pride buds and blossoms in their apparel, revealing the thoughts and intents of the heart (MS 52, 1898). {7BC 941.10} [7BC 941.11] (1 Timothy 2:8-10.) What Idols Are We Cherishing?--This idolatry on the part of ancient Israel was an offense to God; but are there not idols just as offensive cherished in our families and in our churches today--idols which have the same influence upon us as did the golden calf upon the Israelites? On the part of God's professed people there is a manifest disregard of the warnings given by Peter: "Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning. . . ." {7BC 941.11} [7BC 941.12] The time has come when we as a people should search ourselves to see what idols we are cherishing; when the shepherds of the flock should do faithful work as the sentinels of God. In dress, in speech, in deportment, we are to be a people distinct and separate from the world. "I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works" (RH March 7, 1899). {7BC 941.12} [7BC 941.13] The Passion for Display.--At the foundation of the ruin of many homes lies the passion for display. Men and women scheme and plan to get means in order that they may appear richer than their 942 neighbors. But even though they may succeed in their desperate struggle, they are not truly happy. True happiness springs from a heart at peace with God ［1 Peter 3:3, 4 quoted］ (MS 99, 1902). {7BC 941.13} [7BC 942.1] The Charm of Moral Worth.--Moral worth has a charm that wealth and outward attractions do not possess. The woman having the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, in the sight of God has an endowment of great value, before which the silver of Tarshish, and the gold of Ophir, are worthless. Solomon's bride, in all her glory, cannot compare with one of these household treasures (HR May, 1878). {7BC 942.1} [7BC 942.2] 8. A Supreme Reverence for Truth.--"Love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous." Cherish a supreme reverence for justice and truth, and a hatred for all cruelty and oppression. Do unto others as you would wish them to do to you. God forbids you to favor self, to the disadvantage of another (RH April 13, 1905). {7BC 942.2} [7BC 942.3] 18-20. See EGW on Genesis 6:3. {7BC 942.3} [7BC 942.4] Chapter 4 17. See EGW on Revelation 11:1. {7BC 942.4} [7BC 942.5] 19. The Spirit Works With the Contrite Ones.--It means much to commit the keeping of the soul to God. It means that we are to live and walk by faith, not trusting in or glorifying self, but looking to Jesus our Advocate, as the author and finisher of our faith. The Holy Spirit will do its work upon the heart that is contrite, but never can He work upon a self-important, self-righteous soul. In his own wisdom such a one would mend himself. He interposes between his soul and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will work if self will not interpose (MS 148, 1897). {7BC 942.5} [7BC 942.6] Chapter 5 2, 3 (Acts 20:28). A Wide Field for Church Leaders.--God is not glorified by leaders in the church who seek to drive the sheep. No, no. "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." There is a wide field for the elders and the helpers in every church. They are to feed the flock of God with pure provender, thoroughly winnowed from the chaff, the poisonous mixture of error. You who have any part to act in the church of God, be sure that you act wisely in feeding the flock of God; for its prosperity much depends upon the quality of this food (MS 59, 1900). {7BC 942.6} [7BC 942.7] 3. See EGW on Psalm 89:14. {7BC 942.7} [7BC 942.8] 6. See EGW on James 4:10. - {7BC 942.8} [7BC 942.9] 2 Peter Chapter 1 The Keynote of Victory.--The first chapter of Second Peter is full of instruction, and strikes the keynote of victory. The truth is impressively forced upon the mind by the way it is presented in this chapter. Let us more abundantly recommend the study of these words, and the practicing of these precepts (Letter 43, 1895). {7BC 942.9} [7BC 942.10] 1-3. No Standstill in the Christian Life.--［2 Peter 1:1-3 quoted.］ What a grand theme this is for contemplation--the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Contemplating Christ and His righteousness leaves no room for self-righteousness, for the glorifying of self. In this chapter there is no standstill. There is continual advancement in every stage of the knowledge of Christ (Letter 43, 1895). {7BC 942.10} [7BC 942.11] 2, 5-7. See EGW on Romans 6:1-4. {7BC 942.11} [7BC 942.12] 4 (Hebrews 10:23). God Behind All His Promises.--Promises are estimated by the truth of the one who makes them. Many men make promises only to break them, 943 to mock the heart that trusted in them. Those who lean upon such men lean upon broken reeds. But God is behind the promises He makes. He is ever mindful of His covenant, and His truth endureth to all generations (MS 23, 1899). {7BC 942.12} [7BC 943.1] (Ephesians 2:1-6; see EGW on Genesis 2:7; Exodus 20:1-17; Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:15.) Partakers of the Divine Nature.--We must learn of Christ. We must know what He is to those He has ransomed. We must realize that through belief in Him it is our privilege to be partakers of the divine nature, and so escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. Then we are cleansed from all sin, all defects of character. We need not retain one sinful propensity. . . . ［Ephesians 2:1-6 quoted.］ . . . {7BC 943.1} [7BC 943.2] As we partake of the divine nature, hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong are cut away from the character, and we are made a living power for good. Ever learning of the divine Teacher, daily partaking of His nature, we cooperate with God in overcoming Satan's temptations. God works, and man works, that man may be one with Christ as Christ is one with God. Then we sit together with Christ in heavenly places. The mind rests with peace and assurance in Jesus (RH April 24, 1900). {7BC 943.2} [7BC 943.3] The Enabling Grace of God.--In His Word God reveals what He can do for human beings. He molds and fashions after the divine similitude the characters of those who will wear His yoke. Through His grace they are made partakers of the divine nature, and are thus enabled to overcome the corruption that is in the world through lust. It is God who gives us power to overcome. Those who hear His voice and obey His commandments are enabled to form righteous characters. Those who disregard His expressed commands will form characters like the propensities that they indulge (Letter 44, 1903). {7BC 943.3} [7BC 943.4] One With God.--It is a knowledge of the perfection of the divine character, manifested to us in Jesus Christ, that opens up to us communion with God. It is by appropriating the great and precious promises that we are to become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. {7BC 943.4} [7BC 943.5] What possibilities are opened up to the youth who lay hold of the divine assurances of God's Word! Scarcely can the human mind comprehend what is the breadth and depth and height of the spiritual attainments that can be reached by becoming partakers of the divine nature. The human agent who daily yields obedience to God, who becomes a partaker of the divine nature, finds pleasure daily in keeping the commandments of God; for he is one with God. It is essential that he hold as vital a relation with God as does the Son to the Father. He understands the oneness that Christ prayed might exist between the Father and the Son (Letter 43, 1895). {7BC 943.5} [7BC 943.6] 5-7. Graces to Grow Up Together.--We are to add to faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. You are not to think that you must wait until you have perfected one grace before cultivating another. No; they are to grow up together, fed continually from the fountain of charity; every day that you live, you can be perfecting the blessed attributes fully revealed in the character of Christ; and when you do this, you will bring light, love, peace, and joy into your homes (RH July 29, 1890). {7BC 943.6} [7BC 943.7] 5-11 (Philippians 2:12, 13). Daily Diligence Needed.--Temptation must be met and resisted. Day by day the spiritual battle goes on. Day by day we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. It is God that works in us, to will and to do of His good pleasure. Every soul is to strive with "all diligence" to add constantly to his spiritual attainments, strengthening every grace, increasing in efficiency that he may grow in usefulness and holiness, as a fruit-bearing tree in the Lord's garden. He is to be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. True religion leads to the cultivation of the gifts that make a man more precious in God's sight than the gold of Ophir. {7BC 943.7} [7BC 943.8] "All diligence" means much. It means a daily diligence. There is danger that we shall be blind in regard to the working of satanic agencies, and that we shall be ensnared 944 by Satan's alluring temptations. Therefore the word comes to us, "Giving all diligence," add to your character the graces that will make you strong to resist evil. "He that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off." He does not realize his spiritual poverty ［2 Peter 1:10, 11 quoted］ (Letter 144, 1903). {7BC 943.8} [7BC 944.1] 6. Temperance Precedes Patience.--"And to temperance patience." An intemperate man never can be a patient man. Temperance comes first, and then patience (MS 49, 1894). {7BC 944.1} [7BC 944.2] 10 (John 1:12; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20; 1 Peter 1:2, 18-20; see EGW on Romans 11:4-6; Ephesians 1:4, 5, 11; Hebrews 7:25). Election Price Paid for All.--There could be no such thing as one not prepared for heaven entering heaven. There is no such thing as a human being sanctified and fitted for the heavenly kingdom not having an election to that kingdom. God elects those who have been working on the plan of addition. The explanation is given in the first chapter of Second Peter. For every human being, Christ has paid the election price. No one need be lost. All have been redeemed. To those who receive Christ as a personal Saviour will be given power to become the sons and daughters of God. An eternal life insurance policy has been provided for all. {7BC 944.2} [7BC 944.3] Whom God elects, Christ redeems. The Saviour has paid the redemption price for every soul. We are not our own; for we are bought with a price. From the Redeemer, who from the foundation of the world has chosen us, we receive the insurance policy that entitles us to eternal life (Letter 53, 1904). {7BC 944.3} [7BC 944.4] Election Within Our Reach.--There is the election of God on the condition of practice, and there is no other election in the Bible. Election is within our reach. "If ye do these things, ye shall never fall" (MS 49, 1894). {7BC 944.4} [7BC 944.5] 10, 11 (see EGW on Revelation 11:1). The Best Life Insurance.--［2 Peter 1:10, 11 quoted.］ Here are your life-insurance papers. This is not an insurance policy the value of which some one else will receive after your death; it is a policy that assures you a life measuring with the life of God--even eternal life. O what an assurance! what a hope! Let us ever reveal to the world that we are seeking for a better country, even a heavenly. Heaven has been made for us, and we want a part in it. We cannot afford to allow anything to separate us from God and heaven. In this life we must be partakers of the divine nature. Brethren and sisters, you have only one life to live. O let it be a life of virtue, a life hid with Christ in God (RH May 26, 1904). {7BC 944.5} [7BC 944.6] (See EGW on 1 John 3:1.) Benefits Secured by the Elect.--It depends upon your course of action as to whether or not you will secure the benefits bestowed upon those who, as the elect of God, receive an eternal life-insurance policy (MS 81, 1900). {7BC 944.6} [7BC 944.7] 14, 15. See EGW on Acts 8:9-24. {7BC 944.7} [7BC 944.8] 21 (2 Timothy 3:16). Inspiration of the Bible Writers.--God committed the preparation of His divinely inspired Word to finite man. This Word arranged into books, the Old and New Testaments, is the guidebook to the inhabitants of a fallen world; bequeathed to them, that by studying and obeying the directions, not one soul would lose its way to heaven. {7BC 944.8} [7BC 944.9] Those who think to make the supposed difficulties of Scripture plain, in measuring by their finite rule that which is inspired and that which is not inspired, had better cover their faces, as Elijah when the still small voice spoke to him; for they are in the presence of God and holy angels, who for ages have communicated to men light and knowledge, telling them what to do, and what not to do, unfolding before them scenes of thrilling interest, waymark by waymark in symbols and signs and illustrations. {7BC 944.9} [7BC 944.10] And He has not, while presenting the perils clustering about the last days, qualified any finite man to unravel hidden mysteries, or inspired one man or any class of men to pronounce judgment as to that which is inspired or is not. When men, in their finite judgment, find it necessary to go into an examination of Scriptures to define that which is inspired and that which is not, they have stepped before Jesus to show Him a better way than He has led us. {7BC 944.10} [7BC 944.11] I take the Bible just as it is, as the 945 Inspired Word. I believe its utterances in an entire Bible. . . . {7BC 944.11} [7BC 945.1] Simplicity and plain utterance are comprehended by the illiterate, by the peasant, and the child as well as by the full-grown man or the giant in intellect. If the individual is possessed of large talents of mental powers, he will find in the Oracles of God treasures of truth, beautiful and valuable, which he can appropriate. He will also find difficulties, and secrets and wonders which will give him the highest satisfaction to study during a long lifetime, and yet there is an infinity beyond. {7BC 945.1} [7BC 945.2] Men of humble acquirements, possessing but limited capabilities and opportunities to become conversant in the Scriptures, find in the Living Oracles comfort, guidance, counsel, and the plan of salvation as clear as a sunbeam. No one need be lost for want of knowledge unless he is willfully blind. {7BC 945.2} [7BC 945.3] We thank God that the Bible is prepared for the poor man as well as for the learned man. It is fitted for all ages and all classes (MS 16, 1888). {7BC 945.3} [7BC 945.4] The writers of the Bible had to express their ideas in human language. It was written by human men. These men were inspired of the Holy Spirit. Because of the imperfections of human understanding of language, or the perversity of the human mind, ingenious in evading truth, many read and understand the Bible to please themselves. It is not that the difficulty is in the Bible. Opposing politicians argue points of law in the statute book, and take opposite views in their application and in these laws. {7BC 945.4} [7BC 945.5] The Scriptures were given to men, not in a continuous chain of unbroken utterances, but piece by piece through successive generations, as God in His providence saw a fitting opportunity to impress man at sundry times and divers places. Men wrote as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost. There is "first the bud, then the blossom, and next the fruit," "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." This is exactly what the Bible utterances are to us. {7BC 945.5} [7BC 945.6] There is not always perfect order or apparent unity in the Scriptures. The miracles of Christ are not given in exact order, but are given just as the circumstances occurred, which called for this divine revealing of the power of Christ. The truths of the Bible are as pearls hidden. They must be searched, dug out by painstaking effort. Those who take only a surface view of the Scriptures, will, with their superficial knowledge, which they think is very deep, talk of the contradictions of the Bible, and question the authority of the Scriptures. But those whose hearts are in harmony with truth and duty will search the Scriptures with a heart prepared to receive divine impressions. The illuminated soul sees a spiritual unity, one grand golden thread running through the whole, but it requires patience, thought, and prayer to trace out the precious golden thread. Sharp contentions over the Bible have led to investigation and revealed the precious jewels of truth. Many tears have been shed, many prayers offered, that the Lord would open the understanding to His Word. {7BC 945.6} [7BC 945.7] The Bible is not given to us in grand superhuman language. Jesus, in order to reach man where he is, took humanity. The Bible must be given in the language of men. Everything that is human is imperfect. Different meanings are expressed by the same word; there is not one word for each distinct idea. The Bible was given for practical purposes. {7BC 945.7} [7BC 945.8] The stamps of minds are different. All do not understand expressions and statements alike. Some understand the statements of the Scriptures to suit their own particular minds and cases. Prepossessions, prejudices, and passions have a strong influence to darken the understanding and confuse the mind even in reading the words of Holy Writ. . . . {7BC 945.8} [7BC 945.9] The Bible is written by inspired men, but it is not God's mode of thought and expression. It is that of humanity. God, as a writer, is not represented. Men will often say such an expression is not like God. But God has not put Himself in words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in the Bible. The writers of the Bible were God's penmen, not His pen. Look at the different writers. {7BC 945.9} [7BC 945.10] It is not the words of the Bible that are inspired, but the men that were inspired. Inspiration acts not on the man's words or 946 his expressions but on the man himself, who, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, is imbued with thoughts. But the words receive the impress of the individual mind. The divine mind is diffused. The divine mind and will is combined with the human mind and will; thus the utterances of the man are the Word of God (MS 24, 1886). {7BC 945.10} [7BC 946.1] Finite Vehicles of Thought.--The Lord speaks to human beings in imperfect speech, in order that the degenerate senses, the dull, earthly perception, of earthly beings may comprehend His words. Thus is shown God's condescension. He meets fallen human beings where they are. The Bible, perfect as it is in its simplicity, does not answer to the great ideas of God; for infinite ideas cannot be perfectly embodied in finite vehicles of thought. Instead of the expressions of the Bible being exaggerated, as many people suppose, the strong expressions break down before the magnificence of the thought, though the penman selected the most expressive language through which to convey the truths of higher education. Sinful beings can only bear to look upon a shadow of the brightness of heaven's glory (Letter 121, 1901). {7BC 946.1} [7BC 946.2] Chapter 2 1. See EGW on Acts 20:30; 4:1; Revelation 1:1, 2. {7BC 946.2} [7BC 946.3] 15-21. See EGW on Ephesians 1:4, 5, 11. {7BC 946.3} [7BC 946.4] 20, 21. See EGW on Matthew 12:43-45. {7BC 946.4} [7BC 946.5] Chapter 3 9 (Revelation 22:10-12). The Boundary of Divine Forbearance.--God is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish; but His forbearance has a limit, and when the boundary is past, there is no second probation. His wrath will go forth and He will destroy without remedy. {7BC 946.5} [7BC 946.6] When men, being in power, oppress and spoil their fellow men, and no earthly tribunal can be found to do justice, God will interpose in behalf of those who cannot defend themselves. He will punish for every act of oppression. No earthly wisdom can secure wrongdoers against the judgments of heaven. And when men put their trust in earthly powers instead of their Maker, when they become lifted up in pride and self-confidence, God will in His own time make them to be despised (Letter 122, 1900). {7BC 946.6} [7BC 946.7] 10 (Psalm 27:5; 91:9, 10; Isaiah 2:17-21; see EGW on Genesis 6:17; Revelation 20:9, 10, 14). God the Refuge of His People.--Before the Son of man appears in the clouds of heaven, everything in nature will be convulsed. Lightning from heaven uniting with the fire in the earth, will cause the mountains to burn like a furnace, and pour out their floods of lava over villages and cities. Molten masses of rock, thrown into the water by the upheaval of things hidden in the earth, will cause the water to boil and send forth rocks and earth. There will be mighty earthquakes and great destruction of human life. But as in the days of the great Deluge Noah was preserved in the ark that God had prepared for him, so in these days of destruction and calamity, God will be the refuge of His believing ones . . . ［Psalm 91:9, 10; 27:5 quoted］ (Letter 258, 1907). {7BC 946.7} [7BC 946.8] Destruction From Earth and Sky.--The hand of Omnipotence is at no loss for ways and means to accomplish His purposes. He could reach into the bowels of the earth and call forth His weapons, waters there concealed, to aid in the destruction of the corrupt inhabitants of the old world. . . . {7BC 946.8} [7BC 946.9] Water will never destroy the earth again, but the weapons of God are concealed in the bowels of the earth, which He will draw forth to unite with the fire from heaven to accomplish His purpose in the destruction of all those who would not receive the message of warning and purify their souls in obeying the truth and being obedient to the laws of God (ST Jan. 3, 1878). {7BC 946.9} [7BC 946.10] (Psalm 144:5, 6; Nahum 1:5, 6.) Destruction by Water and Fire.--In the bowels of the earth God has in reserve the weapons that He will use to destroy the sinful race. Since the Flood, God has used, to destroy wicked cities, both the water and the fire that are concealed in the earth. In the final conflagration God will in His wrath send lightning from heaven that will unite with the fire in the earth. The mountains will burn like a furnace, and pour forth 947 streams of lava ［Nahum 1:5, 6; Psalm 144:5, 6 quoted］ (MS 21, 1902). {7BC 946.10} [7BC 947.1] 11. See EGW on Revelation 3:14-18. {7BC 947.1} [7BC 947.2] 18 (Proverbs 11:25; Ephesians 4:15; see EGW on Revelation 2:4). Divine Law of Impartation.--It is the Lord's desire that His followers shall grow in grace, that their love shall abound more and more, that they shall be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the praise and glory of God. . . . {7BC 947.2} [7BC 947.3] One of the divine plans for growth is impartation. The Christian is to gain strength by strengthening others. "He that watereth shall be watered also himself." This is not merely a promise; it is a divine law, a law by which God designs that the streams of benevolence, like the waters of the great deep, shall be kept in constant circulation, continually flowing back to their source. In the fulfilling of this law is the secret of spiritual growth (ST June 12, 1901). {7BC 947.3} [7BC 947.4] (1 Thessalonians 4:3.) Sanctification a Continual Growth in Grace.--［2 Peter 3:14, 18 quoted.］ There is no Bible sanctification for those who cast a part of the truth behind them. . . . {7BC 947.4} [7BC 947.5] Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, or a day. It is a continual growth in grace. We know not one day how strong will be our conflict the next. Satan lives, and is active, and every day we need to earnestly cry to God for help and strength to resist him. As long as Satan reigns we shall have self to subdue, besetments to overcome, and there is no stopping place. There is no point to which we can come and say we have fully attained (RH May 6, 1862). {7BC 947.5} [7BC 947.6] (2 Corinthians 3:18; Hebrews 11:27.) A Connection With the Channel of Light.--How is it possible that we may grow in grace? It is possible to us only as we empty our hearts of self, and present them to Heaven, to be molded after the divine Pattern. We may have a connection with the living channel of light; we may be refreshed with the heavenly dew, and have the showers of Heaven descend upon us. As we appropriate the blessing of God, we shall be able to receive greater measures of His grace. As we learn to endure as seeing Him who is invisible, we shall become changed into the image of Christ. The grace of Christ will not make us proud, cause us to be lifted up in self, but we shall become meek and lowly in heart (ST Jan. 16, 1893). - {7BC 947.6} [7BC 947.7] 1 John Chapter 1 1-3. Testimony of John Invaluable.--［1 John 1:1-3 quoted.］ Thus John bears testimony that he had seen Christ, had been with Christ. In the early history of the Christian church, the enemy tried to bring in questions that would lead to doubt and dissension. At this time the testimony of John was invaluable in establishing the faith of the believers. He could say with assurance, I know that Christ lived on this earth; and I can bear testimony regarding His words and works (MS 29, 1911). {7BC 947.7} [7BC 947.8] 1-10 (see EGW on Revelation 1:9). John the Aged Servant of Jesus.--The apostle John is an example of the way in which God can use aged workers. Read his stirring words, written when he was an old man. Who could bear a firmer, more decided testimony? ［1 John 1:1-10; 2:1-5 quoted.］ {7BC 947.8} [7BC 947.9] In his old age John revealed the life of Christ in his life. He lived to be nearly one hundred years old, and over and over again he repeated the story of the crucified and risen Saviour. Persecution came upon the believers, and those young in experience were often in danger of losing their hold on Christ. But the old, tried servant of Jesus steadfastly maintained his faith (MS 92, 1903). {7BC 947.9} [7BC 947.10] 7-9. See EGW on 1 Timothy 2:5. {7BC 947.10} [7BC 947.11] 7, 9 (Hebrews 9:11-14, 22; Revelation 22:1). Efficacy of Christ's Blood.--Thank God that 948 He who spilled His blood for us, lives to plead it, lives to make intercession for every soul who receives Him. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. It speaketh better things than the blood of Abel, for Christ ever liveth to make intercession for us. We need to keep ever before us the efficacy of the blood of Jesus. That life-cleansing, life-sustaining blood, appropriated by living faith, is our hope. We need to grow in appreciation of its inestimable value, for it speaks for us only as we by faith claim its virtue, keeping the conscience clean and at peace with God. {7BC 947.11} [7BC 948.1] This is represented as the pardoning blood, inseparably connected with the resurrection and life of our Redeemer, illustrated by the ever-flowing stream that proceeds from the throne of God, the water of the river of life (Letter 87, 1894). {7BC 948.1} [7BC 948.2] Chapter 2 1 (Romans 8:34; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:18; 7:25; Hebrews 9:24; see EGW on John 17:5, 24). Fenced From Satan's Attacks.--"If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous." How careful is the Lord Jesus to give no occasion for a soul to despair. How He fences about the soul from Satan's fierce attacks. If through manifold temptations we are surprised or deceived into sin, He does not turn from us and leave us to perish. No, no, that is not our Saviour. Christ prayed for us. He was tempted in all points like as we are; and having been tempted, He knows how to succor those who are tempted. {7BC 948.2} [7BC 948.3] Our crucified Lord is pleading for us in the presence of the Father at the throne of grace. His atoning sacrifice we may plead for our pardon, our justification, and our sanctification. The Lamb slain is our only hope. Our faith looks up to Him, grasps Him as the One who can save to the uttermost, and the fragrance of the all-sufficient offering is accepted of the Father. Unto Christ is committed all power in heaven and in earth, and all things are possible to him that believeth. Christ's glory is concerned in our success. He has a common interest in all humanity. He is our sympathizing Saviour (Letter 33, 1895). {7BC 948.3} [7BC 948.4] (Isaiah 49:16; Zechariah 3:1; Hebrews 4:14-16; see EGW on Matthew 28:18; Hebrews 5:5, 6; 10:19-21.) Efficiency of Christ's Priesthood.--Let us remember that our great High Priest is pleading before the mercy seat in behalf of His ransomed people. He ever liveth to make intercession for us. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." {7BC 948.4} [7BC 948.5] The blood of Jesus is pleading with power and efficacy for those who are back-slidden, for those who are rebellious, for those who sin against great light and love. Satan stands at our right hand to accuse us, and our Advocate stands at God's right hand to plead for us. He has never lost a case that has been committed to Him. We may trust in our Advocate; for He pleads His own merits in our behalf. Hear His prayer before His betrayal and trial. Listen to His prayer for us; for He had us in remembrance. {7BC 948.5} [7BC 948.6] He will not forget His church in the world of temptation. He looks upon His tried and suffering people, and prays for them. . . . Yes, He beholds His people in this world, which is a persecuting world, and all seared and marred with the curse, and ［He］ knows that they need all the divine resources of His sympathy and His love. Our Forerunner hath for us entered within the veil, and yet by the golden chain of love and truth, He is linked with His people in closest sympathy. {7BC 948.6} [7BC 948.7] He is making intercession for the most lowly, the most oppressed and suffering, for the most tried and tempted ones. With upraised hands He pleads, "I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands." God loves to hear, and responds to the pleadings of His Son . . . ［Hebrews 4:14-16 quoted］ (RH Aug. 15, 1893). {7BC 948.7} [7BC 948.8] Fixing Our Eyes Upon Our Advocate.--In all our acts of true devotion, we fix our eye of faith upon our Advocate, who is standing between man and the eternal throne, waiting to meet our every effort, and by His Spirit assist us to a more perfect knowledge of God (MS 7, 1898). {7BC 948.8} [7BC 948.9] 1, 2. See EGW on Hebrews 2:14-18; James 1:25. {7BC 948.9} [7BC 948.10] 3, 4. See EGW on 1 Thessalonians 4:3. 949 {7BC 948.10} [7BC 949.1] 4. See EGW on John 14:15; Romans 3:31. {7BC 949.1} [7BC 949.2] 6 (see EGW on 2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 14:4). Walking as Christ Walked.--Those who walk even as Christ walked, who are patient, gentle, kind, meek and lowly in heart, those who yoke up with Christ and lift His burdens, who yearn for souls as He yearned for them--these will enter into the joy of their Lord. They will see with Christ the travail of His soul, and be satisfied. Heaven will triumph, for the vacancies made in heaven by the fall of Satan and his angels will be filled by the redeemed of the Lord (RH May 29, 1900). {7BC 949.2} [7BC 949.3] The Imitation of Christ.--True religion is the imitation of Christ. Those who follow Christ will deny self, take up the cross, and walk in His footsteps. Following Christ means obedience to all His commandments. No soldier can be said to follow his commander unless he obeys orders. Christ is our model. To copy Jesus, full of love and tenderness and compassion, will require that we draw near to Him daily. O how God has been dishonored by His professed representatives (Letter 31a, 1894)! {7BC 949.3} [7BC 949.4] 15. Space Between the Soul and Jesus.--Those who are ever pressing a little closer to the world, and becoming more like them in feelings, in plans, in ideas, have left a space between them and the Saviour, and Satan has pressed his way into this space, and low, worldly-tainted, selfish plans become interwoven with their experience (RH June 7, 1887). {7BC 949.4} [7BC 949.5] Not the Golden Currency of Heaven.--As the lovers of the world make religion subservient to the world, God requires His worshipers to subordinate the world to religion. The things of the world, that perish with the using, are not to be made the first consideration; these are not the golden currency of heaven. God has not stamped upon them His image and superscription (MS 16, 1890). {7BC 949.5} [7BC 949.6] 18 (Daniel 12:13; Revelation 14:6-12). Meaning of Antichrist to Be Understood.--Those who become confused in their understanding of the Word, who fail to see the meaning of antichrist, will surely place themselves on the side of antichrist. There is no time now for us to assimilate with the world. Daniel is standing in his lot and in his place. The prophecies of Daniel and of John are to be understood. They interpret each other. They give to the world truths which every one should understand. These prophecies are to be witnesses in the world. By their fulfillment in these last days they will explain themselves. {7BC 949.6} [7BC 949.7] The Lord is about to punish the world for its iniquity. He is about to punish religious bodies for their rejection of the light and truth which has been given them. The great message, combining the first, second, and third angels' messages, is to be given to the world. This is to be the burden of our work. Those who truly believe in Christ will openly conform to the law of Jehovah. The Sabbath is the sign between God and His people; and we are to make visible our conformity to the law of God by observing the Sabbath. It is to be the mark of distinction between God's chosen people and the world (MS 10, 1900). {7BC 949.7} [7BC 949.8] (2 Thessalonians 2:3-10; Revelation 13:16, 17; 18:3-7.) Society Ranging Into Two Classes.--All society is ranging into two great classes, the obedient and the disobedient. Among which class shall we be found? {7BC 949.8} [7BC 949.9] Those who keep God's commandments, those who live not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, compose the church of the living God. Those who choose to follow antichrist are subjects of the great apostate. Ranged under the banner of Satan, they break God's law and lead others to break it. They endeavor so to frame the laws of nations that men shall show their loyalty to earthly governments by trampling upon the laws of God's kingdom. {7BC 949.9} [7BC 949.10] Satan is diverting minds with unimportant questions, in order that they shall not with clear and distinct vision see matters of vast importance. The enemy is planning to ensnare the world. {7BC 949.10} [7BC 949.11] The so-called Christian world is to be the theater of great and decisive actions. Men in authority will enact laws controlling the conscience, after the example of the papacy. Babylon will make all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Every nation will be involved. . . ［Revelation 18:3-7 quoted］ (MS 24, 1891). {7BC 949.11} [7BC 949.12] All Heaven on Christ's Side.--The determination of Antichrist to carry out the 950 rebellion he began in heaven will continue to work in the children of disobedience. Their envy and hatred against those who obey the fourth commandment will wax more and more bitter. But the people of God are not to hide their banner. They are not to ignore the commandments of God, and in order to have an easy time, go with the multitude to do evil. . . . {7BC 949.12} [7BC 950.1] The greater man's influence for good, under the control of the Spirit of God, the more determined will be the enemy to indulge his envy and jealousy toward him by religious persecution. But all heaven is on the side of Christ, not of Antichrist. Those who love God and are willing to be partakers with Christ in His sufferings, God will honor. Antichrist, meaning all who exalt themselves against the will and work of God, will at the appointed time feel the wrath of Him who gave Himself that they might not perish but have eternal life. All who persevere in obedience, all who will not sell their souls for money or for the favor of men, God will register in the book of life (MS 9, 1900). {7BC 950.1} [7BC 950.2] (Colossians 2:8; 1 Timothy 6:20.) Human Reason vs. God's Wisdom.--Many exalt human reason, idolize human wisdom, and set the opinions of men above the revealed wisdom of God. This affords opportunity for the working of Satan, and the spirit of Antichrist is far more widespread than any of us imagine. . . . {7BC 950.2} [7BC 950.3] The maxims of the world, that know not God, have been worked into the theories of the church. In the eyes of men, vain philosophy and science, falsely so-called, are of more value than the Word of God. The sentiment prevails to a large extent that the divine Mediator is not essential to the salvation of man. A variety of theories advanced by the so-called worldly-wise men for man's elevation, are believed and trusted in more than is the truth of God, as taught by Christ and His apostles. {7BC 950.3} [7BC 950.4] The lying spirit that enticed Eve in Eden, finds acceptance with the majority of earth's inhabitants today. Even the Christian world refuses to be converted by the Spirit of God, but listens to the prince of darkness, as he comes to them in the garb of an angel of light. The spirit of Antichrist is prevailing in the world to a far greater extent than it has ever prevailed before. {7BC 950.4} [7BC 950.5] The day of test and purification is just upon us. Signs of a most startling character appear, in floods, in hurricanes, in tornadoes, in cloudbursts, in casualties by land and by sea, that proclaim the approach of the end of all things. The judgments of God are falling on the world, that men may be awakened to the fact that Christ will come speedily (RH Nov. 8, 1892). {7BC 950.5} [7BC 950.6] Chapter 3 1 (John 3:16; 2 Peter 1:10, 11; see EGW on 1 John 4:7, 8). Welcomed as a Child.--The plan of redemption is not merely a way of escape from the penalty of transgression, but through it the sinner is forgiven his sins, and will be finally received into heaven--not as a forgiven culprit pardoned and released from captivity, yet looked upon with suspicion and not admitted to friendship and trust; but welcomed as a child, and taken back into fullest confidence. {7BC 950.6} [7BC 950.7] The sacrifice of our Saviour has made ample provision for every repenting, believing soul. We are saved because God loves the purchase of the blood of Christ; and not only will He pardon the repentant sinner, not only will He permit him to enter heaven, but He, the Father of mercies, will wait at the very gates of heaven to welcome us, to give us an abundant entrance to the mansions of the blest. Oh, what love, what wondrous love the Father has shown in the gift of His beloved Son for this fallen race! And this Sacrifice is a channel for the outflow of His infinite love, that all who believe on Jesus Christ may, like the prodigal son, receive full and free restoration to the favor of Heaven (RH Sept. 21, 1886). {7BC 950.7} [7BC 950.8] 3. See EGW on 1 Peter 1:22; Revelation 7:2, 3. {7BC 950.8} [7BC 950.9] 3-6 (1 Peter 1:22). Power to Keep Us in Temptation.--"And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." {7BC 950.9} [7BC 950.10] Does this text mean that the human agent can remove one stain of sin from his soul? No. Then what does it mean to purify himself? It means to look upon the 951 Lord's great moral standard of righteousness, the holy law of God, and see that he is a sinner in the light of that law. "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin." {7BC 950.10} [7BC 951.1] It is through faith in Jesus Christ that the truth is accepted in the heart, and the human agent is purified and cleansed. . . . He has an abiding principle in the soul, that enables him to overcome temptation. "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not." God has power to keep the soul that is in Christ who is under temptation. . . . {7BC 951.1} [7BC 951.2] A mere profession of godliness is worthless. It is he that abideth in Christ that is a Christian. . . . Unless the mind of God becomes the mind of men, every effort to purify himself will be useless; for it is impossible to elevate man except through a knowledge of God. The outward gloss may be put on, and men may be as were the Pharisees whom Jesus describes as "whited sepulchres" full of corruption and dead men's bones. But all the deformity of the soul is open to Him who judgeth righteously, and unless the truth is planted in the heart, it cannot control the life. Cleansing the outside of the cup will never make the vessel pure within. A nominal acceptance of truth is good as far as it goes, and the ability to give a reason for our faith is a good accomplishment, but if the truth does not go deeper than this, the soul will never be saved. The heart must be purified from all moral defilement (Letter 13, 1893). {7BC 951.2} [7BC 951.3] 4 (Romans 3:20; see EGW on Galatians 3:24-26; Ephesians 2:14-16). Only Definition of Sin.--"Sin is the transgression of the law." This is the only definition of sin. Without the law there can be no transgression. "By the law is the knowledge of sin." The standard of righteousness is exceeding broad, prohibiting every evil thing (MS 27, 1899). {7BC 951.3} [7BC 951.4] 4, 5. What Is the Justice of God?--The transgression of God's law in a single instance, in the smallest particular, is sin. And the nonexecution of the penalty of that sin would be a crime in the divine administration. God is a judge, the avenger of justice, which is the habitation and foundation of His throne. He cannot dispense with His law, He cannot do away with its smallest item in order to meet and pardon sin. The rectitude and justice and moral excellence of the law must be maintained and vindicated before the heavenly universe and the worlds unfallen. {7BC 951.4} [7BC 951.5] What is the justice of God? It is the holiness of God in relation to sin. Christ bore the sins of the world in man's behalf that the sinner might have another trial, with all the divine opportunities and advantages which God has provided in man's behalf (MS 145, 1897). {7BC 951.5} [7BC 951.6] 8 (see EGW on Genesis 6:3). Simple Godliness Not Shallowness.--John bears testimony of Christ, the giver of the Word, saying, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." In the simplest language John sets before us true practical godliness. This simplicity does not show shallowness, but depth. John is speaking to real men and women, and the Holy Spirit directed him to write in such a way that they would be brought in contact with a real, living God. He shows us what God is doing, and what man must do to meet God's requirements. John does not present the truth hesitatingly, but in a decided manner. He speaks positively ［1 John 1:1-7 quoted］ (ST Jan. 11, 1899). {7BC 951.6} [7BC 951.7] Chapter 4 1 (Isaiah 8:20; Matthew 7:15, 16; 24:11, 23, 24; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21; 1 Timothy 4:1; see EGW on Colossians 2:8; Revelation 1:1, 2). Beware of False Prophets.-- In these days of peril we are not to accept everything that men bring to us as truth. As professed teachers from God come to us declaring that they have a message from God, it is proper to inquire carefully, How do we know that this is truth? Jesus has told us that "false prophets shall arise and shall deceive many." But we need not be deceived; for the Word of God gives us a test whereby we may know what is truth. The prophet says, "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." {7BC 951.7} [7BC 951.8] From this statement it is evident that it becomes us to be diligent Bible students, that we may know what is according to the 952 law and the testimony. We are safe in no other course of action. Jesus says, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits" (RH Feb. 23, 1892). {7BC 951.8} [7BC 952.1] In these days of delusion, every one who is established in the truth will have to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. Every variety of error will be brought out in the mysterious working of Satan, which would, if it were possible, deceive the very elect, and turn them from the truth. . . . {7BC 952.1} [7BC 952.2] There will be false dreams and false visions, which have some truth, but lead away from the original faith. The Lord has given men a rule by which to detect them: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." If they belittle the law of God, if they pay no heed to His will as revealed in the testimonies of His Spirit, they are deceivers. They are controlled by impulse and impressions which they believe to be from the Holy Spirit and consider more reliable than the Inspired Word. They claim that every thought and feeling is an impression of the Spirit; and when they are reasoned with out of the Scriptures, they declare that they have something more reliable. But while they think that they are led by the Spirit of God, they are in reality following an imagination wrought upon by Satan (BE Sept., 1886). {7BC 952.2} [7BC 952.3] (Acts 20:30, 31.) I would say to our dear brethren who have been so eager to accept everything that came in the form of visions and dreams, Beware that you be not ensnared. Read the warnings that have been given by the world's Redeemer to His disciples to be given again by them to the world. The Word of God is solid rock, and we may plant our feet securely upon it. Every soul must needs be tested, every faith and doctrine must needs be tried by the law and the testimony. Take heed that no man deceive you. The warnings of Christ on this matter are needed at this time; for delusions and deceptions will come in among us, and will multiply as we near the end. {7BC 952.3} [7BC 952.4] "Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember." Bear in mind that trials of this character are to come upon us, not only from without, but from within our own ranks. Our individual safety is in entire consecration to God (MS 27, 1894). {7BC 952.4} [7BC 952.5] 7, 8 (1 Peter 1:22). Working With Love.--Pure love is simple in its operations, and separate from every other principle of action. When combined with earthly motives and selfish interests, it ceases to be pure. God considers more with how much love we work, than the amount we do. Love is a heavenly attribute. The natural heart cannot originate it. This heavenly plant only flourishes where Christ reigns supreme. Where love exists, there is power and truth in the life. Love does good and nothing but good. Those who have love bear fruit unto holiness, and in the end everlasting life (YI Jan. 13, 1898). - {7BC 952.5} [7BC 952.6] Jude 4. See EGW on Revelation 2:6. {7BC 952.6} [7BC 952.7] 9 (Isaiah 49:24, 25). Christ's Right to Free the Captives.--What right had Christ to take the captives out of the enemy's hands?--the right of having made a sacrifice that satisfies the principles of justice by which the kingdom of heaven is governed. He came to this earth as the Redeemer of the lost race, to conquer the wily foe, and, by His steadfast allegiance to right, to save all who accept Him as their Saviour. On the cross of Calvary He paid the redemption price of the race. And thus He gained the right to take the captives from the grasp of the great deceiver, who, by a lie framed against the government of God, caused the 953 fall of man, and thus forfeited all claim to be called a loyal subject of God's glorious everlasting kingdom (ST Sept. 30, 1903). {7BC 952.7} [7BC 953.1] The False Claims of Satan.--Satan, the rebel and apostate, works by every possible device to defeat the purpose of God. Because men have sinned, he claims that they have come under his dominion, and that the heavenly agencies, angels that excel in strength, should not take his subjects from under his control. Should men receive divine power, he knows that he cannot prevail against them, and work his will in cruelty upon body and mind; therefore he accuses them before God, and claims that the power of God shall not be imparted to them (RH June 20, 1893). {7BC 953.1} [7BC 953.2] 15 (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14; see EGW on Genesis 6:3; Romans 3:19). Every Action Weighed in the Scales.--［Jude 14, 15; Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14 quoted in part.］ God places every action in the scale. What a scene it will be! What impressions will be made regarding the holy character of God and the terrible enormity of sin, when the judgment, based on the law, is carried forward in the presence of all the worlds. Then before the mind of the unrepentant sinner there will be opened all the sins that he has committed, and he will see and understand the aggregate of sin and his own guilt. {7BC 953.2} [7BC 953.3] When the loyal overcomers are crowned, God would have present all who have transgressed His law and broken their covenant with Him. And not one of the righteous will be absent. They see in the Judge, Christ Jesus, the One whom every sinner has crucified. The Son of man shall come in His glory, and before Him shall be gathered all nations. The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son (MS 77, 1906). {7BC 953.3} [7BC 953.4] 20-25. Most Earnest Work to be Done.--The instruction given by Jude from verse twenty to the close of the chapter, will make our work a complete whole, teaching us how to conduct the warfare in the service of Christ. No one-sided extravagance is to be revealed, no indolence of shiftlessness is to be indulged. We are not to ignore any man's individuality, or in any way to justify cold-hearted criticism or selfish practice. {7BC 953.4} [7BC 953.5] This scripture brings to view the fact that there is most earnest work to be done, and we need divine intuition that we may know how to work for souls ready to perish. There are souls to be plucked out of the fire, there are souls who are to be treated with the tenderest compassion. Workers are needed who have learned in the school of Christ His method of saving souls (Letter 7, 1895). {7BC 953.5} [7BC 953.6] 24. See EGW on Revelation 2:1-5. - {7BC 953.6} [7BC 953.7] Revelation Chapter 1 1, 2 (2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 4:1). The Trustee of Divine Revelation.--［Revelation 1:1, 2 quoted.］ The whole Bible is a revelation; for all revelation to men comes through Christ, and all centers in Him. God has spoken unto us by His Son, whose we are by creation and by redemption. Christ came to John exiled on the Isle of Patmos to give him the truth for these last days, to show him that which must shortly come to pass. Jesus Christ is the great trustee of divine revelation. It is through Him that we have a knowledge of what we are to look for in the closing scenes of this earth's history. God gave this revelation to Christ, and Christ communicated the same to John. {7BC 953.7} [7BC 953.8] John, the beloved disciple, was the one chosen to receive this revelation. He was the last survivor of the first chosen disciples. Under the New Testament dispensation he was honored as the prophet Daniel was honored under the Old Testament dispensation. {7BC 953.8} [7BC 953.9] The instruction to be communicated to John was so important that Christ came from heaven to give it to His servant, telling 954 him to send it to the churches. This instruction is to be the object of our careful and prayerful study; for we are living in a time when men who are not under the teaching of the Holy Spirit will bring in false theories. These men have been standing in high places, and they have ambitious projects to carry out. They seek to exalt themselves, and to revolutionize the whole showing of things. God has given us special instruction to guard us against such ones. He bade John write in a book that which should take place in the closing scenes of this earth's history (MS 129, 1905). {7BC 953.9} [7BC 954.1] 1-3. Revelation an Open Book.--Many have entertained the idea that the book of Revelation is a sealed book, and they will not devote time and study to its mysteries. They say that they are to keep looking to the glories of salvation, and that the mysteries revealed to John on the Isle of Patmos are worthy of less consideration than these. But God does not so regard this book. . . . {7BC 954.1} [7BC 954.2] The book of Revelation opens to the world what has been, what is, and what is to come; it is for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come. It should be studied with reverential awe. We are privileged in knowing what is for our learning. . . . {7BC 954.2} [7BC 954.3] The Lord Himself revealed to His servant John the mysteries of the book of Revelation, and He designs that they shall be open to the study of all. In this book are depicted scenes that are now in the past, and some of eternal interest that are taking place around us; other of its prophecies will not receive their complete fulfillment until the close of time, when the last great conflict between the powers of darkness and the Prince of heaven will take place (RH Aug. 31, 1897). {7BC 954.3} [7BC 954.4] 8. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 15:22, 45. {7BC 954.4} [7BC 954.5] 9. Companions of John on Patmos.--John was sent to the Isle of Patmos, where, separated from his companions in the faith, his enemies supposed he would die from hardship and neglect. But John made friends and converts even there. They thought that they had at last placed the faithful witness where he could no longer trouble Israel or the wicked rulers of the world. {7BC 954.5} [7BC 954.6] But all the heavenly universe saw the result of the conflict with the aged disciple and his separation from his companions in the faith. God and Christ and the heavenly host were John's companions on the Isle of Patmos. From them he received instruction which he imparted to those separated with him from the world. There he wrote out the visions and revelations he received from God, telling of the things which would take place in the closing period of this earth's history. When his voice would no longer witness for the truth, when he could no longer testify of the One he loved and served, the messages given to him on that rocky, barren coast were to go forth as a lamp that burneth (MS 150, 1899). {7BC 954.6} [7BC 954.7] (1 John 1:1-10.) Glorious Truths Entrusted to John.--Often the very best men, those whom God uses to His name's glory, are unrecognized by human wisdom, but not for one moment are they forgotten by God. When John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos, there were many who thought him to be past service, an old and broken reed ready to fall at any time. But the Lord saw fit to use him in that lonely island home where His servant was imprisoned. The world and the bigoted priests and rulers rejoiced that they were at last rid of his ever fresh testimony. ［1 John 1:1-3 quoted.］ {7BC 954.7} [7BC 954.8] This whole chapter is full of brave courage, of hope and faith and assurance. It was because of this testimony, so amazing to those who wished to forget Christ, who hated the crucified Redeemer, whom they had rejected, that they wished to get that voice beyond their hearing, that his testimony might no more be a witness against their wicked deeds in crucifying the Lord of glory. But they could not put him in any place where his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ could not find him. {7BC 954.8} [7BC 954.9] Christ's servants who are true and faithful may be unrecognized and unhonored by men . . . , but the Lord will honor them. They will not be forgotten by God. He will honor them by His presence because they have been found true and faithful. Those who have grown old in the cause and work of God have an experience of great value for the church. God honors His servants 955 who have grown old in His service. The most glorious truths concerning the last chapters of this earth's history were given to the aged disciple whom Jesus loved (MS 109, 1897). {7BC 954.9} [7BC 955.1] 9, 10 (Psalm 71:9; 92:14; Isaiah 46:4). John's Last Years.--It was after John had grown old in the service of the Lord that he was exiled to Patmos. And on that lonely isle he received more communications from heaven than he had received during the rest of his lifetime (RH July 26, 1906). {7BC 955.1} [7BC 955.2] Christ's aged representative was exiled that his testimony might no longer be heard; for it was a living power on the side of right. But though separated from his brethren, he was visited by Christ, whom he had not seen since the ascension (RH May 16, 1899). {7BC 955.2} [7BC 955.3] 9-15. God's Plan for Future Ages.--The hand of persecution falls heavily on the apostle. He is banished to the Isle of Patmos "for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." He writes, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day." He was filled with unspeakable joy; for heaven seemed open before him. In clear, distinct tones a voice spoke to him, saying, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last." Turning, he beheld his Master, with whom he had walked and talked in Judea, on whose breast he had leaned. {7BC 955.3} [7BC 955.4] But Oh, how changed is His appearance! John had seen Him clothed in an old purple robe and crowned with thorns. Now He is clothed with a garment of heavenly brightness, and girt about with a golden girdle. Writing of His appearance, John says, "His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters." . . . {7BC 955.4} [7BC 955.5] God's plan for future ages was revealed to John. The glories of heaven were opened before his enraptured vision. He saw the throne of God, and heard the anthems of joy resounding through the heavenly courts. As we read his description of what he saw in his vision, we long to stand with the redeemed in the presence of God. {7BC 955.5} [7BC 955.6] Half a century had passed since Jesus ascended to present His church before God, and to prepare mansions for His faithful ones. He still loved His people; for He came to His aged servant to reveal to Him God's plans for the future. {7BC 955.6} [7BC 955.7] On the rugged, desolate island John was left alone with God and his faith. Here, among the rocks and cliffs, he held communion with his Maker. He reviewed his past life, and at the thought of the blessings he had received at the hand of God, peace filled his heart. He had lived the life of a Christian, and he could say in faith, "It is well with my soul." Not so the emperor who had banished him. He could look back only on fields of warfare and carnage, on desolated homes and weeping widows and orphans--the result of his ambitious desire for pre-eminence (MS 99, 1902). {7BC 955.7} [7BC 955.8] 10. Christ Appears on the Sabbath.--The Sabbath, which God had instituted in Eden, was as precious to John on the lonely isle as when he was with his companions in the cities and towns. The precious promises that Christ had given regarding this day he repeated and claimed as his own. It was the sign to him that God was his. . . . On the Sabbath day the risen Saviour made His presence known to John. ［Revelation 1:10-13, 17, 18 quoted.］ {7BC 955.8} [7BC 955.9] The persecution of John became a means of grace. Patmos was made resplendent with the glory of a risen Saviour. John had seen Christ in human form, with the marks of the nails, which will ever be His glory, in His hands and His feet. Now he was permitted again to behold his risen Lord, clothed with as much glory as a human being could behold, and live. What a Sabbath was that to the lonely exile, always precious in the sight of Christ, but now more than ever exalted! Never had he learned so much of Jesus. Never had he heard such exalted truth (YI April 5, 1900). {7BC 955.9} [7BC 955.10] 16, 20. See EGW on ch. 2:1, 1-5. {7BC 955.10} [7BC 955.11] 18-20 (John 1:1-3). The Self-existent, Unchangeable One.--［Revelation 1:18-20 quoted.］ These are wonderfully solemn and significant statements. It was the Source of all mercy and pardon, peace and grace, the self-existent, eternal, unchangeable One, who visited His exiled servant on the isle that is called Patmos (MS 81, 1900). 956 {7BC 955.11} [7BC 956.1] Chapter 2 1 (ch. 1:16, 20; Psalm 121:3, 4; see EGW on Ephesians 5:25). Constant Diligence in Behalf of His Church.--In the message to the church at Ephesus, Christ is represented as holding the seven stars in His hand, and walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. He is represented as "walking" among them, thus illustrating His constant diligence in behalf of His church. He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. Nor does He become indifferent. These figures are to be carefully studied by the undershepherds, and faithfully applied to their own experience, that they may not lose sight of their great privilege of securing light from the Source of all light, and giving it in turn to those for whom they labor (Letter 4, 1908). {7BC 956.1} [7BC 956.2] 1-5 (1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24). The Warder of the Temple Courts.-- ［Revelation 2:1-5 quoted.］ The words fall from the lips of One who cannot lie. The picture reveals eternal vigilance. Christ is in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, walking from church to church, from congregation to congregation, from heart to heart. He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. If the candlesticks were left to the care of human beings, how often the light would flicker and go out! But God has not given His church into the hands of men. Christ, the One who gave His life for the world, that all who believe in Him may not perish but have everlasting life, is the watchman of the house. He is the warder, faithful and true, of the temple courts of the Lord. . . . {7BC 956.2} [7BC 956.3] Christ walks in the midst of His churches through the length and breadth of the earth. He looks with intense interest to see whether His people are in such a condition spiritually that they can advance His kingdom. He is present in every assembly of the church. He knows those whose hearts He can fill with the holy oil, that they may impart it to others. Those who faithfully carry forward the work of Christ, representing in word and deed the character of God, fulfill the Lord's purpose for them, and Christ takes pleasure in them (RH May 26, 1903). {7BC 956.3} [7BC 956.4] (Ephesians 1:1, 15, 16.) Evil Results of Neglect.--［Revelation 2:1-5 quoted.］ In this scripture are outlined the conditions of acceptance with God. The first experience of the Ephesus church led to good works. God took delight in the fact that His church reflected the light of heaven by revealing the spirit of Christ in tenderness and compassion. The love that dwelt in the heart of Christ; the love that caused Him to give Himself a sacrifice for humanity, and to suffer with forbearance the reproach of men, even to the extent of being called a devil; the love that prompted Him to perform mighty works of healing during His ministry--this was the love that was to be revealed in the lives of His disciples. {7BC 956.4} [7BC 956.5] But they neglected to cherish Christ's compassion and tenderness. Self, as manifested in hereditary traits of character, spoiled the principles of the grand, good works that identified the members of the Ephesus church as Christians. The Lord Jesus must needs show them that they had lost that which was everything to them. The love that constrained the Saviour to die for us, was not revealed in its fullness in their lives; and hence they were unable to bring honor to the name of the Redeemer. And as they lost their first love, they increased in a knowledge of scientific theories originated by the father of lies (MS 11, 1906). {7BC 956.5} [7BC 956.6] 2. See EGW on Galatians 5:6. {7BC 956.6} [7BC 956.7] 2-6. Losing the Talent of Love.--This message is an example of the way in which the ministers of God are to give reproof today. Following the commendation for earnest labor comes the reproof for losing the talent of love, which is a most sacred trust. It was the love of God that saved the fallen race from eternal death (MS 136, 1902). {7BC 956.7} [7BC 956.8] 4 (2 Peter 3:18; 2 John 6). Love for Christ Need Not Flag.--"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." Thine is a decay, a declension in holy zeal--not forsaken is the object of it, but lost is the fervor. The first affection of the convert to Christ is deep, full, and ardent. It is not necessary that this love should become less as knowledge increases, as the more and increased light shines upon him. That love should become more fervent as he becomes better acquainted with his Lord. . . . {7BC 956.8} [7BC 956.9] God will accept nothing less than the whole heart. Happy are they who from 957 the commencement of their religious life have been true to their first love, growing in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The sure result of their intercourse and fellowship with their beloved Lord will be to increase their piety, their purity, their fervor. They are receiving a divine education, and this is illustrated in a life of fervor, of diligence and zeal. . . . {7BC 956.9} [7BC 957.1] It is our work to know our special failings and sins, which cause darkness and spiritual feebleness, and quenched our first love (RH June 7, 1887). {7BC 957.1} [7BC 957.2] 4, 5 (see EGW on ch. 3:14-18; 1 Kings 11:4). Spiritually Fallen, but Unaware of It.--In view of the many virtues enumerated, how striking is the charge brought against the church at Ephesus: "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." This church had been highly favored. It was planted by the apostle Paul. In the same city was the temple of Diana, which, in point of grandeur, was one of the marvels of the world. The Ephesian church met with great opposition, and some of the early Christians suffered persecution; and yet some of these very ones turned from the truths that had united them with Christ's followers, and adopted, in their stead, the specious errors devised by Satan. {7BC 957.2} [7BC 957.3] This change is represented as a spiritual fall. "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works"--as outlined in the preceding verses. The believers did not sense their spiritual fall. They knew not that a change had taken place in their hearts, and that they would have to repent because of the noncontinuance of their first works. But God in His mercy called for repentance, for a return to their first love and to the works that are always the result of true, Christlike love (MS 11, 1906). {7BC 957.3} [7BC 957.4] Loss of Love a Moral Fall.--The losing of the first love is specified as a moral fall. The loss of this love is represented as something that will affect the entire religious life. Of those who have lost this love, God says that unless they repent, He will come to them, and remove their candlestick out of its place (MS 1, 1906). {7BC 957.4} [7BC 957.5] 6 (Jude 4). The Sin of the Nicolaitans.--Is it ［our sin］ the sin of the Nicolaitans, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness (RH June 7, 1887)? {7BC 957.5} [7BC 957.6] (Romans 3:31.) Doctrine of the Nicolaitans.--The doctrine is now largely taught that the gospel of Christ has made the law of God of no effect; that by "believing" we are released from the necessity of being doers of the Word. But this is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which Christ so unsparingly condemned (ST Jan. 2, 1912). {7BC 957.6} [7BC 957.7] 7 (ch. 22:2). The Leaves of the Tree of Life.--［Revelation 2:7 quoted.］ Must we wait until we are translated before we eat of the leaves of the tree of life? He who receives into his heart the words of Christ knows what it means to eat the leaves of the tree of life. ［John 6:33-63 quoted.］ {7BC 957.7} [7BC 957.8] When the believer, in the fellowship of the Spirit, can lay his hand upon truth itself, and appropriate it, he eats the bread that comes down from heaven. He enters into the life of Christ, and appreciates the great sacrifice made in behalf of the sinful race. {7BC 957.8} [7BC 957.9] The knowledge that comes from God is the bread of life. It is the leaves of the tree of life which are for the healing of the nations. The current of spiritual life thrills the soul as the words of Christ are believed and practiced. Thus it is that we are made one with Christ. The experience that was weak and feeble becomes strong. It is eternal life to us if we hold the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end. {7BC 957.9} [7BC 957.10] All truth is to be received as the life of Jesus. Truth cleanses us from all impurity, and prepares the soul for Christ's presence. Christ is formed within, the hope of glory (MS 103, 1902). {7BC 957.10} [7BC 957.11] 7, 11, 17, 29 (ch. 3:6, 13, 22). Ears Closed to Folly and Nonsense.--"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." If you "hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," and meditate upon the instruction given to them, your ears will be closed to the folly and nonsense which surround you. You will neither hear and repeat these things, nor will you ever hanker after them. When Christ satisfies the soul hunger, these trivialities are to you distasteful and disgusting. You have no desire to feast upon them, but choose instead the bread of heaven (MS 92, 1901). 958 {7BC 957.11} [7BC 958.1] 9. The Synagogue of Satan.--Christ speaks of the church over which Satan presides as the synagogue of Satan. Its members are the children of disobedience. They are those who choose to sin, who labor to make void the holy law of God. It is Satan's work to mingle evil with good, and to remove the distinction between good and evil. Christ would have a church that labors to separate the evil from the good, whose members will not willingly tolerate wrong-doing, but will expel it from the heart and life (RH Dec. 4, 1900). {7BC 958.1} [7BC 958.2] 10. Crowns Bestowed by Christ.--In that day of final punishment and reward, both saints and sinners will recognize in Him who was crucified the Judge of all living. Every crown that is given to the saints of the Most High will be bestowed by the hands of Christ--those hands that cruel priests and rulers condemned to be nailed to the cross. He alone can give to men the consolation of eternal life (RH Nov. 22, 1898). {7BC 958.2} [7BC 958.3] Chapter 3 1 (2 Corinthians 4:7; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:21; 3:8). Faithful Stewards Over Ourselves.--［Revelation 3:1 quoted.］ God calls upon this church to make a change. They had a name to live, but their works were destitute of the love of Jesus. Oh, how many have fallen because they trusted in their profession for salvation! How many are lost by their effort to keep up a name! If one has the reputation of being a successful evangelist, a gifted preacher, a man of prayer, a man of faith, a man of special devotion, there is positive danger that he will make shipwreck of faith when tried by the little tests that God suffers to come. Often his great effort will be to maintain his reputation. {7BC 958.3} [7BC 958.4] He who lives in the fear that others do not appreciate his value is losing sight of Him who alone makes us worthy of glorifying God. Let us be faithful stewards over ourselves. Let us look away from self to Christ. Then there will be no trouble at all. All the work done, however excellent it may appear to be, is worthless if not done in the love of Jesus. One may go through the whole round of religious activity, and yet, unless Christ is woven into all that he says and does, he will work for his own glory (Letter 48, 1903). {7BC 958.4} [7BC 958.5] 1-3. Remember How Thou Hast Received.--A warning is given of a time when errors would come in as a thief to steal away the faith of God's people, when they must watch diligently and be constantly guarded against the delusions of the enemy. {7BC 958.5} [7BC 958.6] In Sardis many had been converted through the preaching of the apostles. The truth had been received as a bright and shining light. But some had forgotten the wonderful manner in which they had received the truth, and Jesus found it necessary to send reproof. {7BC 958.6} [7BC 958.7] One after another of the old standardbearers had fallen, and some had become wearied of the oft-repeated truths. They desired a new phase of doctrine, more pleasing to many minds. They thought they needed a wonderful change, and in their spiritual blindness did not discern that their sophistries would uproot all the experiences of the past. {7BC 958.7} [7BC 958.8] But the Lord Jesus could see the end from the beginning. Through John He sent them the warning, "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief" (MS 34, 1905). {7BC 958.8} [7BC 958.9] (2 Timothy 2:23-26.) Hazards of Quibbling.--［Revelation 3:1-3 quoted.］ Among the people to whom this message was sent, there were those who had heard and been convinced by the preaching of John the Baptist, but who had lost the faith in which they once rejoiced. There were others who had received the truth from Christ's teaching, and who were once ardent believers, but who had lost their first love, and were without spiritual strength. They had not held the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end. They had a name to live, but as far as exerting a saving influence is concerned, they were dead. They had a form of godliness without the power. They quibbled about matters of no special importance, not given by the Lord as tests, till these matters became as mountains, separating them from Christ and from one another. . . . {7BC 958.9} [7BC 958.10] "I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead." With God outward show weighs nothing. The outward forms of religion, without the love of God in the soul, are utterly worthless. 959 {7BC 958.10} [7BC 959.1] "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die." This is our work. There are many ready to die spiritually, and the Lord calls upon us to strengthen them. God's people are to be firmly united in the bonds of Christian fellowship, and are to be strengthened in the faith by speaking often to one another about the precious truths entrusted to them. Never are they to spend their time in accusing and condemning one another (RH Aug. 10, 1905). {7BC 959.1} [7BC 959.2] 1-4 (Hebrews 4:13). Weighing the Character.--［Revelation 3:1-3 quoted.］ The discrimination revealed by Christ in weighing the characters of those who have taken to themselves His name, as Christians, leads us to realize more fully that every individual is under His supervision. He is acquainted with the thoughts and intents of the heart, as well as with every word and act. He knows all about our religious experience; He knows whom we love and serve (MS 81, 1900). {7BC 959.2} [7BC 959.3] 1-5 (Matthew 22:14). A Few Faithful Ones in Sardis.--The church of Sardis is represented as having in it a few faithful ones among the many who had become, as it were, careless and insensible of their obligations to God. "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy." Who is so favored as to be numbered among these few in Sardis? Are you? Am I? Who are among this number? Is it not best for us to inquire into this matter, in order that we may learn to whom the Lord refers when He says that a few have not stained their white robes of character (MS 81, 1900)? {7BC 959.3} [7BC 959.4] (Revelation 3:14-18.) Read the Third Chapter of Revelation.--In the message to the church at Sardis two parties are presented--those who have a name to live, but are dead; and those who are striving to overcome. Study this message, found in the third chapter of Revelation. ［Revelation 3:1, 2 quoted.］ Who are meant by those that are ready to die? and what has made them thus? The explanation is given, "I have not found thy works perfect before God." ［Revelation 3:3-5 quoted.］ {7BC 959.4} [7BC 959.5] To the church of the present day this message is sent. I call upon our church members to read the whole of the third chapter of Revelation, and to make an application of it. The message to the church of the Laodiceans applies especially to the people of God today. It is a message to professing Christians who have become so much like the world that no difference can be seen ［Revelation 3:14-18 quoted］ (RH Aug. 20, 1903). {7BC 959.5} [7BC 959.6] 3 (Hebrews 3:6; 4:14; Hebrews 10:23). Hold Fast to the Pledge.--"Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent," Those who have been born again remember with what joy and gladness they received the light of heaven, and how eager they were to tell everybody of their happiness. . . . {7BC 959.6} [7BC 959.7] "Hold fast." This does not mean, Hold fast to your sins; but, Hold fast to the comfort, the faith, the hope, that God has given you in His Word. Never be discouraged. A discouraged man can do nothing. Satan is seeking to discourage you, telling you it is of no use to serve God, that it does not pay, and that it is just as well to have pleasure and enjoyment in this world. But "what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" You may have worldly pleasure at the expense of the future world; but can you afford to pay such a price? {7BC 959.7} [7BC 959.8] We are to "hold fast" and live up to all the light we receive from heaven. Why? Because God wants us to grasp the eternal truth, and act as His helping hand by communicating the light to those who are not acquainted with His love for them. When you gave yourself to Christ, you made a pledge in the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit--the three great personal Dignitaries of heaven. "Hold fast" to this pledge. {7BC 959.8} [7BC 959.9] "And repent." The life we live is to be one of continual repentance and humility. We need to repent constantly, that we may be constantly victorious. When we have true humility, we have victory. The enemy never can take out of the hand of Christ the one who is simply trusting in His promises. If the soul is trusting and working obediently, the mind is susceptible to divine impressions, and the light of God shines in, enlightening the understanding. What privileges we have in Christ Jesus! 960 {7BC 959.9} [7BC 960.1] A true sense of repentance before God does not hold us in bondage, causing us to feel like persons in a funeral procession. We are to be cheerful, not sorrowful. But all the time we are to be sorry that after Christ had given His precious life for us, we gave so many years of our life to the powers of darkness. We are to feel sorrow of heart as we remember that after Christ had given His all for our redemption, we used in the service of the enemy some of the time and capabilities which the Lord entrusted to us as talents to use to His name's glory. We are to repent because we have not endeavored in every way possible to become acquainted with the precious truth, which enables us to exercise that faith which works by love and purifies the soul. {7BC 960.1} [7BC 960.2] As we see souls out of Christ, we are to put ourselves in their place, and in their behalf feel repentance before God, resting not until we bring them to repentance. If we do everything we can for them, and yet they do not repent, the sin lies at their door; but we are still to feel sorrow of heart because of their condition, showing them how to repent, and trying to lead them step by step to Jesus Christ (MS 92, 1901). {7BC 960.2} [7BC 960.3] 4. See EGW on ch. 19:7-9; 2:14-18. {7BC 960.3} [7BC 960.4] 4, 5 (Luke 12:8). True and Loyal and Faithful.--［Revelation 3:4, 5 quoted.］ This is the reward to be given to those who have obtained a pure and spotless character, who before the world have held fast to the faith. Jesus Christ will confess their names before the Father and before His angels. They have been true and loyal and faithful. Through evil report as well as good report they have practiced and taught the truth (MS 26, 1905). {7BC 960.4} [7BC 960.5] (2 Corinthians 4:17, 18.) An Eternal Weight of Glory.--"Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy." Because of their faith this honor is bestowed on them. In this life they did not boast, nor lift up their souls unto vanity. With intensity of desire, with a pure, holy faith, they grasped the promise of eternal riches. Their one desire was to be like Christ. Ever they kept the standard of righteousness uplifted. To them is given an eternal weight of glory, because on the earth they walked with God, keeping themselves unspotted from the world, revealing to their fellow beings the righteousness of Christ. Of them the Saviour declares, "They shall walk with me in white, in the world that I have prepared for them" ［Revelation 3:5 quoted］ (RH Aug. 10, 1905). {7BC 960.5} [7BC 960.6] 4, 5, 10 (1 Corinthians 10:12, 13). The Promise of Victory.--［Revelation 3:4, 5 quoted.］ These words are given for the people while they are in connection with the world, subject to temptations and influences which are deceiving and deluding. While they stay their mind upon Him who is their sun and their shield, the blackness and darkness that surround them will not leave one spot or stain upon their garments. They will walk with Christ. They will pray and believe and work to save the souls that are ready to perish. These are trying to break the bands that Satan has fastened upon them, and they will not be put to shame if by faith they will make Christ their companion. Temptations and deceptions will be constantly brought up by the great deceiver to spoil the work of the human agent, but if he trusts in God, if he is humble and meek and lowly of heart, keeping the way of the Lord, heaven will rejoice, for he will gain the victory. God says, "He shall walk with Me in white, with unsullied garments, for he is worthy" (MS 97, 1898). {7BC 960.6} [7BC 960.7] 5 (ch. 13:8; see EGW on chs. 7:9; ch. 20:12-15). Angels Weighing Moral Worth.--Christ says of the overcomer, "I will not blot out his name out of the book of life." The names of all those who have once given themselves to God are written in the book of life, and their characters are now passing in review before Him. Angels of God are weighing moral worth. They are watching the development of character in those now living, to see if their names can be retained in the book of life. A probation is granted us in which to wash our robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. Who is doing this work? Who is separating from himself sin and selfishness (HS 138)? {7BC 960.7} [7BC 960.8] 6, 13, 22. See EGW on ch. 2:7, 11, 17, 29. {7BC 960.8} [7BC 960.9] 8. An Open Door.--The true Witness declares: "Behold, I have set before thee 961 an open door." Let us thank God with heart and soul and voice; and let us learn to approach unto Him as through an open door, believing that we may come freely with our petitions, and that He will hear and answer. It is by a living faith in His power to help, that we shall receive strength to fight the battles of the Lord with the confident assurance of victory (RH July 9, 1908). {7BC 960.9} [7BC 961.1] (Hebrews 10:19, 20.) The Door of Communication.--The true Witness has given us the assurance that He has set before us an open door, which no man can shut. Those who are seeking to be faithful to God may be denied many of the privileges of the world; their way may be hedged up and their work hindered by the enemies of truth; but there is no power that can close the door of communication between God and their souls. The Christian himself may close this door by indulgence in sin, or by rejection of heaven's light. He may turn away his ears from hearing the message of truth, and in this way sever the connection between God and his soul. . . . Neither man nor Satan can close the door which Christ has opened for us (RH March 26, 1889). {7BC 961.1} [7BC 961.2] Light From the Threshold of Heaven.--［Revelation 3:8, 9 quoted.］ Whenever tempted, we have this open door to behold. No power can hide from us the light of the glory which shines from the threshold of heaven along the whole length of the ladder we are to climb; for the Lord has given us strength in His strength, courage in His courage, light in His light. When the powers of darkness are overcome, when the light of the glory of God floods the world, we shall see and understand more clearly than we do today. If we only realized that the glory of God is round about us, that heaven is nearer earth than we suppose, we should have a heaven in our homes while preparing for the heaven above (MS 92, 1901). {7BC 961.2} [7BC 961.3] 14-18 (see EGW on Revelation 3:1-5; 2 Corinthians 5:17). Our Condition Revealed.--The message to the Laodicean church reveals our condition as a people (RH Dec. 15, 1904). {7BC 961.3} [7BC 961.4] Message for the Idlers in the Vineyard.--To the idlers in the Lord's vineyard the Laodicean message is sent (MS 26, 1905). {7BC 961.4} [7BC 961.5] (Romans 2:17-24.) Application of Laodicean Message.--The message to the Laodicean church is applicable to all who have had great light and many opportunities, and yet have not appreciated them (RH March 11, 1902). {7BC 961.5} [7BC 961.6] (Ch. 2:4, 5.) Fervor of Love Lacking.--The message to the Laodicean church is applicable to our condition. How plainly is pictured the position of those who think they have all the truth, who take pride in their knowledge of the Word of God, while its sanctifying power has not been felt in their lives. The fervor of the love of God is wanting in their hearts, but it is this very fervor of love that makes God's people the light of the world (RH July 23, 1889). {7BC 961.6} [7BC 961.7] Laodicean Message for Adventists.--The message to the Laodicean church is highly applicable to us as a people. It has been placed before us for a long time, but has not been heeded as it should have been. When the work of repentance is earnest and deep, the individual members of the church will buy the rich goods of heaven. ［Revelation 3:18 quoted.］ Oh, how many behold things in a perverted light, in the light in which Satan would have them see. {7BC 961.7} [7BC 961.8] You may manifest great zeal in missionary effort, and yet because it is corrupted with selfishness, and tastes strongly of self, it is nought in the sight of God; for it is a tainted, corrupted offering. Unless the door of the heart is open to Jesus, unless He occupies the soul temple, unless the heart is imbued with His divine attributes, human actions when weighed in the heavenly balances, will be pronounced "Wanting." The love of Christ would make you rich; but many do not realize the value of His love. Many do not realize that the spirit which they cherish is destitute of the meekness and lowliness of Christ, destitute of the love that would constitute them channels of light (MS 33, 1894). {7BC 961.8} [7BC 961.9] (2 Peter 3:11.) Has God Made a Mistake?--The Laodicean message is applicable to the church at this time. Do you believe this message? Have you hearts that feel? Or are you constantly saying, We are rich and increased in goods, and have need of nothing? Is it in vain that the declaration of eternal truth has been given to this nation to be carried to all the nations of the world? 962 God has chosen a people and made them the repositories of truth weighty with eternal results. To them has been given the light that must illuminate the world. Has God made a mistake? Are we indeed His chosen instrumentalities? Are we the men and women who are to bear to the world the messages of Revelation fourteen, to proclaim the message of salvation to those who are standing on the brink of ruin? Do we act as if we were (MS 51, 1901)? {7BC 961.9} [7BC 962.1] Professors but Not Doers.--The Laodicean message applies to all who profess to keep the law of God, and yet are not doers of it. We are not to be selfish in anything. Every phase of the Christian life is to be a representation of the life of Christ. If it is not, we shall hear the terrible words, "I know you not" (RH Oct. 17, 1899). {7BC 962.1} [7BC 962.2] An Insipid Religious Experience.--The message to the Laodicean church applies most decidedly to those whose religious experience is insipid, who do not bear decided witness in favor of the truth (Letter 98, 1901). {7BC 962.2} [7BC 962.3] (Isaiah 65:5; Luke 18:11, 12.) "Hear, O Hear."--I tell you in the name of the Lord, that those who have had great light are today in the state described by Christ in His message to the Laodicean church. They think that they are rich, and increased in goods, and feel that they have need of nothing. Christ speaks to you. Hear, O hear, if you have any regard for your souls, the words of the great Counselor, and act upon them ［Revelation 3:18 quoted］ (Letter 5, 1897). {7BC 962.3} [7BC 962.4] To Rid the Church of Fanaticism.--The design of the message to the Laodiceans was to rid the church of . . . fanatical influences; but the effort of Satan has been to corrupt the message, and destroy its influence. He would be better pleased to have fanatical persons embrace the testimony, and use it in his cause, than to have them remain in a lukewarm state. I have seen that it was not the design of the message to lead brother to sit in judgment over his brother, to tell him what to do, and just how far to go, but for each individual to search his own heart, and attend to his own individual work (2SG 223). {7BC 962.4} [7BC 962.5] Bankrupt!--Many are Laodiceans, living in a spiritual self-deception. They clothe themselves in the garments of their own righteousness, imagining themselves to be rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing, when they need daily to learn of Jesus, His meekness and lowliness, else they find themselves bankrupt, their whole life being a lie (Letter 66, 1894). {7BC 962.5} [7BC 962.6] Self-inflated Religion.--Love of self excludes the love of Christ. Those who live for self are ranged under the head of the Laodicean church who are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot. The ardor of the first love has lapsed into a selfish egotism. The love of Christ in the heart is expressed in the actions. If love for Christ is dull, the love for those for whom Christ has died will degenerate. There may be a wonderful appearance for zeal and ceremonies, but this is the substance of their self-inflated religion. Christ represents them as nauseating to His taste ［Revelation 3:17, 18 quoted］ (MS 61, 1898). {7BC 962.6} [7BC 962.7] (Proverbs 30:12; Obadiah 3.) Self-exaltation a Dangerous Element.--Self-exaltation is a dangerous element. It tarnishes everything it touches. It is the offspring of pride, and it works so ingeniously that, unless guarded against, it will take possession of the thoughts and control the actions. {7BC 962.7} [7BC 962.8] The Laodicean message must be proclaimed with power; for now it is especially applicable. Now, more than ever before, are seen pride, worldly ambition, self-exaltation, double-dealing, hypocrisy, and deception. Many are speaking great swelling words of vanity, saying, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." Yet they are miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (RH Sept. 25, 1900). {7BC 962.8} [7BC 962.9] (Ecclesiastes 10:1; Matthew 7:1-5.) Self-love, Self-deception, and Self-justification.--Those whom Christ warns have some excellent qualifications, but they are neutralized by all who have a diseased self-love, self-deception, self-justification for gross neglect to help brethren in the service of God by encouraging words and deeds. There is a dead fly in the ointment. They are being weighed by One who never makes a mistake. He tells the result of actions which demonstrate that the love of Christ is not an abiding principle in the soul. God calls 963 upon you all to learn from Christ His meekness. Put away your faculty for seeing the mistakes of others. Turn your attention to your own defects. Your self-righteousness is nauseating to the Lord Jesus Christ. ［Revelation 3:15-18 quoted.］ These words apply to the churches and to many of those in positions of trust in the work of God (MS 108, 1899). {7BC 962.9} [7BC 963.1] Spiritual Novices.--There are a large number of professing Christians who do not really follow Jesus. They do not bear the cross by proper self-denial and self-sacrifice. Although making a great profession of being earnest Christians, they weave into the fabric of their character so many of the threads of their own imperfections that the beautiful pattern is spoiled. Of them Christ says: "You boast of being rich and increased with supposed spiritual attainments. In reality you are neither cold nor hot, but are filled with vain conceit. Unless converted, you cannot be saved; for you would mar heaven with your unsanctified wisdom. I cannot endorse your spirit and your work. You do not act according to the divine Example. You are following a pattern merely of your own invention. Because you are lukewarm, I must spew you out of My mouth." {7BC 963.1} [7BC 963.2] Let us thank the Lord that while this class is so numerous, there is still time for repentance. Jesus says, "I, your Redeemer, know your works. I am familiar with the motives that prompt you to declare boastingly in regard to your spiritual condition, 'I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.' Thou 'knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.'" {7BC 963.2} [7BC 963.3] Those who are in this condition are willfully ignorant. They do not discern the real character of sin. By their wrongdoing they constantly misrepresent the character of Christ and put Him to open shame. Professing to have a knowledge of the truth, they act in spirit as novices. They do not seem to understand the truth that must be expressed in word and deed to show a decided difference between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not. They are false claimants of every Christian blessing and privilege, when, as Christ's representatives, they are not rich in spiritual grace or in good works. They are wretched, poor, blind, maimed. What a position to be in! They stand in their own light. {7BC 963.3} [7BC 963.4] But notwithstanding their willful ignorance, they are not left by the Lord without added warning and counsel (MS 138, 1902). {7BC 963.4} [7BC 963.5] 15. The Mount of Vision.--If every man who has influence could ascend some mount of vision from which he could behold all his works as Christ beholds them when He declares, "I know thy works"; if the laborer could trace from cause to effect every objectionable word and act, the sight would be more than he could bear (MS 128, 1903). {7BC 963.5} [7BC 963.6] 15, 16 (Matthew 6:22-24). Worse Than Infidels.--Halfhearted Christians are worse than infidels; for their deceptive words and noncommittal position lead many astray. The infidel shows his colors. The lukewarm Christian deceives both parties. He is neither a good worldling nor a good Christian. Satan uses him to do a work that no one else can do (Letter 44, 1903). {7BC 963.6} [7BC 963.7] (Luke 13:24-30.) Fate of the Halfhearted Ones.--There are those who, though professedly serving God, are witnessing against Him. To them the message to the Laodicean church is given. Christ says to them, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot." When the avenging angel shall pass through the land, Christ cannot say of them, "Touch them not. I have graven them upon the palms of my hands." No; of these halfhearted ones He says, "I will spew them out of my mouth. They are offensive to me" (Letter 44, 1903). {7BC 963.7} [7BC 963.8] Dead in Trespasses and Sins.--To those who do not practice it, the Word of God is a dead letter. Christ says of such, "I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." He cannot present their case to the Father. If they realized that they were sinners, He could plead in their behalf, and the Lord would arouse them by His Holy Spirit. But they are worse than dead in trespasses and sins. They hear the Word, but make no application of it to themselves; instead, they apply the Word spoken to their neighbors (MS 163a, 1898). {7BC 963.8} [7BC 963.9] 15-20 (John 4:13, 14). A Fountain of Living Water.--The condition of many of those who claim to be the children of God 964 is exactly represented by the message to the Laodicean church. There is opened before those who serve God, truths of inestimable value, which, brought into the practical life, show the difference between those who serve God and those who serve Him not. {7BC 963.9} [7BC 964.1] The earth itself is not more richly interlaced with veins of golden ore than is the field of revelation with veins of precious truth. The Bible is the storehouse of the unsearchable riches of God. But those who have a knowledge of the truth do not understand it as fully as they might. They do not bring the love of Christ into the heart and life. {7BC 964.1} [7BC 964.2] The student of the Word finds himself bending over a fountain of living water. The church needs to drink deeply of the spirituality of the Word. Their service to God needs to be very different from the tame, lifeless, emotionless religious experience that makes many believers but little different from those who believe not, very similar in spirit to the unconverted (MS 117, 1902). {7BC 964.2} [7BC 964.3] 15-21. Laodicean Message to Go to the World.--The Laodicean message has been sounding. Take this message in all its phases and sound it forth to the people wherever Providence opens the way. Justification by faith and the righteousness of Christ are the themes to be presented to a perishing world (Letter 24, 1892). {7BC 964.3} [7BC 964.4] 15-22 (Colossians 4:12, 13). Labor Lost on the Church in Laodicea.--［Revelation 3:15-22 quoted.］ This is the testimony borne concerning the church at Laodicea. This church had been faithfully instructed. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote: "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis." {7BC 964.4} [7BC 964.5] Much excellent labor was bestowed upon the Laodicean church. To them was given the exhortation, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." But the church did not follow up the work begun by God's messengers. They heard, but they failed to appropriate the truth to themselves, and to carry out the instruction given them. The result that followed is the result always sure to follow the rejection of the Lord's warnings and entreaties (MS 128, 1903). {7BC 964.5} [7BC 964.6] 17 (Romans 11:20; 12:3, 16). Exhausting the Patience of God.--Christ sees that which man does not see. He sees the sins which, if not repented of, will exhaust the patience of a long-suffering God. Christ cannot take up the names of those who are satisfied in their own self-sufficiency. He cannot importune in behalf of a people who feel no need of His help, who claim to know and possess everything (RH July 23, 1889). {7BC 964.6} [7BC 964.7] 17-20. Shall We Open the Heart's Door?--We must have the buyers and the sellers cleared out of the soul temple, that Jesus may take up His abode within us. Now He stands at the door of the heart as a heavenly merchantman; He says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." "Open unto me; buy of me the heavenly wares; buy of me the gold tried in the fire." Buy faith and love, the precious, beautiful attributes of our Redeemer, which will enable us to find our way into the hearts of those who do not know Him, who are cold and alienated from Him through unbelief and sin. He invites us to buy the white raiment, which is His glorious righteousness; and the eyesalve, that we may discern spiritual things. Oh, shall we not open the heart's door to this heavenly visitor (BE Jan. 15, 1892)? {7BC 964.7} [7BC 964.8] 18 (Isaiah 55:1; 14:6). The Vendor of Priceless Treasures.--The great Vendor of spiritual riches is inviting your recognition. ［Revelation 3:18 quoted.］ . . . The Saviour comes with jewels of truth of the richest value in distinction from all counterfeits, all that is spurious. He comes to every house, to every door; He is knocking, presenting His priceless treasure, urging, "Buy of me" (Letter 66, 1894). {7BC 964.8} [7BC 964.9] The Costly Wares of Heaven.--The wares of heaven are offered to our churches. Every individual needs to have a decided interest in the invitation of Christ. Brethren and sisters, are your thoughts after this order? "These sharp, decided words do not mean me; I am in a fairly good condition spiritually, though I may not have all the 965 fervor and zeal that some have. I believe the truth. Those to whom this message belongs may take it. I think some need it." You who think and reason thus, be assured that you are the very ones to whom this message belongs. While the costly wares of heaven are open before you, draw nigh and buy that which you have lost--the gold of love and faith, and the white raiment which is the righteousness of Christ (Letter 30a, 1892). {7BC 964.9} [7BC 965.1] Virtues Wanting Among Us.--The gold that Jesus would have us buy of Him is gold tried in the fire; it is the gold of faith and love, that has no defiling substance mingled with it. The white raiment is the righteousness of Christ, the wedding garment which Christ alone can give. The eyesalve is the true spiritual discernment that is so wanting among us, for spiritual things must be spiritually discerned (RH April 1, 1890). {7BC 965.1} [7BC 965.2] (Isaiah 64:6; Philippians 3:9.) Ample Provision for All.--The true Witness has said, "Buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." What is the shame of this nakedness and poverty? It is the shame of clothing ourselves with self-righteousness, and of separating ourselves from God, when He has made ample provision for all to receive His blessing (HS 139). {7BC 965.2} [7BC 965.3] (Ch. 7:14.) Encouraging Counsel for the Church.--The counsel of the true Witness is full of encouragement and comfort. The churches may yet obtain the gold of truth, faith, and love, and be rich in heavenly treasure. "Buy of me gold . . . that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." The white raiment is the righteousness of Christ that may be wrought into the character. Purity of heart, purity of motive, will characterize every one who is washing his robe, and making it white in the blood of the Lamb (RH July 24, 1888). {7BC 965.3} [7BC 965.4] (Isaiah 61:10; Zechariah 3:4, 5.) Woven in the Loom of Heaven.--There is nothing in us from which we can clothe the soul so that its nakedness shall not appear. We are to receive the robe of righteousness woven in the loom of heaven, even the spotless robe of Christ's righteousness (RH July 19, 1892). {7BC 965.4} [7BC 965.5] (Matthew 6:22; James 1:23-25.) Correct Views for the Conscience.-- The eye is the sensitive conscience, the inner light, of the mind. Upon its correct view of things the spiritual healthfulness of the whole soul and being depends. The "eyesalve," the Word of God, makes the conscience smart under its application; for it convicts of sin. But the smarting is necessary that the healing may follow, and the eye be single to the glory of God. The sinner, beholding himself in God's great moral looking glass, sees himself as God views him, and exercises repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.... {7BC 965.5} [7BC 965.6] The Laodiceans . . . were not entirely blind, else the eyesalve would have done nothing to restore their sight, and enable them to discern the true attributes of Christ. Says Christ, By renouncing your own self-sufficiency, giving up all things, however dear to you, you may buy the gold, the raiment, and the eyesalve that you may see (RH Nov. 23, 1897). {7BC 965.6} [7BC 965.7] 18-20. A Merchantman Laden With Riches.--The great Redeemer represents Himself as a heavenly merchantman, laden with riches, calling from house to house, presenting His priceless goods ［Revelation 3:18-20 quoted］ (RH July 23, 1889). {7BC 965.7} [7BC 965.8] (Job 22:21-25.) Knocking at the Heart's Door.--The Lord knocks at the door of your heart, desiring to enter, that He may impart spiritual riches to your soul. He would anoint the blind eyes, that they may discover the holy character of God in His law, and understand the love of Christ, which is indeed gold tried in the fire (RH Feb. 25, 1890). {7BC 965.8} [7BC 965.9] (Isaiah 13:12; Matthew 13:45, 46.) Spiritual Riches for the Soul.--Jesus is going from door to door, standing in front of every soul temple, proclaiming, "I stand at the door, and knock." As a heavenly merchantman, He opens His treasures and cries, "Buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." The gold that He offers is without alloy, more precious than that of Ophir; for it is faith and love. 966 The white raiment He invites the soul to wear is His own robe of righteousness; and the oil for anointing is the oil of His grace, which will give spiritual eyesight to the soul in blindness and darkness, that he may distinguish between the workings of the Spirit of God and the spirit of the enemy. "Open your doors," says the great Merchantman, the possessor of spiritual riches, "and transact your business with Me. It is I, your Redeemer, who counsels you to buy of Me" (RH Aug. 7, 1894). {7BC 965.9} [7BC 966.1] 18-21 (Philippians 3:12-15). The Conflict Is for Us.--The true Witness presents encouragements to all who are seeking to walk in the path of humble obedience, through faith in His name. He declares, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." {7BC 966.1} [7BC 966.2] These are the words of our Substitute and Surety. He who is the divine Head of the church, the mightiest of conquerors, would point His followers to His life, His toils, His self-denials, His struggles and sufferings, through contempt, through rejection ridicule, scorn, insult, mockery, falsehood, up the path of Calvary to the scene of the crucifixion, that they might be encouraged to press on toward the mark for the prize and reward of the overcomer. Victory is assured through faith and obedience. {7BC 966.2} [7BC 966.3] Let us make an application of the words of Christ to our own individual cases. Are we poor, and blind, and wretched, and miserable? Then let us seek the gold and white raiment that He offers. The work of overcoming is not restricted to the age of the martyrs. The conflict is for us, in these days of subtle temptation to worldliness, to self-security, to indulgence of pride, covetousness, false doctrines, and immorality of life (RH July 24, 1888). {7BC 966.3} [7BC 966.4] (Song of Solomon 6:10; Isaiah 1:16-19.) A Hope of Reform.--The church must and will shine forth "fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners." God's servants must, by laboring together with Christ, roll away the curse that has made the church so lukewarm. ［Revelation 3:15-19 quoted.］ The chastening reveals a hope of reform ［Revelation 3:20, 21 quoted］ (Letter 130, 1902). {7BC 966.4} [7BC 966.5] Laodicean Call Brings Fruitage.--I saw that this call to the Laodicean church will affect souls. A becoming zeal is called for by God on our part. We must repent, throw away our whole feelings, feel our destitution, buy gold that we may be rich, eyesalve that we may see, white raiment that we may be clothed (Letter 2, 1851). {7BC 966.5} [7BC 966.6] (Matthew 25:1-12.) Hope for the Laodiceans.--［Revelation 3:15-17 quoted.］ Yet the case of those who are rebuked is not a hopeless one; it is not beyond the power of the great Mediator. He says: "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." Though the professed followers of Christ are in a deplorable condition, they are not yet in so desperate a strait as were the foolish virgins whose lamps were going out, and there was no time in which to replenish their vessels with oil. When the bridegroom came, those that were ready went in with him to the wedding; but when the foolish virgins came, the door was shut, and they were too late to obtain an entrance. {7BC 966.6} [7BC 966.7] But the counsel of the true Witness does not represent those who are lukewarm as in a hopeless case. There is yet a chance to remedy their state, and the Laodicean message is full of encouragement; for the backslidden church may yet buy the gold of faith and love, may yet have the white robe of the righteousness of Christ, that the shame of their nakedness need not appear. Purity of heart, purity of motive, may yet characterize those who are halfhearted and who are striving to serve God and mammon. They may yet wash their robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb (RH Aug. 28, 1894). {7BC 966.7} [7BC 966.8] There is hope for our churches if they will heed the message given to the Laodiceans (MS 139, 1903). {7BC 966.8} [7BC 966.9] 20 (ch. 22:17; Proverbs 1:23-33). Will You Squander God's Talents?-- Says the true Witness, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." Every warning, reproof, and entreaty in the Word of God, or through His delegated messengers, is a knock at the door of the heart; it is the voice of Jesus, 967 asking for entrance. With every knock unheeded, your determination to open becomes weaker and weaker. If the voice of Jesus is not heeded at once, it becomes confused in the mind with a multitude of other voices, the world's care and business engross the attention, and conviction dies away. The heart becomes less impressible, and lapses into a perilous unconsciousness of the shortness of time, and of the great eternity beyond. {7BC 966.9} [7BC 967.1] The heavenly Guest is standing at your door, while you are piling up obstructions to bar His entrance. Jesus is knocking through the prosperity He gives you. He loads you with blessings to test your fidelity, that they may flow out from you to others. Will you permit your selfishness to triumph? Will you squander God's talents, and lose your soul through idolatrous love of the blessings He has given (RH Nov. 2, 1886)? {7BC 967.1} [7BC 967.2] No Discouraging Message for the Church.--We have no discouraging message for the church. Although reproofs and cautions and corrections have been made, yet the church has stood as God's instrumentality to diffuse light. The commandment-keeping people of God have sounded forth a warning to the world, to all languages, tongues, and kindreds. The church of God is a living witness, a continual testimony, to convince men if accepted, to condemn them if resisted and rejected (MS 96, 1893). {7BC 967.2} [7BC 967.3] 21. See EGW on Romans 8:17; Galatians 6:7, 8; Hebrews 4:15. {7BC 967.3} [7BC 967.4] Chapter 4 3. See EGW on Romans 3:24-26. {7BC 967.4} [7BC 967.5] Chapter 5 6 (Ephesians 2:5, 6). The Lamb in the Midst of the Throne.--The Lamb of God is represented before us as in the midst of the throne of God. He is the great ordinance by which man and God are united and commune together. Thus men are represented as sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. This is the appointed place of meeting between God and humanity (MS 7, 1898). {7BC 967.5} [7BC 967.6] 8. See EGW on ch. 8:3, 4. {7BC 967.6} [7BC 967.7] 9-12. See EGW on Hebrews 1:14. {7BC 967.7} [7BC 967.8] 11 (chs. 7:1-3; 16:13-16; 1:14; see EGW on Hebrews 9:24). Angel Hands Linked About the World.--John writes, "I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne." Angels were united in the work of Him who had broken the seals and taken the book. Four mighty angels hold back the powers of this earth till the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. The nations of the world are eager for conflict; but they are held in check by the angels. When this restraining power is removed, there will come a time of trouble and anguish. Deadly instruments of warfare will be invented. Vessels, with their living cargo, will be entombed in the great deep. All who have not the spirit of truth will unite under the leadership of satanic agencies. But they are to be kept under control till the time shall come for the great battle of Armageddon. {7BC 967.8} [7BC 967.9] Angels are belting the world, refusing Satan his claims to supremacy, made because of the vast multitude of his adherents. We hear not the voices, we see not with the natural sight the work of these angels, but their hands are linked about the world, and with sleepless vigilance they are keeping the armies of Satan at bay till the sealing of God's people shall be accomplished. {7BC 967.9} [7BC 967.10] The ministers of Jehovah, angels have skill and power and great strength, being commissioned to go forth from heaven to earth to minister to His people. They are given the work of keeping back the raging power of him who has come down like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. The Lord is a refuge for all who put their trust in Him. He bids them hide in Him for a little moment, until the indignation shall be overpast. He is soon to come out of His place to punish the world for its iniquity. Then the earth shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain (Letter 79, 1900). {7BC 967.10} [7BC 967.11] Heaven a Place of Busy Activity.--Oh, that all could behold our precious Saviour as He is, a Saviour. Let His hand draw aside the veil which conceals His glory from our eyes. It shows Him in His high and holy place. What do we see? Our Saviour, not in a position of silence and inactivity. He is surrounded with heavenly intelligences, cherubim, and seraphim, ten thousand times ten thousand of angels. 968 {7BC 967.11} [7BC 968.1] All these heavenly beings have one object above all others, in which they are intensely interested--His church in a world of corruption. All these armies are in the service of the Prince of heaven, exalting the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. They are working for Christ under His commission, to save to the uttermost all who look to Him and believe in Him. These heavenly intelligences are speeding on their mission, doing for Christ that which Herod and Pilate did against Him. They confederate together to uphold the honor and glory of God. They are united in a holy alliance, in a grand and sublime unity of purpose, to show forth the power and compassion and love and glory of the crucified and risen Saviour. {7BC 968.1} [7BC 968.2] In their service, these armies of heaven illustrate what the church of God should be. Christ is working in their behalf in the heavenly courts, sending out His messengers to all parts of the globe, to the assistance of every suffering one who looks to Him for relief, for spiritual life and knowledge. {7BC 968.2} [7BC 968.3] The church of Christ on earth is amid the moral darkness of a disloyal world, which is trampling upon the law of Jehovah. But their Redeemer, who has purchased their ransom with the price of His own precious blood, has made every provision that His church shall be a transformed body, illumined with the Light of the world, possessing the glory of Emmanuel. The bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, shining through His church, will gather into His fold every lost, straying sheep, who will come unto Him and find refuge in Him. They will find peace and light and joy in Him who is peace and righteousness for ever (Letter 89c, 1897). {7BC 968.3} [7BC 968.4] 12. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 15:51-55. {7BC 968.4} [7BC 968.5] Chapter 6 9 (ch. 18:1-5; see EGW on Romans 12:19). Opening of the Fifth Seal.--When the fifth seal was opened, John the Revelator in vision saw beneath the altar the company that were slain for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. After this came the scenes described in the eighteenth of Revelation, when those who are faithful and true are called out from Babylon ［Revelation 18:1-5 quoted］ (MS 39, 1906). {7BC 968.5} [7BC 968.6] 13-17. See EGW on ch. 16:1-21. {7BC 968.6} [7BC 968.7] 14-17. See EGW on Matthew 28:2-4. {7BC 968.7} [7BC 968.8] 15-17. See EGW on Romans 3:19. {7BC 968.8} [7BC 968.9] 16. See EGW on Matthew 27:21, 22, 29. {7BC 968.9} [7BC 968.10] Chapter 7 1-3 (ch. 16:13-16; see EGW on ch. 5:11; Ephesians 4:30). Probationary Time Running Out.--Already kingdom is rising against kingdom. There is not now a determined engagement. As yet the four winds are held until the servants of God shall be sealed in their foreheads. Then the powers of earth will marshal their forces for the last great battle. How carefully we should improve the little remaining period of our probation (RH Nov. 27, 1900)! {7BC 968.10} [7BC 968.11] Just before we entered it ［the time of trouble］, we all received the seal of the living God. Then I saw the four angels cease to hold the four winds. And I saw famine, pestilence and sword, nation rose against nation, and the whole world was in confusion (Day-Star, March 14, 1846). {7BC 968.11} [7BC 968.12] Everything in the world is in an unsettled state. The nations are angry, and great preparations for war are being made. Nation is plotting against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. The great day of God is hasting greatly. But although the nations are mustering their forces for war and bloodshed, the command to the angels is still in force, that they hold the four winds until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads (RH Jan. 28, 1909). {7BC 968.12} [7BC 968.13] 2, 3 (see EGW on chs. 13:16, 17; 14:9-12). Angels Read the Mark.--What is the seal of the living God, which is placed in the foreheads of His people? It is a mark which angels, but not human eyes, can read; for the destroying angel must see this mark of redemption. The intelligent mind has seen the sign of the cross of Calvary in the Lord's adopted sons and daughters. The sin of the transgression of the law of God is taken away. They have on the wedding garment, and are obedient and faithful to all God's commands (Letter 126, 1898). {7BC 968.13} [7BC 968.14] (Exodus 12:7, 12, 13; Ezekiel 9:4; 20:12, 20.) The Signature of God's Appointment.--The Israelites placed over their doors a signature of blood, to show that they were God's property. So the children of God in this age will bear the signature God has appointed. 969 They will place themselves in harmony with God's holy law. A mark is placed upon every one of God's people just as verily as a mark was placed over the doors of the Hebrew dwellings, to preserve the people from the general ruin. God declares, "I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them" (RH Feb. 6, 1900). {7BC 968.14} [7BC 969.1] (Exodus 31:12-17.) God's Special Possession.--Every soul in our world is the Lord's property, by creation and by redemption. Each individual soul is on trial for his life. Has he given to God that which belongs to Him? Has he surrendered to God all that is His as His purchased possession? All who cherish the Lord as their portion in this life will be under His control, and will receive the sign, the mark of God, which shows them to be God's special possession. Christ's righteousness will go before them, and the glory of the Lord will be their rereward. The Lord protects every human being who bears His sign. ［Exodus 31:12-17 quoted.］ {7BC 969.1} [7BC 969.2] This recognition of God is of the highest value to every human being All who love and serve Him are very precious in His sight. He would have them stand where they are worthy representatives of the truth as it is in Jesus (Letter 77, 1899). {7BC 969.2} [7BC 969.3] Natural Traits Must Be Transformed.--How few bear in mind that the tempter was once a covering cherub, a being whom God created for His own name's glory. Satan fell from his high position through self-exaltation; he misused the high capabilities with which God had so richly endowed him. He fell for the same reason that thousands are falling today, because of an ambition to be first, an unwillingness to be under restraint. The Lord would teach man the lesson that, though united in church capacity, he is not saved until the seal of God is placed upon him. . . . {7BC 969.3} [7BC 969.4] The Lord has a work for us all to do. And if the truth is not rooted in the heart, if the natural traits of character are not transformed by the Holy Spirit, we can never be colaborers with Jesus Christ. Self will constantly appear, and the character of Christ will not be manifested in our lives (Letter 80, 1898). {7BC 969.4} [7BC 969.5] Without Spot or Wrinkle.--Missionary agencies are greatly needed in every branch of God's work. Our institutions need converted, devoted men, who will make the Lord their dependence. God will reveal through such workers the power of His grace. His servants are to be distinguished from the world by the seal of the living God; their words and their works are to reveal that they are laborers together with God. {7BC 969.5} [7BC 969.6] God can use the human agent just to the extent that he will be worked by the Holy Spirit. To men who accept positions of responsibility as presidents, ministers, physicians, or workers in any line, I am bidden to say: God will test every man who enters His service. He does not ask, Do they possess learning and eloquence? Have they ability to command and control and manage? He asks, Will they represent My character? Will they walk in humility, that I may teach them My way? The soul temple must not be defiled by any loose or unclean practice. Those whom I will acknowledge in the courts of heaven must be without spot and wrinkle. {7BC 969.6} [7BC 969.7] The Lord will use humble men to do a great and good work. Through them He will represent to the world the ineffaceable characteristics of the divine nature (Letter 270, 1907). {7BC 969.7} [7BC 969.8] (Chs. 14:1-3; 22:4; John 1:12.) An Honor to Bear God's Sign.--Those who come out from the world, to stand distinct from worldlings in words and works, those who realize that it is an honor to bear God's sign, will receive power to become His sons. The Lord will have men who can be depended on. No one will enter the courts above who does not bear the sign of God. Those who in this sin-cursed earth bear this sign in holy boldness, looking upon it as an honor, will be recognized and honored by Christ in the courts above (Letter 125, 1903). {7BC 969.8} [7BC 969.9] (Jeremiah 8:20; 1 John 3:3.) Will the Angel Pass Us By?--"And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." In a little while every one who is a child of God will have His seal placed upon him. O that it may be placed upon our foreheads! Who can endure the thought of being passed by when the 970 angel goes forth to seal the servants of God in their foreheads (RH May 28, 1889)? {7BC 969.9} [7BC 970.1] Passport to the Holy City.--Only those who receive the seal of the living God will have the passport through the gates of the Holy City. But there are many who take upon themselves responsibilities in connection with the work of God who are not wholehearted believers, and while they remain thus cannot receive the seal of the living God. They trust in their own righteousness, which the Lord accounts as foolishness (Letter 164, 1909). {7BC 970.1} [7BC 970.2] The Mark of Distinction.--Those who would have the seal of God in their foreheads must keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. This is what distinguishes them from the disloyal, who have accepted a man-made institution in the place of the true Sabbath. The observance of God's rest day is the mark of distinction between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not (MS 27, 1899). {7BC 970.2} [7BC 970.3] Like Christ in Character.--The seal of the living God will be placed upon those only who bear a likeness to Christ in character (RH May 21, 1895). {7BC 970.3} [7BC 970.4] Image of Christ on the Soul.--As wax takes the impression of the seal, so the soul is to take the impression of the Spirit of God and retain the image of Christ (ST July 18, 1911). {7BC 970.4} [7BC 970.5] The Seal and the Commandments.--Many will not receive the seal of God because they do not keep His commandments or bear the fruits of righteousness (Letter 76, 1900). {7BC 970.5} [7BC 970.6] Bitter Disappointment in the Day of God.--The great mass of professing Christians will meet with bitter disappointment in the day of God. They have not upon their foreheads the seal of the living God. Lukewarm and halfhearted, they dishonor God far more than the avowed unbeliever. They grope in darkness, when they might be walking in the noonday light of the Word, under the guidance of One who never errs (Letter 121, 1903). {7BC 970.6} [7BC 970.7] 2-4. See EGW on ch. 14:1-14. {7BC 970.7} [7BC 970.8] 4-17 (ch. 14:1-4; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Strive to Be Among the 144,000.--［Revelation 7:9-17 quoted.］ Those whom the Lamb shall lead by the fountains of living waters, and from whose eyes He shall wipe away all tears, will be those now receiving the knowledge and understanding revealed in the Bible, the Word of God. . . . {7BC 970.8} [7BC 970.9] We are to copy no human being. There is no human being wise enough to be our criterion. We are to look to the man Christ Jesus, who is complete in the perfection of righteousness and holiness. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the pattern man. His experience is the measure of the experience that we are to gain. His character is our model. Let us, then, take our minds off the perplexities and the difficulties of this life, and fix them on Him, that by beholding we may be changed into His likeness. We may behold Christ to good purpose. We may safely look to Him; for He is all-wise. As we look to Him and think of Him, He will be formed within, the hope of glory. {7BC 970.9} [7BC 970.10] Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand (RH March 9, 1905). {7BC 970.10} [7BC 970.11] 9 (chs 3:5; 19:7-9; John 12:12, 13). The Palms and the Robes.--The palms signify that they have gained the victory, and the white robes that they have been clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Thank God that a fountain has been opened to wash our robes of character, and make them as white as snow (Und. MS 23). {7BC 970.11} [7BC 970.12] 14. See EGW on chs. 3:18; 19:7-9; Matthew 22:11, 12. {7BC 970.12} [7BC 970.13] 17. See EGW on ch. 22:1, 2; Romans 11:33. {7BC 970.13} [7BC 970.14] Chapter 8 3, 4 (Isaiah 1:18; Hebrews 9:13, 14; see EGW on Romans 8:26, 34; Hebrews 7:25). Prayers Made Fragrant by Christ's Merit.--As the high priest sprinkled the warm blood upon the mercy seat while the fragrant cloud of incense ascended before God, so, while we confess our sins and plead the efficacy of Christ's atoning blood, our prayers are to ascend to heaven, fragrant with the merits of our Saviour's character. Notwithstanding our unworthiness, we are to remember that there is One who can take away sin, and who is willing and anxious to save the sinner. With His own blood He paid the penalty for all wrongdoers. Every sin acknowledged before God with a contrite heart, He will remove ［Isaiah 1:18; Hebrews 9:13, 14 quoted］ (RH Sept. 29, 1896). 971 {7BC 970.14} [7BC 971.1] (Ch. 5:8; Psalm 141:2; 1:29; Ephesians 5:2.) Incense Represents Blood of Atonement.--［Revelation 8:3, 4 quoted.］ Let the families, the individual Christians, and the churches bear in mind that they are closely allied to heaven. The Lord has a special interest in His church militant here below. The angels who offer the smoke of the fragrant incense are for the praying saints. Then let the evening prayers in every family rise steadily to heaven in the cool sunset hour, speaking before God in our behalf of the merits of the blood of a crucified and risen Saviour. {7BC 971.1} [7BC 971.2] That blood alone is efficacious. It alone can make propitiation for our sins. It is the blood of the only-begotten Son of God that is of value for us that we may draw nigh unto God, His blood alone that taketh "away the sin of the world." Morning and evening the heavenly universe behold every household that prays, and the angel with the incense, representing the blood of the atonement, finds access to God (MS 15, 1897). {7BC 971.2} [7BC 971.3] Chapter 10 1-11 (ch. 14:6-12; Daniel 12:4-13). No Less a Person Than Christ.--The mighty angel who instructed John was no less a personage than Jesus Christ. Setting His right foot on the sea, and His left upon the dry land, shows the part which He is acting in the closing scenes of the great controversy with Satan. This position denotes His supreme power and authority over the whole earth. The controversy had waxed stronger and more determined from age to age, and will continue to do so, to the concluding scenes when the masterly working of the powers of darkness shall reach their height. Satan, united with evil men, will deceive the whole world and the churches who receive not the love of the truth. But the mighty angel demands attention. He cries with a loud voice. He is to show the power and authority of His voice to those who have united with Satan to oppose the truth. {7BC 971.3} [7BC 971.4] After these seven thunders uttered their voices, the injunction comes to John as to Daniel in regard to the little book: "Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered." These relate to future events which will be disclosed in their order. Daniel shall stand in his lot at the end of the days. John sees the little book unsealed. Then Daniel's prophecies have their proper place in the first, second, and third angels' messages to be given to the world. The unsealing of the little book was the message in relation to time. {7BC 971.4} [7BC 971.5] The books of Daniel and the Revelation are one. One is a prophecy, the other a revelation; one a book sealed, the other a book opened. John heard the mysteries which the thunders uttered, but he was commanded not to write them. {7BC 971.5} [7BC 971.6] The special light given to John which was expressed in the seven thunders was a delineation of events which would transpire under the first and second angels' messages. It was not best for the people to know these things, for their faith must necessarily be tested. In the order of God most wonderful and advanced truths would be proclaimed. The first and second angels' messages were to be proclaimed, but no further light was to be revealed before these messages had done their specific work. This is represented by the angel standing with one foot on the sea, proclaiming with a most solemn oath that time should be no longer. {7BC 971.6} [7BC 971.7] This time, which the angel declares with a solemn oath, is not the end of this world's history, neither of probationary time, but of prophetic time, which should precede the advent of our Lord. That is, the people will not have another message upon definite time. After this period of time, reaching from 1842 to 1844, there can be no definite tracing of the prophetic time. The longest reckoning reaches to the autumn of 1844. {7BC 971.7} [7BC 971.8] The angel's position, with one foot on the sea, the other on the land, signifies the wide extent of the proclamation of the message. It will cross the broad waters and be proclaimed in other countries, even to all the world. The comprehension of truth, the glad reception of the message, is represented in the eating of the little book. The truth in regard to the time of the advent of our Lord was a precious message to our souls (MS 59, 1900). {7BC 971.8} [7BC 971.9] 7 (ch. 22:10-12). The Last Period of Probation.--The gospel dispensation is the 972 last period of probation that will ever be granted to men. Those who live under this dispensation of test and trial and yet are not led to repent and obey will perish with the disloyal. There is no second trial. The gospel that is to be preached to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples presents the truth in clear lines, showing that obedience is the condition of gaining eternal life. Christ imparts His righteousness to those who consent to let Him take away their sins. We are indebted to Christ for the grace which makes us complete in Him (MS 40, 1900). {7BC 971.9} [7BC 972.1] Chapter 11 1 (ch. 20:12, 13; 1 Peter 4:17; 2 Peter 1:10, 11). Measuring the Church of God.--The grand judgment is taking place, and has been going on for some time. Now the Lord says, Measure the temple and the worshipers thereof. Remember when you are walking the streets about your business, God is measuring you; when you are attending your household duties, when you engage in conversation, God is measuring you. Remember that your words and actions are being daguerreotyped ［photographed］ in the books of heaven, as the face is reproduced by the artist on the polished plate. . . . {7BC 972.1} [7BC 972.2] Here is the work going on, measuring the temple and its worshipers to see who will stand in the last day. Those who stand fast shall have an abundant entrance into the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. When we are doing our work remember there is One that is watching the spirit in which we are doing it. Shall we not bring the Saviour into our everyday lives, into our secular work and domestic duties? Then in the name of God we want to leave behind everything that is not necessary, all gossiping or unprofitable visiting, and present ourselves as servants of the living God (MS 4, 1888). {7BC 972.2} [7BC 972.3] 19 (see EGW on Exodus 31:18; Isaiah 6:1-7; 58:12-14). Tables of Stone a Convincing Testimony.--When God's temple in heaven is opened, what a triumphant time that will be for all who have been faithful and true! In the temple will be seen the ark of the testament in which were placed the two tables of stone, on which are written God's law. These tables of stone will be brought forth from their hiding place, and on them will be seen the Ten Commandments engraved by the finger of God. These tables of stone now lying in the ark of the testament will be a convincing testimony to the truth and binding claims of God's law (Letter 47, 1902). {7BC 972.3} [7BC 972.4] Ark in Heaven Contains Commandments.--Sacrilegious minds and hearts have thought they were mighty enough to change the times and laws of Jehovah; but, safe in the archives of heaven, in the ark of God, are the original commandments, written upon the two tables of stone. No potentate of earth has power to draw forth those tables from their sacred hiding place beneath the mercy seat (ST Feb. 28, 1878). {7BC 972.4} [7BC 972.5] Chapter 12 3-6, 13-17 (ch. 13:1, 2, 11). God's People in the Minority.--Under the symbols of a great red dragon, a leopardlike beast, and a beast with lamblike horns, the earthly governments which would especially engage in trampling upon God's law and persecuting His people, were presented to John. The war is carried on till the close of time. The people of God, symbolized by a holy woman and her children, were represented as greatly in the minority. In the last days only a remnant still existed. Of these John speaks as they "which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (ST Nov. 1, 1899). {7BC 972.5} [7BC 972.6] 7. War in Heaven.--Opposition to the law of God had its beginning in the courts of heaven, with Lucifer, the covering cherub. Satan determined to be first in the councils of heaven, and equal with God. He began his work of rebellion with the angels under his command, seeking to diffuse among them the spirit of discontent. And he worked in so deceptive a way that many of the angels were won to his allegiance before his purposes were fully known. Even the loyal angels could not fully discern his character, nor see to what his work was leading. When Satan had succeeded in winning many angels to his side, he took his cause to God, representing that it was the desire of the angels that he occupy the position that Christ held. 973 {7BC 972.6} [7BC 973.1] The evil continued to work until the spirit of disaffection ripened into active revolt. Then there was war in heaven, and Satan, with all who sympathized with him, was cast out. Satan had warred for the mastery in heaven, and had lost the battle. God could no longer trust him with honor and supremacy, and these, with the part he had taken in the government of heaven, were taken from him. {7BC 973.1} [7BC 973.2] Since that time Satan and his army of confederates have been the avowed enemies of God in our world, continually warring against the cause of truth and righteousness. Satan has continued to present to men, as he presented to the angels, his false representations of Christ and of God, and he has won the world to his side. Even the professedly Christian churches have taken sides with the great apostate (RH Jan. 28, 1909). {7BC 973.2} [7BC 973.3] (See EGW on 2 Corinthians 10:5.) The Influence of Mind on Mind.--In so deceptive a way did he ［Lucifer］ work that the sentiments that he inculcated could not be dealt with until they had developed in the minds of those who received them. {7BC 973.3} [7BC 973.4] The influence of mind on mind, so strong a power for good when sanctified, is equally strong for evil in the hands of those opposed to God. This power Satan used in his work of instilling evil into the minds of the angels, and he made it appear that he was seeking the good of the universe. As the anointed cherub, Lucifer had been highly exalted; he was greatly loved by the heavenly beings, and his influence over them was strong. Many of them listened to his suggestions and believed his words. "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven." {7BC 973.4} [7BC 973.5] Cast out of heaven, Satan set up his kingdom in this world, and ever since, he has been untiringly striving to seduce human beings from their allegiance to God. He uses the same power that he used in heaven--the influence of mind on mind. Men become tempters of their fellow men. The strong, corrupting sentiments of Satan are cherished, and they exert a masterly, compelling power. Under the influence of these sentiments, men bind up with one another in confederacies (Letter 114, 1903). {7BC 973.5} [7BC 973.6] Satan's Refusal to Obey Christ.--He ［Satan］ declares he cannot submit to be under Christ's command, that God's commands alone will he obey. Good angels weep to hear the words of Satan, and to see how he despises to follow the direction of Christ, their exalted and loving Commander. {7BC 973.6} [7BC 973.7] The Father decides the case of Satan, and declares that he must be turned out of heaven for his daring rebellion, and that all those who united with him in his rebellion should be turned out with him. Then there was war in heaven. Christ and His angels fought against Satan and his angels, for they were determined to remain in heaven with all their rebellion. But they prevailed not. Christ and loyal angels triumphed, and drove Satan and his rebel sympathizers from heaven. (3SG 38). {7BC 973.7} [7BC 973.8] Rebellion Transferred to This World.--When Satan rebelled, there was war in heaven, and he, with all his sympathizers, was cast out. He had held a high office in heaven, possessing a throne radiant with light. But he swerved from his allegiance to the blessed and only Potentate, and fell from his first estate. All who sympathized with him were driven from the presence of God, doomed to be no more acknowledged in the heavenly courts as having a right there. Satan became the avowed antagonist of Christ. On the earth he planted the standard of rebellion, and round it his sympathizers rallied (MS 78, 1905). {7BC 973.8} [7BC 973.9] 7-9. See EGW on Ezekiel 28:15-19; Ephesians 6:12; 1 John 2:6. {7BC 973.9} [7BC 973.10] 10. Satan Cast Down by Death of Christ.--The casting down of Satan as an accuser of the brethren in heaven was accomplished by the great work of Christ in giving up His life. Notwithstanding Satan's persistent opposition, the plan of redemption was being carried out. Man was esteemed of sufficient value for Christ to sacrifice His life for him. Satan, knowing that the empire he had usurped would in the end be wrested from him, determined to spare no pains to destroy as many as possible of the creatures whom God had 974 created in His image. He hated man because Christ had manifested for him such forgiving love and pity, and he now prepared to practice upon him every species of deception by which he might be lost; he pursued his course with more energy because of his own hopeless condition (3SP 194, 195). {7BC 973.10} [7BC 974.1] (2 Corinthians 5:19; Philippians 2:6.) Satan Uprooted From Affections of the Universe.--In carrying out his enmity to Christ until He hung upon the cross of Calvary, with wounded, bruised body and broken heart, Satan completely uprooted himself from the affections of the universe. It was then seen that God had in His Son denied Himself, giving Himself for the sins of the world, because He loved mankind. The Creator was revealed in the Son of the infinite God. Here the question, "Can there be self-denial with God?" was forever answered. Christ was God, and condescending to be made flesh, He assumed humanity and became obedient unto death, that He might undergo infinite sacrifice (MS 50, 1900). {7BC 974.1} [7BC 974.2] (John 3:14-17; Galatians 6:14; Hebrews 9:22.) Accusing Power of Satan Broken.--Christ on the cross, not only draws men to repentance toward God for the transgression of His law--for whom God pardons He first makes penitent-- but Christ has satisfied justice; He has proffered Himself as an atonement. His gushing blood, His broken body, satisfy the claims of the broken law, and thus He bridges the gulf which sin has made. He suffered in the flesh that with His bruised and broken body He might cover the defenseless sinner. The victory gained at His death on Calvary broke forever the accusing power of Satan over the universe, and silenced his charges that self-denial was impossible with God and therefore not essential in the human family (MS 50, 1900). {7BC 974.2} [7BC 974.3] 11 (Deuteronomy 33:25; see EGW on 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12). Power to Conquer Day by Day.--All who will can be overcomers. Let us strive earnestly to reach the standard set before us. Christ knows our weakness, and to Him we can go daily for help. It is not necessary for us to gain strength a month ahead. We are to conquer from day to day (MS 28, 1886). {7BC 974.3} [7BC 974.4] The Secret of Overcoming Sin.--We become overcomers by helping others to overcome, by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. The keeping of the commandments of God will yield in us an obedient spirit, and the service that is the offspring of such a spirit, God can accept (Letter 236, 1908). {7BC 974.4} [7BC 974.5] 12. See EGW on ch. 16:13-16; Psalm 17. {7BC 974.5} [7BC 974.6] 17 (ch. 14:9-12; see EGW on Isaiah 59:13-17). Satan's Masterpiece of Evil.--Those who love and keep the commandments of God are most obnoxious to the synagogue of Satan, and the powers of evil will manifest their hatred toward them to the fullest extent possible. John foresaw the conflict between the remnant church and the power of evil, and said, "The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." {7BC 974.6} [7BC 974.7] The forces of darkness will unite with human agents who have given themselves into the control of Satan, and the same scenes that were exhibited at the trial, rejection, and crucifixion of Christ will be revived. Through yielding to satanic influences, men will be transformed into fiends; and those who were created in the image of God, who were formed to honor and glorify their Creator, will become the habitation of dragons, and Satan will see in an apostate race his masterpiece of evil--men who reflect his own image (RH April 14, 1896). {7BC 974.7} [7BC 974.8] Only Two Parties Upon Earth.--There are only two parties upon this earth--those who stand under the bloodstained banner of Jesus Christ and those who stand under the black banner of rebellion. In the twelfth chapter of Revelation is represented the great conflict between the obedient and the disobedient ［Revelation 12:17; 13:11-17 quoted］ (MS 16, 1900). {7BC 974.8} [7BC 974.9] (Ephesians 6:10-12.) The Earth a Stage for Horrors.--［Revelation 12:17 quoted.］ Satanic agencies have made the earth a stage for horrors, which no language can describe. War and bloodshed are carried on by nations claiming to be Christian. A disregard for the law of God has brought its sure result. {7BC 974.9} [7BC 974.10] The great conflict now being waged is not merely a strife of man against man. 975 On one side stands the Prince of life, acting as man's substitute and surety; on the other, the prince of darkness, with the fallen angels under his command ［Ephesians 6:12, 13, 10, 11 quoted］ (RH Feb. 6, 1900). {7BC 974.10} [7BC 975.1] Chapter 13 1, 2, 11. See EGW on ch. 12:3-6, 13-17. {7BC 975.1} [7BC 975.2] 8. See EGW on chs. 3:5; 20:12-15; Hebrews 9:11-14, 22. {7BC 975.2} [7BC 975.3] 11. A Unique Symbol.--Here is a striking figure of the rise and growth of our own nation. And the lamblike horns, emblems of innocence and gentleness, well represent the character of our government, as expressed in its two fundamental principles, republicanism and Protestantism (4SP 277). {7BC 975.3} [7BC 975.4] Shield of Omnipotence Over America.--The United States is a land that has been under the special shield of the Omnipotent One. God has done great things for this country, but in the transgression of His law, men have been doing a work originated by the man of sin. Satan is working out his designs to involve the human family in disloyalty (MS 17, 1906). {7BC 975.4} [7BC 975.5] The Prospect Before Us.--Prophecy represents Protestantism as having lamblike horns, but speaking like a dragon. Already we are beginning to hear the voice of the dragon. There is a satanic force propelling the Sunday movement, but it is concealed. Even the men who are engaged in the work, are themselves blinded to the results which will follow their movement. {7BC 975.5} [7BC 975.6] Let not the commandment-keeping people of God be silent at this time, as though we gracefully accepted the situation. There is the prospect before us of waging a continuous war, at the risk of imprisonment, of losing property and even life itself, to defend the law of God, which is being made void by the laws of men (RH Jan. 1, 1889). {7BC 975.6} [7BC 975.7] 11-17 (ch. 14:9-12; Daniel 7:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4; see EGW on Revelation 17:13, 14; 18:1-5). Persecuting Hand of the Enemy.--［Revelation 13:11-13 quoted.］ Religious powers, allied to heaven by profession and claiming to have the characteristics of a lamb, will show by their acts that they have the heart of a dragon, and that they are instigated and controlled by Satan. The time is coming when God's people will feel the hand of persecution because they keep holy the seventh day. Satan has caused the change of the Sabbath in the hope of carrying out his purpose for the defeat of God's plans. He seeks to make the commands of God of less force in the world than human laws. {7BC 975.7} [7BC 975.8] The man of sin, who thought to change times and laws, and who has always oppressed the people of God, will cause laws to be made enforcing the observance of the first day of the week. But God's people are to stand firm for Him. And the Lord will work in their behalf, showing plainly that He is the God of gods (MS 135, 1902). {7BC 975.8} [7BC 975.9] Church and the World in Corrupt Harmony.--The Word of God plainly declares that His law is to be scorned, trampled upon, by the world; there will be an extraordinary prevalence of iniquity. The professed Protestant world will form a confederacy with the man of sin, and the church and the world will be in corrupt harmony. {7BC 975.9} [7BC 975.10] Here the great crisis is coming upon the world. The Scriptures teach that popery is to regain its lost supremacy, and that the fires of persecution will be rekindled through the timeserving concessions of the so-called Protestant world (GCB April 13, 1891). {7BC 975.10} [7BC 975.11] 13, 14 (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12; see EGW on ch. 16:13-16; Matthew 7:21-23). Miracles Performed in Our Sight.--The time is at hand when Satan will work miracles to confirm minds in the belief that he is God. All the people of God are now to stand on the platform of truth as it has been given in the third angel's message. All the pleasant pictures, all the miracles wrought, will be presented in order that, if possible, the very elect will be deceived. The only hope for anyone is to hold fast the evidences that have confirmed the truth in righteousness (RH Aug. 9, 1906). {7BC 975.11} [7BC 975.12] Miracles Wrought Under Supervision of the Enemy.--［Matthew 7:21-23 quoted.］ These may profess to be followers of Christ, but they have lost sight of their Leader. They may say, "Lord, Lord"; they may point to the sick who are healed through them, and to other marvelous works, and claim that they have more of the Spirit and power of God than is manifested by 976 those who keep His law. But their works are done under the supervision of the enemy of righteousness, whose aim it is to deceive souls, and are designed to lead away from obedience, truth, and duty. In the near future there will be still more marked manifestations of this miracle-working power; for it is said of him, "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men" (ST Feb. 26, 1885). {7BC 975.12} [7BC 976.1] 14. Preparing for the Image of the Beast.--Already preparations are advancing, and movements are in progress, which will result in making an image to the beast. Events will be brought about in the earth's history that will fulfill the predictions of prophecy for these last days (RH April 23, 1889). {7BC 976.1} [7BC 976.2] 14-17 (ch. 14:9-12). Tested by the Image.--The Lord has shown me clearly that the image of the beast will be formed before probation closes; for it is to be the great test for the people of God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided. . . . ［Revelation 13:11-17 quoted.］ . . . {7BC 976.2} [7BC 976.3] This is the test that the people of God must have before they are sealed. All who proved their loyalty to God by observing His law, and refusing to accept a spurious sabbath, will rank under the banner of the Lord God Jehovah, and will receive the seal of the living God. Those who yield the truth of heavenly origin and accept the Sunday sabbath, will receive the mark of the beast (Letter 11, 1890). {7BC 976.3} [7BC 976.4] Apostasy and National Ruin.--When the Protestant churches shall unite with the secular power to sustain a false religion, for opposing which their ancestors endured the fiercest persecution; when the state shall use its power to enforce the decrees and sustain the institutions of the church--then will Protestant America have formed an image to the papacy, and there will be a national apostasy which will end only in national ruin (ST March 22, 1910). {7BC 976.4} [7BC 976.5] The Mark of Apostasy and God's Patience.--There are many who have never had the light. They are deceived by their teachers, and they have not received the mark of the beast. The Lord is working with them; He has not left them to their own ways. Until they shall be convicted of the truth and trample upon the evidence given to enlighten them, the Lord will not withdraw His grace from them (Letter 7, 1895). {7BC 976.5} [7BC 976.6] 15-17 (see EGW on 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4). Perfecting the Device of Satan.--When the legislature frames laws which exalt the first day of the week, and put it in the place of the seventh day, the device of Satan will be perfected (RH April 15, 1890). {7BC 976.6} [7BC 976.7] 16, 17 (Daniel 3:1-18; see EGW on 1 John 2:18). History Will Be Repeated.--History will be repeated. False religion will be exalted. The first day of the week, a common working day, possessing no sanctity whatever, will be set up as was the image at Babylon. All nations and tongues and peoples will be commanded to worship this spurious sabbath. This is Satan's plan to make of no account the day instituted by God, and given to the world as a memorial of creation. {7BC 976.7} [7BC 976.8] The decree enforcing the worship of this day is to go forth to all the world. In a limited degree, it has already gone forth. In several places the civil power is speaking with the voice of a dragon, just as the heathen king spoke to the Hebrew captives. {7BC 976.8} [7BC 976.9] Trial and persecution will come to all who, in obedience to the Word of God, refuse to worship this false sabbath. Force is the last resort of every false religion. At first it tries attraction, as the king of Babylon tried the power of music and outward show. If these attractions, invented by men inspired by Satan, failed to make men worship the image, the hungry flames of the furnace were ready to consume them. So it will be now. The papacy has exercised her power to compel men to obey her, and she will continue to do so. We need the same spirit that was manifested by God's servants in the conflict with paganism (ST May 6, 1897). {7BC 976.9} [7BC 976.10] (Ch. 14:9-12.) Men in Authority to Hear.--God is going to bring around a condition of things where the good men and the men in authority will have an opportunity to know what is truth indeed. And because a people will not bow the knee to the image, and receive the mark of the beast in the hand or the forehead, but will stand to the truth because it is truth, there 977 will be oppression, and an attempt to compel the conscience; but those who have known the truth will be afraid to yield to the powers of darkness. God has a people who will not receive the mark of the beast in their right hand or in their forehead. . . . {7BC 976.10} [7BC 977.1] Not a move has been made in exalting the idol sabbath, in bringing around Sunday observance through legislation, but Satan has been behind it, and has been the chief worker; but the conscience should not be compelled even for the observance of the genuine Sabbath, for God will accept only willing service (RH April 15, 1890). {7BC 977.1} [7BC 977.2] The Law of God Made Void.--A time is coming when the law of God is, in a special sense, to be made void in our land. The rulers of our nation will, by legislative enactments, enforce the Sunday law, and thus God's people be brought into great peril. When our nation, in its legislative councils, shall enact laws to bind the consciences of men in regard to their religious privileges, enforcing Sunday observance, and bringing oppressive power to bear against those who keep the seventh-day Sabbath, the law of God will, to all intents and purposes, be made void in our land; and national apostasy will be followed by national ruin (RH Dec. 18, 1888). {7BC 977.2} [7BC 977.3] Contempt for the Great Lawgiver.--The sins of the world will have reached unto heaven when the law of God is made void; when the Sabbath of the Lord is trampled in the dust, and men are compelled to accept in its stead an institution of the papacy through the strong hand of the law of the land. In exalting an institution of man above the institution ordained of God, they show contempt for the great Lawgiver, and refuse His sign or seal (RH Nov. 5, 1889). {7BC 977.3} [7BC 977.4] Prepared for Injustice.--As Christ was hated without cause, so will His people be hated because they are obedient to the commandments of God. If He who was pure, holy, and undefiled, who did good and only good in our world, was treated as a base criminal and condemned to death, His disciples must expect but similar treatment, however faultless may be their life and blameless their character. {7BC 977.4} [7BC 977.5] Human enactments, laws manufactured by satanic agencies under a plea of goodness and restriction of evil, will be exalted, while God's holy commandments are despised and trampled underfoot. And all who prove their loyalty by obedience to the law of Jehovah must be prepared to be arrested, to be brought before councils that have not for their standard the high and holy law of God (RH Dec. 26, 1899). {7BC 977.5} [7BC 977.6] (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4.) Living in a Momentous Period.--We are living in a momentous period of this earth's history. The great conflict is just before us. We see the world corrupted under the inhabitants thereof. The man of sin has worked with a marvelous perseverance to exalt the spurious sabbath, and the disloyal Protestant world has wondered after the beast, and has called obedience to the Sabbath instituted by Jehovah disloyalty to the laws of the nations. Kingdoms have confederated to sustain a false sabbath institution, which has not a word of authority in the oracles of God (RH Feb. 6, 1900). {7BC 977.6} [7BC 977.7] (Ch. 7:2, 3). The Question Before Us Now.--The Sabbath question is to be the issue in the great final conflict, in which all the world will act a part. Men have honored Satan's principles above the principles that rule in the heavens. They have accepted the spurious sabbath, which Satan has exalted as the sign of his authority. But God has set His seal upon His royal requirement. Each Sabbath institution, both true and false, bears the name of its author, an ineffaceable mark that shows the authority of each. {7BC 977.7} [7BC 977.8] The great decision now to be made by every one is, whether he will receive the mark of the beast and his image, or the seal of the living and true God (ST March 22, 1910) {7BC 977.8} [7BC 977.9] Mark of Beast Not Yet Applied.--Sundaykeeping is not yet the mark of the beast, and will not be until the decree goes forth causing men to worship this idol sabbath. The time will come when this day will be the test, but that time has not come yet (MS 118, 1899). {7BC 977.9} [7BC 977.10] Chapter 14 1-3. See EGW on Revelation 7:2, 3. {7BC 977.10} [7BC 977.11] 1-4 (ch. 7:2-4; Ezekiel 9:4; see EGW on Ephesians 4:30). A Mark of Character.--［Revelation 978 14:1-4 quoted.］ This scripture represents the character of the people of God for these last days (MS 139, 1903). {7BC 977.11} [7BC 978.1] (Revelation 14:9-12; see EGW on ch. 16:13-16.) The Signet of Heaven.--John saw a Lamb on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 having His Father's name written in their foreheads. They bore the signet of heaven. They reflected the image of God. They were full of the light and the glory of the Holy One. If we would have the image and superscription of God upon us, we must separate ourselves from all iniquity. We must forsake every evil way, and then we must trust our cases in the hands of Christ. While we are working out our own salvation with fear and trembling, God will work in us to will and to do of His own good pleasure (RH March 19, 1889). {7BC 978.1} [7BC 978.2] Christ Formed Within.--［Revelation 14:1-3 quoted.］ Why were they so specially singled out? Because they had to stand with a wonderful truth right before the whole world, and receive their opposition, and while receiving this opposition they were to remember that they were sons and daughters of God, that they must have Christ formed within them the hope of glory (MS 13, 1888). {7BC 978.2} [7BC 978.3] Eternal Interests Supreme.--Those who have in their foreheads the seal of the infinite God will regard the world and its attractions as subordinate to eternal interests (RH July 13, 1897). {7BC 978.3} [7BC 978.4] (2 Timothy 2:14-16; see EGW on Revelation 7:4-17.) Identity of 144,000 Not Revealed.--Christ says that there will be those in the church who will present fables and suppositions, when God has given grand, elevating, ennobling truths, which should ever be kept in the treasure house of the mind. When men pick up this theory and that theory, when they are curious to know something it is not necessary for them to know, God is not leading them. It is not His plan that His people shall present something which they have to suppose, which is not taught in the Word. It is not His will that they shall get into controversy over questions which will not help them spiritually, such as, Who is to compose the hundred and forty-four thousand. This those who are the elect of God will in a short time know without question. {7BC 978.4} [7BC 978.5] My brethren and sisters, appreciate and study the truths God has given for you and your children. Spend not your time in seeking to know that which will be no spiritual help. "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" This is the all-important question, and it has been clearly answered. "What is written in the law? how readest thou? (MS 26, 1901). {7BC 978.5} [7BC 978.6] 4 (1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6). God's People Follow the Lamb Now.--The Lord has a people on the earth, who follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. He has His thousands who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Such will stand with Him on Mount Zion. But they must stand on this earth, girded with the whole armor, ready to engage in the work of saving those who are ready to perish. Heavenly angels conduct this search, and spiritual activity is demanded of all who believe present truth, that they may join the angels in their work. {7BC 978.6} [7BC 978.7] We need not wait till we are translated to follow Christ. God's people may do this here below. We shall follow the Lamb of God in the courts above only if we follow Him here. Following Him in heaven depends on our keeping His commandments now. We are not to follow Christ fitfully or capriciously, only when it is for our advantage. {7BC 978.7} [7BC 978.8] We must choose to follow Him. In daily life we must follow His example, as a flock trustfully follows its shepherd. We are to follow Him by suffering for His sake, saying, at every step, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." His life practice must be our life practice. And as we thus seek to be like Him, and to bring our wills into conformity to His will, we shall reveal Him (RH April 12, 1898). {7BC 978.8} [7BC 978.9] 5. See EGW on 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12. {7BC 978.9} [7BC 978.10] 6-12 (see EGW on ch. 10:1-11; 2:18). Soon to Be Understood.--The fourteenth chapter of Revelation is a chapter of the deepest interest. This scripture will soon be understood in all its bearings, and the messages given to John the revelator will be repeated with distinct utterance (RH Oct. 13, 1904). {7BC 978.10} [7BC 978.11] Identifying the Three Angels.--Christ is coming the second time, with power unto salvation. To prepare human beings for this event, He has sent the first, second, 979 and third angels' messages. These angels represent those who receive the truth, and with power open the gospel to the world (Letter 79, 1900). {7BC 978.11} [7BC 979.1] (Ch. 18:1-5.) A Loyal Company.--The churches have become as described in the eighteenth chapter of Revelation. Why are the messages of Revelation fourteen given? Because the principles of the churches have become corrupted. . . . ［Revelation 14:6-10 quoted.］ {7BC 979.1} [7BC 979.2] Apparently the whole world is guilty of receiving the mark of the beast. But the prophet sees a company who are not worshiping the beast, and who have not received his mark in their foreheads or in their hands. "Here is the patience of the saints," he declares; "here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (MS 92, 1904). {7BC 979.2} [7BC 979.3] Large Numbers Accept the Truth.--The time of God's destructive judgments is the time of mercy for those who have no opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will the Lord look upon them. His heart of mercy is touched; His hand is still stretched out to save, while the door is closed to those who would not enter. Large numbers will be admitted who in these last days hear the truth for the first time (RH July 5, 1906). {7BC 979.3} [7BC 979.4] 7. Giving Glory to God.--To give glory to God is to reveal His character in our own, and thus make Him known. And in whatever way we make known the Father or the Son, we glorify God (MS 16, 1890). {7BC 979.4} [7BC 979.5] 8 (Daniel 7:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4; see EGW on Revelation 18:1-5). World Drunk With Wine of Babylon.--God denounces Babylon "because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." This means that she has disregarded the only commandment which points out the true God, and has torn down the Sabbath, God's memorial of creation. {7BC 979.5} [7BC 979.6] God made the world in six days and rested on the seventh, sanctifying this day, and setting it apart from all others as holy to Himself, to be observed by His people throughout their generations. {7BC 979.6} [7BC 979.7] But the man of sin, exalting himself above God, sitting in the temple of God, and showing himself to be God, thought to change times and laws. This power, thinking to prove that it was not only equal to God, but above God, changed the rest day, placing the first day of the week where the seventh should be. And the Protestant world has taken this child of the papacy to be regarded as sacred. In the Word of God this is called her fornication. {7BC 979.7} [7BC 979.8] God has a controversy with the churches of today. They are fulfilling the prophecy of John. "All nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." They have divorced themselves from God by refusing to receive His sign. They have not the spirit of God's true commandment-keeping people. And the people of the world, in giving their sanction to a false sabbath, and in trampling under their feet the Sabbath of the Lord, have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication (Letter 98, 1900). {7BC 979.8} [7BC 979.9] 9-12 (ch. 13:11-17; see EGW on chs. 12:17; 18:1; Isaiah 58:12-14). The Real Issue in the Final Conflict.--［Revelation 14:9, 10 quoted.］ It is for the interest of all to understand what the mark of the beast is, and how they may escape the dread threatenings of God. Why are men not interested to know what constitutes the mark of the beast and his image? It is in direct contrast with the mark of God. ［Exodus 31:12-17 quoted.］ {7BC 979.9} [7BC 979.10] The Sabbath question will be the issue in the great conflict in which all the world will act a part. ［Revelation 13:4-10 quoted.］ This entire chapter is a revelation of what will surely take place ［Revelation 13:11, 15-17 quoted］ (MS 88, 1897). {7BC 979.10} [7BC 979.11] What Is the Mark of the Beast?--John was called to behold a people distinct from those who worship the beast and his image by keeping the first day of the week. The observance of this day is the mark of the beast (Letter 31, 1898). {7BC 979.11} [7BC 979.12] (Ch. 13:16, 17.) Warning Against Mark of the Beast.--The third angel's message has been sent forth to the world, warning men against receiving the mark of the beast or of his image in their foreheads or in their hands. To receive this mark means to come to the same decision as the beast has done, and to advocate the same ideas, in direct opposition to the Word of God. Of all who receive this mark, God says, "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and 980 he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb." . . . {7BC 979.12} [7BC 980.1] If the light of truth has been presented to you, revealing the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and showing that there is no foundation in the Word of God for Sunday observance, and yet you still cling to the false sabbath, refusing to keep holy the Sabbath which God calls "My holy day," you receive the mark of the beast. When does this take place? When you obey the decree that commands you to cease from labor on Sunday and worship God, while you know that there is not a word in the Bible showing Sunday to be other than a common working day, you consent to receive the mark of the beast, and refuse the seal of God. {7BC 980.1} [7BC 980.2] If we receive this mark in our foreheads or in our hands, the judgments pronounced against the disobedient must fall upon us. But the seal of the living God is placed upon those who conscientiously keep the Sabbath of the Lord (RH July 13, 1897). {7BC 980.2} [7BC 980.3] A Life and Death Question.--This message embraces the two preceding messages. It is represented as being given with a loud voice; that is, with the power of the Holy Spirit. Everything is now at stake. The third angel's message is to be regarded as of the highest importance. It is a life and death question. The impression made by this message will be proportionate to the earnestness and solemnity with which it is proclaimed (MS 16, 1900). {7BC 980.3} [7BC 980.4] (Verse 1-4.) Not a Visible Mark.--In the issue of the great contest two parties are developed, those who "worship the beast and his image," and receive his mark, and those who receive "the seal of the living God," who have the "Father's name written in their foreheads." This is not a visible mark (ST Nov. 1, 1899). {7BC 980.4} [7BC 980.5] (Ch. 18:1-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12.) Guard Against Mystery of Iniquity.--The third angel's message increases in importance as we near the close of this earth's history. . . . {7BC 980.5} [7BC 980.6] God has presented to me the dangers that are threatening those who have been given the sacred work of proclaiming the third angel's message. They are to remember that this message is of the utmost consequence to the whole world. They need to search the Scriptures diligently, that they may learn how to guard against the mystery of iniquity, which plays so large a part in the closing scenes of this earth's history. {7BC 980.6} [7BC 980.7] There will be more and still more external parade by worldly powers. Under different symbols, God presented to John the wicked character and seductive influence of those who have been distinguished for their persecution of His people. The eighteenth chapter of Revelation speaks of mystic Babylon, fallen from her high estate to become a persecuting power. Those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus are the object of the wrath of this power ［Revelation 18:1-8 quoted］ (MS 135, 1902). {7BC 980.7} [7BC 980.8] The Time of Test Makes the Issue Clear.--The work of the Holy Spirit is to convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. The world can only be warned by seeing those who believe the truth sanctified through the truth, acting upon high and holy principles, showing in a high, elevated sense, the line of demarcation between those who keep the commandments of God and whose who trample them under their feet. The sanctification of the Spirit signalizes the difference between those who have the seal of God and those who keep a spurious rest day. {7BC 980.8} [7BC 980.9] When the test comes, it will be clearly shown what the mark of the beast is. It is the keeping of Sunday. Those who, after having heard the truth, continue to regard this day as holy bear the signature of the man of sin, who thought to change times and laws (Letter 12, 1900). {7BC 980.9} [7BC 980.10] The Last Act in the Drama.--The substitution of the false for the true is the last act in the drama. When this substitution becomes universal, God will reveal Himself. When the laws of men are exalted above the laws of God, when the powers of this earth try to force men to keep the first day of the week, know that the time has come for God to work. He will arise in His majesty, and will shake terribly the earth. He will come out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the world for their iniquity (RH April 23, 1901). {7BC 980.10} [7BC 980.11] (Verse 1-4; chs. 7:2, 3; 13:13, 16; Exodus 31:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4.) The Mark of Distinction.--We are nearing the close of this 981 earth's history. Satan is making desperate efforts to make himself god, to speak and act like God, to appear as one who has a right to control the consciences of men. He strives with all his power to place a human institution in the position of God's holy rest day. Under the jurisdiction of the man of sin, men have exalted a false standard in complete opposition to God's enactment. Each Sabbath institution bears the name of its author, an ineffaceable mark showing the authority of each. The first day of the week has not one particle of sanctity. It is the production of the man of sin, who strives in this way to counterwork God's purposes. {7BC 980.11} [7BC 981.1] God has designated the seventh day as His Sabbath. ［Exodus 31:13, 17, 16 quoted.］ {7BC 981.1} [7BC 981.2] Thus the distinction is drawn between the loyal and the disloyal. Those who desire to have the seal of God in their foreheads must keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Thus they are distinguished from the disloyal, who have accepted a manmade institution in place of the true Sabbath. The observance of God's rest day is a mark of distinction between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not (RH April 23, 1901). {7BC 981.2} [7BC 981.3] 10. See EGW on Genesis 6:17; Matthew 27:21, 22, 29. {7BC 981.3} [7BC 981.4] 12. God's Denominated People.--Who are these? God's denominated people--those who on this earth have witnessed to their loyalty. Who are they? Those who have kept the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ; those who have owned the Crucified One as their Saviour (MS 132, 1903). {7BC 981.4} [7BC 981.5] (Exodus 31:13-17.) What Is God's Sign?--The sign of obedience is the observance of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. If men keep the fourth commandment, they will keep all the rest (Letter 31, 1898). {7BC 981.5} [7BC 981.6] (Ch. 7:2, 3; Ezekiel 9:4.) The Mark of the Holy Sabbath.--There is to be a mark placed upon God's people, and that mark is the keeping of His holy Sabbath (HS 217). {7BC 981.6} [7BC 981.7] Loyal to Whom?--God has declared that it means much to discard the Word of the living God, and accept the assertions of those who seek to change times and laws. ［Exodus 31:12-17 quoted.］ {7BC 981.7} [7BC 981.8] Those who in the face of these specifications refuse to repent of their transgressions will realize the result of disobedience. Individually we need to inquire, In observing a day of rest, have I drawn my faith from the Scriptures, or from a spurious representation of truth? Every soul who fastens himself to the divine, everlasting covenant, made and presented to us as a sign and mark of God's government, fastens himself to the golden chain of obedience, every link of which is a promise. He shows that he regards God's Word as above the word of man, God's love as preferable to the love of man. And those who repent of transgression, and return to their loyalty by accepting God's mark, show themselves to be true subjects, ready to do His will, to obey His commandments. True observance of the Sabbath is the sign of loyalty to God (MS 63, 1899). {7BC 981.8} [7BC 981.9] Fidelity Grows With the Emergency.--In Revelation 14 John beholds another scene. He sees a people whose fidelity and loyalty to the laws of God's kingdom, grow with the emergency. The contempt placed upon the law of God only makes them reveal more decidedly their love for that law. It increases with the contempt that is placed upon it (MS 163, 1897). {7BC 981.9} [7BC 981.10] (Psalm 119:126, 127; Malachi 3:18.) It Is Time to Fight!--Let no one yield to temptation and become less fervent in his attachment to God's law because of the contempt placed upon it; for that is the very thing that should make us pray with all our heart and soul and voice, "It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law." Therefore, because of the universal contempt, I will not turn traitor when God will be most glorified and most honored by my loyalty. {7BC 981.10} [7BC 981.11] What! shall Seventh-day Adventists relax their devotedness when all their capabilities and powers should be placed on the Lord's side; when an unflinching testimony, noble and uplifting, should come from their lips? "Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold." {7BC 981.11} [7BC 981.12] When the law of God is most derided and brought into the most contempt, then it is time for every true follower of Christ, for those whose hearts have been given to 982 God, and who are fixed to obey God, to stand unflinchingly for the faith once delivered to the saints. "Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." It is time to fight when champions are most needed (RH June 8, 1897). {7BC 981.12} [7BC 982.1] 13 (2 Timothy 4:7, 8). God Honors the Faithful Aged.--There are living upon our earth men who have passed the age of fourscore and ten. The natural results of old age are seen in their feebleness. But they believe God, and God loves them. The seal of God is upon them, and they will be among the number of whom the Lord has said, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." With Paul they can say, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished by course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also which love his appearing." There are many whose grey hairs God honors because they have fought a good fight and kept the faith (Letter 207, 1899). {7BC 982.1} [7BC 982.2] Chapter 15 2, 3 (Exodus 15:1-19; Deuteronomy 31:30 to 32:44; Isaiah 26:2). The Final Song of Victory.--What a song that will be when the ransomed of the Lord meet at the gate of the Holy City, which is thrown back on its glittering hinges and the nations that have kept His word--His commandments--enter into the city, the crown of the overcomer is placed upon their heads, and the golden harps are placed in their hands! All heaven is filled with rich music, and with songs of praise to the Lamb. Saved, everlastingly saved, in the kingdom of glory! To have a life that measures with the life of God--that is the reward (MS 92, 1908). {7BC 982.2} [7BC 982.3] Chapter 16 1-21 (ch. 6:13-17; Psalm 46:1-3; Matthew 24:7). John Witnessed Terrors of the Last Days.--John . . . was a witness of the terrible scenes that will take place as signs of Christ's coming. He saw armies mustering for battle, and men's hearts failing them for fear. He saw the earth moved out of its place, the mountains carried into the midst of the sea, the waves thereof roaring and troubled, and the mountains shaking with the swelling thereof. He saw the vials of God's wrath opened, and pestilence, famine, and death come upon the inhabitants of the earth (RH Jan. 11, 1887). {7BC 982.3} [7BC 982.4] 13-16 (chs. 13:13, 14; 17:13, 14; 19:11-16; see EGW on ch. 7:1-3). Battle of Armageddon Soon to Be Fought.--There are only two parties in our world, those who are loyal to God, and those who stand under the banner of the prince of darkness. Satan and his angels will come down with power and signs and lying wonders to deceive those who dwell on the earth, and if possible the very elect. The crisis is right upon us. Is this to paralyze the energies of those who have a knowledge of the truth? Is the influence of the powers of deception so far reaching that the influence of the truth will be overpowered? {7BC 982.4} [7BC 982.5] The battle of Armageddon is soon to be fought. He on whose vesture is written the name, King of kings and Lord of lords, leads forth the armies of heaven on white horses, clothed in fine linen, clean and white (MS 172, 1899). {7BC 982.5} [7BC 982.6] Every form of evil is to spring into intense activity. Evil angels unite their powers with evil men, and as they have been in constant conflict and attained an experience in the best modes of deception and battle, and have been strengthening for centuries, they will not yield the last great final contest without a desperate struggle. All the world will be on one side or the other of the question. The battle of Armageddon will be fought, and that day must find none of us sleeping. Wide awake we must be, as wise virgins having oil in our vessels with our lamps. . . . {7BC 982.6} [7BC 982.7] The power of the Holy Ghost must be upon us, and the Captain of the Lord's host will stand at the head of the angels of heaven to direct the battle. Solemn events before us are yet to transpire. Trumpet after trumpet is to be sounded, vial after vial poured out one after another upon the inhabitants of the earth. Scenes of stupendous interest are right upon us (Letter 112, 1890). {7BC 982.7} [7BC 982.8] 14-16 (Ephesians 6:12; see EGW on Revelation 5:11). Two Opposing Powers.-- Two great 983 opposing powers are revealed in the last great battle. On one side stands the Creator of heaven and earth. All on His side bear His signet. They are obedient to His commands. On the other side stands the prince of darkness, with those who have chosen apostasy and rebellion (RH May 7, 1901). {7BC 982.8} [7BC 983.1] (Ch. 12:12.) Satan Mustering His Forces for Last Battle.--The present is a solemn, fearful time for the church. The angels are already girded, awaiting the mandate of God to pour their vials of wrath upon the world. Destroying angels are taking up the work of vengeance; for the Spirit of God is gradually withdrawing from the world. Satan is also mustering his forces of evil, going forth "unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world," to gather them under his banner, to be trained for "the battle of that great day of God Almighty." Satan is to make most powerful efforts for the mastery in the last great conflict. Fundamental principles will be brought out, and decisions made in regard to them. Skepticism is prevailing everywhere. Ungodliness abounds. The faith of individual members of the church will be tested as though there were not another person in the world (MS 1a, 1890). {7BC 983.1} [7BC 983.2] 14-17 (ch. 18:1). The Armies of God Take the Field.--We need to study the pouring out of the seventh vial. The powers of evil will not yield up the conflict without a struggle. But Providence has a part to act in the battle of Armageddon. When the earth is lighted with the glory of the angel of Revelation eighteen, the religious elements, good and evil, will awake from slumber, and the armies of the living God will take the field (MS 175, 1899). {7BC 983.2} [7BC 983.3] Chapter 17 1-5 (chs. 13:11-17; 18:1-5; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12). Deceiver of All Nations.--In the seventeenth of Revelation is foretold the destruction of all the churches who corrupt themselves by idolatrous devotion to the service of the papacy, those who have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. ［Revelation 17:1-4 quoted.］ {7BC 983.3} [7BC 983.4] Thus is represented the papal power, which with all deceivableness of unrighteousness, by outside attraction and gorgeous display, deceives all nations; promising them, as did Satan our first parents, all good to those who receive its mark, and all harm to those who oppose its fallacies. The power which has the deepest inward corruption will make the greatest display, and will clothe itself with the most elaborate signs of power. The Bible plainly declares that this covers a corrupt and deceiving wickedness. "Upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth." {7BC 983.4} [7BC 983.5] What is it that gives its kingdom to this power? Protestantism, a power which, while professing to have the temper and spirit of a lamb and to be allied to Heaven, speaks with the voice of a dragon. It is moved by a power from beneath (Letter 232, 1899). {7BC 983.5} [7BC 983.6] 13, 14 (chs. 13:11-17; 16:13-16). A Confederacy of Satan's Forces.--［Revelation 17:13, 14 quoted.］ "These have one mind." There will be a universal bond of union, one great harmony, a confederacy of Satan's forces. "And shall give their power and strength unto the beast." Thus is manifested the same arbitrary, oppressive power against religious liberty, freedom to worship God according to the dictates of conscience, as was manifested by the papacy, when in the past it persecuted those who dared to refuse to conform with the religious rites and ceremonies of Romanism. {7BC 983.6} [7BC 983.7] In the warfare to be waged in the last days there will be united, in opposition to God's people, all the corrupt powers that have apostatized from allegiance to the law of Jehovah. In this warfare the Sabbath of the fourth commandment will be the great point at issue; for in the Sabbath commandment the great Lawgiver identifies Himself as the Creator of the heavens and the earth (MS 24, 1891). {7BC 983.7} [7BC 983.8] 14. Christ Glorified in the Last Crisis.--As Christ was glorified on the day of Pentecost, so will He again be glorified in the closing work of the gospel, when He shall prepare a people to stand the final test, in the closing conflict of the great controversy (RH Nov. 29, 1892). {7BC 983.8} [7BC 983.9] Chapter 18 1 (ch. 14:9-12; Habakkuk 2:14; see EGW on Acts 2:1-4). The Angel of Revelation 18.-- 984 The prophecies in the eighteenth of Revelation will soon be fulfilled. During the proclamation of the third angel's message, "another angel" is to "come down from heaven, having great power," and the earth is to be "lightened with his glory." The Spirit of the Lord will so graciously bless consecrated human instrumentalities that men, women, and children will open their lips in praise and thanksgiving, filling the earth with the knowledge of God, and with His unsurpassed glory, as the waters cover the sea. {7BC 983.9} [7BC 984.1] Those who have held the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end will be wide awake during the time that the third angel's message is proclaimed with great power (RH Oct. 13, 1904). {7BC 984.1} [7BC 984.2] (2 Timothy 2:14-16; see EGW on ch. 16:14-17.) Message Prepares for Translation.--Amid the confusing cries, "Lo, here is Christ! Lo, there is Christ!" will be borne a special testimony, a special message of truth appropriate for this time, which message is to be received, believed, and acted upon. It is the truth, not fanciful ideas, that is efficacious. The eternal truth of the Word will stand forth free from all seductive errors and spiritualistic interpretations, free from all fancifully drawn, alluring pictures. Falsehoods will be urged upon the attention of God's people, but the truth is to stand clothed in its beautiful, pure garments. The Word, precious in its holy, uplifting influence, is not to be degraded to a level with common, ordinary matters. It is always to remain uncontaminated by the fallacies by which Satan seeks to deceive, if possible, the very elect. {7BC 984.2} [7BC 984.3] The proclamation of the gospel is the only means in which God can employ human beings as His instrumentalities for the salvation of souls. As men, women, and children proclaim the gospel, the Lord will open the eyes of the blind to see His statutes, and will write upon the hearts of the truly penitent His law. The animating Spirit of God, working through human agencies, leads the believers to be of one mind, one soul, unitedly loving God and keeping His commandments--preparing here below for translation (RH Oct. 13, 1904). {7BC 984.3} [7BC 984.4] (Jeremiah 30:7; Hosea 6:3; Joel 2:23; Zechariah 10:1; Ephesians 4:13, 15.) Refreshing of the Latter Rain.--As the members of the body of Christ approach the period of their last conflict, "the time of Jacob's trouble," they will grow up into Christ, and will partake largely of His Spirit. As the third message swells to a loud cry, and as great power and glory attend the closing work, the faithful people of God will partake of that glory. It is the latter rain which revives and strengthens them to pass through the time of trouble. Their faces will shine with the glory of that light which attends the third angel (RH May 27, 1862). {7BC 984.4} [7BC 984.5] (Isaiah 61:11.) Not to Wait for Latter Rain.--We must not wait for the latter rain. It is coming upon all who will recognize and appropriate the dew and showers of grace that fall upon us. When we gather up the fragments of light, when we appreciate the sure mercies of God, who loves to have us trust Him, then every promise will be fulfilled. ［Isaiah 61:11 quoted.］ The whole earth is to be filled with the glory of God (Letter 151, 1897). {7BC 984.5} [7BC 984.6] Revelation of the Righteousness of Christ.--The time of test is just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth (RH Nov. 22, 1892). {7BC 984.6} [7BC 984.7] No Time Specified for Outpouring.--I have no specific time of which to speak when the outpouring of the Holy Spirit will take place--when the mighty angel will come down from heaven, and unite with the third angel in closing up the work for this world; my message is that our only safety is in being ready for the heavenly refreshing, having our lamps trimmed and burning (RH March 29, 1892). {7BC 984.7} [7BC 984.8] 1-5 (chs. 13:11-17; 14:6-12; Daniel 7:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4; see EGW on Revelation 6:9; 17:1-5). Every Power of Evil Will Work.--As God called the children of Israel out of Egypt, that they might keep His Sabbath, so He calls His people out of Babylon, that they may not worship the beast or his image. The man of sin, who thought to change times and laws, has exalted himself above God, by presenting a spurious sabbath to the world; the Christian world has accepted 985 the child of the papacy, and cradled and nourished it, thus defying God by removing His memorial, and setting up a rival sabbath. {7BC 984.8} [7BC 985.1] After the truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, every conceivable power of evil will be set in operation, and minds will be confused by many voices crying, "Lo, here is Christ; lo, He is there. This is the truth, I have the message from God, He has sent me with great light." Then there will be a removing of the landmarks, and an attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith. A more decided effort will be made to exalt the false sabbath, and to cast contempt upon God Himself by supplanting the day He has blessed and sanctified. This false sabbath is to be enforced by an oppressive law. {7BC 985.1} [7BC 985.2] Satan and his angels are wide awake and intensely active, working with energy and perseverance through human instrumentalities to bring about his purpose of obliterating from the minds of men the knowledge of God. But while Satan works with his lying wonders, the time will be fulfilled foretold in the Revelation, and the mighty angel that shall lighten the earth with his glory will proclaim the fall of Babylon, and call upon God's people to forsake her (RH Dec. 13, 1892). {7BC 985.2} [7BC 985.3] (Ch. 14:8.) Part of a Series of Events.--The message in regard to the fall of Babylon must be given. God's people are to understand in regard to the angel who is to lighten the whole world with his glory, while he cries mightily, with a loud voice, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen." The solemn events which are now taking place belong to a series of events in the chain of history, the first link of which is connected with Eden. Let the people of God prepare for what is coming upon the earth. Extravagance in the use of means, selfishness, heresies, have taken the world captive. For centuries satanic agencies have been at work. Will they now give up without a struggle (MS 172, 1899)? {7BC 985.3} [7BC 985.4] (Matthew 15:9; 21:11, 12; John 2:13-16; see EGW on Revelation 6:9.) Two Calls to the Churches.--［Revelation 18:1, 2 quoted.］ This is the same message that was given by the second angel. Babylon is fallen, "because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." What is that wine?--her false doctrines. She has given to the world a false sabbath instead of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and has repeated the falsehood that Satan first told to Eve in Eden--the natural immortality of the soul. Many kindred errors she has spread far and wide, "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." {7BC 985.4} [7BC 985.5] When Jesus began His public ministry, He cleansed the temple from its sacrilegious profanation. Among the last acts of His ministry was the second cleansing of the temple. So in the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches. The second angel's message is, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." And in the loud cry of the third angel's message a voice is heard from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities" (RH Dec. 6, 1892). {7BC 985.5} [7BC 985.6] Three Messages to Be Combined.--The three angels' messages are to be combined, giving their threefold light to the world. In the Revelation, John says, "I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory." ［Revelation 18:2-5 quoted.］ This represents the giving of the last and threefold message of warning to the world (MS 52, 1900). {7BC 985.6} [7BC 985.7] 1-8 (see EGW on ch. 14:9-12). Danger in Worldly Alliances.--［Revelation 18:1-8 quoted.］ This terrible picture, drawn by John to show how completely the powers of earth will give themselves over to evil, should show those who have received the truth how dangerous it is to link up with secret societies or to join themselves in any way with those who do not keep God's commandments (MS 135, 1902). {7BC 985.7} [7BC 985.8] 3-7. See EGW on 1 John 2:18. {7BC 985.8} [7BC 985.9] Chapter 19 7-9 (Ephesians 5:23-25; see EGW on ch. 7:9). God the Husband of His Church.--God is the husband of His church. The church is the bride, the Lamb's wife. Every true believer 986 is a part of the body of Christ. Christ regards unfaithfulness shown to Him by His people as the unfaithfulness of a wife to her husband. We are to remember that we are members of Christ's body (Letter 39, 1902). {7BC 985.9} [7BC 986.1] Conduct Befitting the Bride of a King.--The church is the bride, the Lamb's wife. She should keep herself pure, sanctified, holy. Never should she indulge in any foolishness; for she is the bride of a King. Yet she does not realize her exalted position. If she understood this, she would be all-glorious within (Letter 177, 1901). {7BC 986.1} [7BC 986.2] (Chs. 3:4; 7:14; 16:15.) Clean Garments.--The church is the bride of Christ, and her members are to yoke up with their Leader. God warns us not to defile our garments (Letter 123 1/2, 1898). {7BC 986.2} [7BC 986.3] 11-16. See EGW on ch. 16:13-16. {7BC 986.3} [7BC 986.4] Chapter 20 5, 6. Marks of Curse in Second Resurrection.--At the first resurrection all come forth in immortal bloom, but at the second, the marks of the curse are visible upon all. All come up as they went down into their graves. Those who lived before the Flood, come forth with their giant-like stature, more than twice as tall as men now living upon the earth, and well proportioned. The generations after the Flood were less in stature (3SG 84, 85). {7BC 986.4} [7BC 986.5] 9, 10, 14 (Genesis 8:1; 2 Peter 3:10). New Jerusalem Preserved Amid Flames.--When the flood of waters was at its height upon the earth, it had the appearance of a boundless lake of water. When God finally purifies the earth, it will appear like a boundless lake of fire. As God preserved the ark amid the commotions of the Flood, because it contained eight righteous persons, He will preserve the New Jerusalem, containing the faithful of all ages, from righteous Abel down to the last saint which lived. Although the whole earth, with the exception of that portion where the city rests, will be wrapped in a sea of liquid fire, yet the city is preserved as was the ark, by a miracle of Almighty power. It stands unharmed amid the devouring elements (3SG 87). {7BC 986.5} [7BC 986.6] 12, 13 (Daniel 7:9, 10; see EGW on Exodus 31:18; Matthew 5:21, 22, 27, 28; 1 Timothy 5:24, 25; Revelation 11:1; 22:14). God's Law Seen in New Light.--When the judgment shall sit, and everyone shall be judged by the things written in the books, the authority of God's law will be looked upon in a light altogether different from that in which it is now regarded by the Christian world. Satan has blinded their eyes and confused their understanding, as he blinded and confused Adam and Eve, and led them into transgression. The law of Jehovah is great, even as its Author is great. In the judgment it will be recognized as holy, just, and good in all its requirements. Those who transgress this law will find that they have a serious account to settle with God; for His claims are decisive (RH May 7, 1901). {7BC 986.6} [7BC 986.7] (Romans 3:19; 7:12; Jude 15.) All the Worlds Witness Judgment.--Christ would have all understand the events of His second appearing. The judgment scene will take place in the presence of all the worlds; for in this judgment the government of God will be vindicated, and His law will stand forth as "holy, and just, and good." Then every case will be decided, and sentence will be passed upon all. Sin will not then appear attractive, but will be seen in all its hideous magnitude. All will see the relation in which they stand to God and to one another (RH Sept. 20, 1898). {7BC 986.7} [7BC 986.8] Deep Heart Searching.--［Revelation 20:12 quoted.］ Then men will have a clear, sharp remembrance of all their transactions in this life. Not a word or a deed will escape their memory. Those will be trying times. And while we are not to mourn over the time of trouble to come, let us, as Christ's followers, search our hearts as with a lighted candle to see what manner of spirit we are of. For our present and eternal good, let us criticize our actions, to see how they stand in the light of the law of God. For this law is our standard. Let every soul search his own heart (Letter 22, 1901). {7BC 986.8} [7BC 986.9] (Psalm 33:13-15; Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14; Jeremiah 17:10; Hebrews 4:13; see EGW on Psalm 139:1-12.) Every Case Examined.--Though all nations are to pass in judgment before Him, yet He will examine the case of each individual with as close and searching scrutiny as if there were not another being on earth (RH Jan. 19, 1886). {7BC 986.9} [7BC 986.10] (Malachi 3:16, 17; 1 Corinthians 3:13.) Angels Marking 987 Deeds of Men.--All heaven is interested in our salvation. The angels of God are walking up and down the streets of these cities, and marking the deeds of men. They record in the books of God's remembrance the words of faith, the acts of love, the humility of spirit; and in that day when every man's work shall be tried of what sort it is, the work of the humble follower of Christ will stand the test, and will receive the commendation of Heaven (RH Sept. 6, 1890). {7BC 986.10} [7BC 987.1] As Accurate as Photographer's Plate.--All of us, as beings blessed of God with reasoning powers, with intellect and judgment, should acknowledge our accountability to God. The life He has given us is a sacred responsibility, and no moment of it is to be trifled with; for we shall have to meet it again in the record of the judgment. In the books of heaven our lives are as accurately traced as in the picture on the plate of the photographer. Not only are we held accountable for what we have done, but for what we have left undone. We are held to account for our undeveloped characters, our unimproved opportunities (RH Sept. 22, 1891). {7BC 987.1} [7BC 987.2] Our Characters Represented in Books.--In the books of heaven are accurately recorded the sneers and the trivial remarks of sinners who pay no heed to the call of mercy made, as Christ is presented to them by His ministering servants. As the artist takes on the polished glass a true picture of the human face, so the angels of God daily place upon the books of heaven an exact representation of the character of every human being (ST Feb. 11, 1903). {7BC 987.2} [7BC 987.3] Heaven's Service Record.--All who are partakers of this great salvation wrought out by Jesus Christ are under obligation to work as laborers together with God. In the heavenly courts the roll is called, on which every name is registered, and the heavenly agencies respond to the call. The service given by every human being upon earth is there recorded. If any are negligent, it is recorded; if diligent, the same is reported; if idlers, the fact stands against their names. In all the great mass of humanity, not one is lost sight of. Then let every one be ready to answer the call, saying, "Here, Lord, ready for action." {7BC 987.3} [7BC 987.4] The world has claims upon you. If you fail to shine as lights in the world, some will rise in the judgment, and charge upon you the blood of their souls. It will be seen that you were an agent in the hands of the enemy of God and man to mislead and deceive by your profession of Christianity. You did not lead souls to piety and devotion. You had a name to live, but were spiritually dead. You had not the vitalizing influence of the Spirit of God, which is abundantly provided for all who, in faith, make demands upon it (RH Aug. 16, 1898). {7BC 987.4} [7BC 987.5] A Daily Inventory.--God judges every man according to his work. Not only does He judge, but He sums up, day by day and hour by hour, our progress in welldoing (RH May 16, 1899). {7BC 987.5} [7BC 987.6] 12-15 (chs. 3:5; 13:8; 21:27; 22:19). The Book of Life.--When we become children of God, our names are written in the Lamb's book of life, and they remain there until the time of the investigative judgment. Then the name of every individual will be called, and his record examined, by Him who declares, "I know thy works." If in that day it shall appear that all our wicked deeds have not been fully repented of, our names will be blotted from the book of life, and our sins will stand against us (ST Aug. 6, 1885). {7BC 987.6} [7BC 987.7] (Exodus 32:30-33; see EGW on Matthew 12:31, 32.) A Just Punishment for the Sinner.--Moses manifested his great love for Israel in his entreaty to the Lord to forgive their sin, or blot his name out of the book which He had written. His intercessions here illustrate Christ's love and mediation for the sinful race. But the Lord refused to let Moses suffer for the sins of His backsliding people. He declared to him that those who had sinned against Him He would blot out of His book which He had written; for the righteous should not suffer for the guilt of the sinner. {7BC 987.7} [7BC 987.8] The book here referred to is the book of records in heaven, in which every name is inscribed, and the acts of all, their sins, and obedience, are faithfully written. When individuals commit sins which are too grievous for the Lord to pardon, their names are erased from the book, and they are devoted to destruction (ST May 27, 1880). 988 {7BC 987.8} [7BC 988.1] Chapter 21 1 (Isaiah 33:21). No Engulfing Ocean.--The sea divides friends. It is a barrier between us and those whom we love. Our associations are broken up by the broad, fathomless ocean. In the new earth there will be no more sea, and there shall pass there "no galley with oars." In the past many who have loved and served God have been bound by chains to their seats in galleys, compelled to serve the purpose of cruel, hardhearted men. The Lord has looked upon their suffering in sympathy and compassion. Thank God, in the earth made new there will be no fierce torrents, no engulfing ocean, no restless, murmuring waves (MS 33, 1911). {7BC 988.1} [7BC 988.2] 1-4 (Isaiah 30:26). God's Family United at Last.--Now the church is militant, now we are confronted with a world in midnight darkness, almost wholly given over to idolatry. But the day is coming in which the battle will have been fought, the victory won. The will of God is to be done on earth, as it is done in heaven. Then the nations will own no other law than the law of heaven. All will be a happy, united family, clothed with the garments of praise and thanksgiving--the robe of Christ's righteousness. {7BC 988.2} [7BC 988.3] All nature in its surpassing loveliness will offer to God a constant tribute of praise and adoration. The world will be bathed in the light of heaven. The years will move on in gladness. The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold greater than it is now. Over the scene the morning stars will sing together, and the sons of God will shout for joy, while Christ and God will unite in proclaiming, "There shall be no more sin, neither shall there be any more death" (RH Dec. 17, 1908). {7BC 988.3} [7BC 988.4] 4 (see EGW on 1 Corinthians 15:51-55). The Christian's Summer.--This earth is the place of preparation for heaven. The time spent here is the Christian's winter. Here the chilly winds of affliction blow upon us, and the waves of trouble roll against us. But in the near future, when Christ comes, sorrow and sighing will be forever ended. Then will be the Christian's summer. All trials will be over, and there will be no more sickness or death. "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying . . . : for the former things are passed away" (MS 28, 1886). {7BC 988.4} [7BC 988.5] 23. See EGW on Ephesians 5:25. {7BC 988.5} [7BC 988.6] 27. See EGW on ch. 20:12-15. Chapter 22 {7BC 988.6} [7BC 988.7] 1. See EGW on 1 John 1:7, 9. {7BC 988.7} [7BC 988.8] 1, 2 (ch 7:17; see EGW on Luke 23:40-43). Higher Education in the Future Life.--Christ, the heavenly Teacher, will lead His people to the tree of life that grows on either side of the river of life, and He will explain to them the truths they could not in this life understand. In that future life His people will gain the higher education in its completeness. Those who enter the city of God will have the golden crowns placed upon their heads. That will be a joyful scene that none of us can afford to miss. We shall cast our crowns at the feet of Jesus, and again and again we will give Him the glory and praise His holy name. Angels will unite in the songs of triumph. Touching their golden harps, they will fill all heaven with rich music and songs to the Lamb (MS 31, 1909). {7BC 988.8} [7BC 988.9] 2 (ch. 2:7; Genesis 2:9; see EGW on Genesis 3:22-24; John 5:39). Life-giving Power in Tree of Life.--The tree of life is a representation of the preserving care of Christ for His children. As Adam and Eve ate of this tree, they acknowledged their dependence upon God. The tree of life possessed the power to perpetuate life, and as long as they ate of it, they could not die. The lives of the antediluvians were protracted because of the life-giving power of this tree, which was transmitted to them from Adam and Eve (RH Jan. 26, 1897). {7BC 988.9} [7BC 988.10] (John 1:4.) Life-giving Fruit Ours Through Christ.--The fruit of the tree of life in the Garden of Eden possessed supernatural virtue. To eat of it was to live forever. Its fruit was the antidote of death. Its leaves were for the sustaining of life and immortality. But through man's disobedience, death entered the world. Adam ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the fruit of which he had been forbidden to touch. His transgression opened the floodgates of woe upon our race. 989 {7BC 988.10} [7BC 989.1] After the entrance of sin, the heavenly Husbandman transplanted the tree of life to the Paradise above; but its branches hang over the wall to the lower world. Through the redemption purchased by the blood of Christ, we may still eat of its life-giving fruit. {7BC 989.1} [7BC 989.2] Of Christ it is written, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men." He is the fountain of life. Obedience to Him is the life-giving power that gladdens the soul. {7BC 989.2} [7BC 989.3] Christ declares: "I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst" ［John 6:57, 63; Revelation 2:7, last part, quoted］ (ST March 31, 1909). {7BC 989.3} [7BC 989.4] (Psalm 19:10; John 6:54-57.) Tree of Life Planted for Us.--The sons of men have had a practical knowledge of evil, but Christ came to the world to show them that He had planted for them the tree of life, the leaves of which were for the healing of the nations (MS 67, 1898). {7BC 989.4} [7BC 989.5] The leaves of the tree of life are proffered you. They are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. Take them, eat them, digest them, and your faintheartedness will pass away (MS 71, 1898). {7BC 989.5} [7BC 989.6] Christ . . . was the tree of life to all who would pluck and eat (MS 95, 1898). {7BC 989.6} [7BC 989.7] Bible the Tree of Life to Us.--Let all bear in mind that the tree of life bears twelve manner of fruits. This represents the spiritual work of our earthly missions. The Word of God is to us the tree of life. Every portion of the Scripture has its use. In every part of the Word is some lesson to be learned. Then learn how to study your Bibles. This book is not a heap of odds and ends. It is an educator. Your own thoughts must be called into exercise before you can be really benefited by Bible study. Spiritual sinew and muscle must be brought to bear upon the Word. The Holy Spirit will bring to remembrance the words of Christ. He will enlighten the mind, and guide the research (Letter 3, 1898). {7BC 989.7} [7BC 989.8] Christ the Tree of Life.--Christ is the source of our life, the source of immortality. He is the tree of life, and to all who come to Him He gives spiritual life (RH Jan. 26, 1897). {7BC 989.8} [7BC 989.9] 3, 4. A Definition of Heaven.--Christ is the truth of all that we find in the Father. The definition of heaven is the presence of Christ (Und. MS 58). {7BC 989.9} [7BC 989.10] 4. See EGW on ch. 7:2, 3. {7BC 989.10} [7BC 989.11] 10-12 (chs. 4:3; 10:1; see EGW on ch. 10:7; 2 Peter 3:9). Christ's Intercession Soon to Cease.--The One who has stood as our intercessor; who hears all penitential prayers and confessions; who is represented with a rainbow, the symbol of grace and love, encircling His head, is soon to cease His work in the heavenly sanctuary. Grace and mercy will then descend from the throne, and justice will take their place. He for whom His people have looked will assume His right--the office of Supreme Judge (RH Jan. 1, 1889). {7BC 989.11} [7BC 989.12] Probation Ends When Least Expected.--When probation ends, it will come suddenly, unexpectedly--at a time when we are least expecting it. But we can have a clean record in heaven today, and know that God accepts us; and finally, if faithful, we shall be gathered into the kingdom of heaven (MS 95, 1906). {7BC 989.12} [7BC 989.13] No Second Probation.--There is not a second probation for anyone. Now is probationary time, before the angel shall fold her golden wings, the angel of mercy, and shall step down from the throne, and mercy, mercy is gone forever (MS 49, 1894). {7BC 989.13} [7BC 989.14] (John 9:4.) Time of Probation's Close Not Revealed.--God has not revealed to us the time when this message will close, or when probation will have an end. Those things that are revealed we shall accept for ourselves and for our children; but let us not seek to know that which has been kept secret in the councils of the Almighty. . . . {7BC 989.14} [7BC 989.15] Letters have come to me asking me if I have any special light as to the time when probation will close; and I answer that I have only this message to bear, that it is now time to work while the day lasts, for the night cometh in which no man can work. Now, just now, it is time for us to be watching, working, and waiting. {7BC 989.15} [7BC 989.16] The Word of the Lord reveals the fact that the end of all things is at hand, and its testimony is most decided that it is necessary for every soul to have the truth planted in the heart so that it will control the life and sanctify the character. The Spirit of the Lord is working to take the truth of the Inspired Word and stamp it 990 upon the soul so that the professed followers of Christ will have a holy, sacred joy that they will be able to impart to others. The opportune time for us to work is now, just now, while the day lasts. But there is no command for anyone to search the Scriptures in order to ascertain, if possible, when probation will close. God has no such message for any mortal lips. He would have no mortal tongue declare that which He has hidden in His secret councils (RH Oct. 9, 1894). {7BC 989.16} [7BC 990.1] 13. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 15:22, 45. {7BC 990.1} [7BC 990.2] 13-17 (ch. 1:8). The Alpha and Omega of Scripture.--［Revelation 22:13-17 quoted.］ Here we have the Alpha of Genesis and the Omega of Revelation. The blessing is promised to all those who keep the commandments of God, and who cooperate with Him in the proclamation of the third angel's message (RH June 8, 1897). {7BC 990.2} [7BC 990.3] 14 (ch. 20:12, 13; see EGW on Genesis 3:22-24; Romans 3:31; 2 Corinthians 3:7-11). City of God for Commandment Keepers.--None who have had the light of truth will enter the city of God as commandment breakers. His law lies at the foundation of His government in earth and in heaven. If they have knowingly trampled upon and despised His law on the earth, they will not be taken to heaven to do the same work there; there is no change of character when Christ comes. The character building is to go on during the hours of probation. Day by day their actions are registered in the books of heaven, and they will, in the great day of God, be rewarded as their works have been. It will then be seen who receives the blessing. "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (RH Aug. 25, 1885). {7BC 990.3} [7BC 990.4] (Colossians 1:26, 27.) Travel in the Future Life.--Many seem to have the idea that this world and the heavenly mansions constitute the universe of God. Not so. The redeemed throng will range from world to world, and much of their time will be employed in searching out the mysteries of redemption. And throughout the whole stretch of eternity, this subject will be continually opening to their minds. The privileges of those who overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony are beyond comprehension (RH March 9, 1886). {7BC 990.4} [7BC 990.5] 17. See EGW on ch. 3:20; Romans 3:20-31. {7BC 990.5} [7BC 990.6] 19. See EGW on ch. 20:12-15. {7BC 990.6} [FLB 7.1] FLB - The Faith I Live By (1958) A WORD TO THE READER WITH THE PUBLICATION OF THIS DEVOTIONAL VOLUME, A DEMAND, OFTEN EXPRESSED, FOR A SELECT GROUP OF ELLEN G. WHITE COMMENTS UPON THE CENTRAL TRUTHS OF CHRISTIANITY WILL BE REALIZED. THE PRINCIPAL DOCTRINES OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH, SUPPORTED BY CAREFULLY CHOSEN TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE AND SPIRIT OF PROPHECY STATEMENTS, ARE HERE PRESENTED, NOT AS THEOLOGICAL PRONOUNCEMENTS, BUT AS SPIRITUAL TRUTHS RELATING TO THE WORK OF REDEMPTION WROUGHT OUT FOR US BY JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR. THIS VOLUME, IT SHOULD BE NOTED, PROVIDES VASTLY MORE THAN INSPIRATION. HERE IS VITAL INFORMATION FOR OUR YOUTH AND THE READERS OF THIS BOOK. A FAITH THAT WE DO NOT KNOW AND COMPREHEND CANNOT BE SHARED. SHARING IS DEPENDENT UPON KNOWING. IN THIS E. G. WHITE DEVOTIONAL BOOK THE SCRIPTURE TEXTS ARE PRESENTED AS THE BASIC AUTHORITY. THE BIBLE SPEAKS OUT ON BEHALF OF THE FOUNDATION TRUTHS. THE AUTHOR'S COMMENTS ENLARGE UPON AND EXALT SCRIPTURE TRUTH, MAKING IT PERSONAL AND BRINGING HOME THE LESSON TO THE HEART. IN THIS VOLUME WE HEAR THE SCRIPTURE SPEAKING, AND IN THIS VOLUME WE HEAR THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY SPEAKING. THE TWO ARE IN THEIR RIGHT RELATIONSHIP, THE BIBLE MAKING THE DOCTRINAL STATEMENT, THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY PROVIDING THE COMMENTARY. IN FINDING APPROPRIATE ELLEN G. WHITE STATEMENTS DEALING WITH BIBLE DOCTRINE, THE COMPILERS HAVE CONSULTED THE PUBLISHED WORKS BY THE AUTHOR IN WHICH REPRESENTATIVE STATEMENTS FROM HER PEN APPEAR. KEEP IN MIND, HOWEVER, THAT IN ADDITION TO WELL-KNOWN COMMENTS, OTHERS LESS KNOWN BUT NOT LESS FORCEFUL ARE HERE PRESENTED. ELLEN G. WHITE SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL USED IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST BIBLE COMMENTARY, PORTIONS OF ARTICLES FROM THE YOUTH'S INSTRUCTOR, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, THE REVIEW AND HERALD, AND A NUMBER OF PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED STATEMENTS ARE INCLUDED. BECAUSE EACH DAILY READING IS LIMITED TO JUST ONE PRINTED PAGE, MUCH VALUABLE MATERIAL ON RELATED SUBJECTS COULD NOT BE USED, AND AT TIMES OMISSIONS HAD TO BE MADE WITHIN THE STATEMENTS QUOTED. OMISSIONS ARE RECOGNIZED IN THE USUAL WAY. FREQUENTLY AS MANY AS FIVE OR SIX SOURCES ARE QUOTED ON ONE PAGE. IN SOME PLACES WHERE A STATEMENT IS ONLY A SENTENCE OR TWO IN LENGTH, THE COMPILERS HAVE FAITHFULLY OBSERVED THE THOUGHTS EXPRESSED IN THE CONTEXT, AND SO PRESENTED THE SEQUENCE AS TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THE IDEAS COMMUNICATED TO MRS. ELLEN G. WHITE BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE FAITH I LIVE BY WAS COMPILED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ELLEN G. WHITE PUBLICATIONS, WHO CARRY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CARE AND PUBLICATION OF THE E. G. WHITE WRITINGS. THE WORK HAS BEEN DONE IN HARMONY WITH MRS. WHITE'S INSTRUCTION TO THE TRUSTEES PROVIDING FOR THE PRINTING OF COMPILATIONS FROM HER WRITINGS. THAT THE BRIEF DAY-BY-DAY MESSAGES CONCERNING THE INSPIRING TRUTHS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH MAY SERVE AS A DAILY GUIDE AND AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO EVERY READER IS THE SINCERE PRAYER AND WISH OF THE PUBLISHERS AND THE TRUSTEES OF THE ELLEN G. WHITE ESTATE Chap. 1 - The Word and Works of God A Light for My Path Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105. {FLB 7.1} [FLB 7.2] We all need a guide through the many strait places in life as much as the sailor needs a pilot over the sandy bar or up the rocky river, and where is this guide to be found? We point you . . . to the Bible. {FLB 7.2} [FLB 7.3] God, has given us His Word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Its teachings have a vital bearing on our prosperity in all the relations of life. . . . {FLB 7.3} [FLB 7.4] The Bible is the great standard of right and wrong, clearly defining sin and holiness. Its living principles, running through our lives like threads of gold, are our only safeguard in trial and temptation. The Bible is a chart, showing us the waymarks of truth. Those who are acquainted with this chart will be enabled to tread with certainty in the path of duty, wherever they may be called to go. {FLB 7.4} [FLB 7.5] When faith in God's Word is lost, the soul has no guide, no safeguard. The youth are drawn into paths which lead away from God and from everlasting life. {FLB 7.5} [FLB 7.6] To this cause may in great degree be attributed the widespread iniquity in our world today. When the Word of God is set aside, its power to restrain the evil passions of the natural heart is rejected. {FLB 7.6} [FLB 7.7] When God's Word is made the man of our counsel, when we search the Scriptures for light, heavenly angels come near to impress the mind and to enlighten the understanding, so that it can be truly said, "The entrance of thy words giveth light. . . ." Psalm 119:130. {FLB 7.7} [FLB 7.8] The Word of God is light and truth. . . . It is able to guide every step of the way to the city of God. 8 {FLB 7.8} [FLB 8.1] My Defense in Temptation Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119:11. {FLB 8.1} [FLB 8.2] If we would not be misled by error and falsehood, the heart must be preoccupied with the truth. The Word of God will furnish the mind with weapons of divine power, to vanquish the enemy. Happy is the man, who, when tempted, finds his soul rich in the knowledge of the Scriptures, who finds shelter beneath the promises of God. "Thy word," said the psalmist, "have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." {FLB 8.2} [FLB 8.3] This Word is ever to be in our hearts and on our lips. "It is written" is to be our anchor. Those who make God's Word their counselor realize the weakness of the human heart and the power of the grace of God to subdue every unsanctified, unholy impulse. Their hearts are ever prayerful, and they have the guardianship of holy angels. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of God lifts up for them a standard against him. There is harmony in the heart, for the precious, powerful influences of truth bear sway. {FLB 8.3} [FLB 8.4] The Word of God is a channel of communication with the living God. He who feeds upon the Word will become fruitful in all good works. He . . . will be the discoverer of rich mines of truth which he must work to find the hidden treasure. When ［he is］ surrounded with temptations, the Holy Spirit will bring to his mind the very words with which to meet the temptation at the very moment when they are most needed, and he can use them effectually. {FLB 8.4} [FLB 8.5] We must be better acquainted with our Bibles. We might close the door to many temptations, if we would commit to memory passages of Scripture. Let us hedge up the way to Satan's temptations with "It is written." We shall meet with conflicts to test our faith and courage, but they will make us strong if we conquer through the grace Jesus is willing to give. But we must believe; we must grasp the promises without a doubt. 9 {FLB 8.5} [FLB 9.1] Its Promises Are Mine For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 2 Corinthians 1:20. {FLB 9.1} [FLB 9.2] The precious Bible is the garden of God, and His promises are the lilies, and the roses, and the pinks. {FLB 9.2} [FLB 9.3] How I wish that we might all believe in the promises of God. . . . We are not to look into our hearts for a joyful emotion as an evidence of our acceptance with Heaven, but we are to take God's promises and say, "They are mine. The Lord is letting His Holy Spirit rest upon me. I am receiving the light; for the promise is, 'Believe that ye receive the things ye ask for, and ye shall have them.' By faith I reach within the veil and lay hold of Christ, my strength. I thank God that I have a Saviour." {FLB 9.3} [FLB 9.4] The Scriptures are to be received as God's word to us, not written merely, but spoken. When the afflicted ones came to Christ, He beheld not only those who asked for help, but all who throughout the ages should come to Him in like need and with like faith. When He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee"; when He said to the woman of Capernaum, "Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace," He spoke to other afflicted, sin-burdened ones who should seek His help. {FLB 9.4} [FLB 9.5] So with all the promises of God's Word. In them He is speaking to us individually, speaking as directly as if we could listen to His voice. It is in these promises that Christ communicates to us His grace and power. They are leaves from that tree which is "for the healing of the nations." Received, assimilated, they are to be the strength of the character, the inspiration and sustenance of the life. {FLB 9.5} [FLB 9.6] Let youth grasp the hand of infinite power. Faith grows by exercise. Feed upon the promises; be content to rely on the simple promise of God's Word. {FLB 9.6} [FLB 9.7] Hang in memory's hall the precious words of Christ. They are to be valued far above silver or gold. 10 {FLB 9.7} [FLB 10.1] Lesson Book for All Mankind For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1:21. {FLB 10.1} [FLB 10.2] God committed the preparation of His divinely inspired Word to finite man. This Word, arranged into books, the Old and New Testaments, is the guidebook to the inhabitants of a fallen world, bequeathed to them that, by studying and obeying the directions, not one soul would lose its way to heaven. {FLB 10.2} [FLB 10.3] The Bible points to God as its author; yet it was written by human hands; and in the varied style of its different books it presents the characteristics of the several writers. The truths revealed are all "given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16); yet they are expressed in the words of men. The Infinite One by His Holy Spirit has shed light into the minds and hearts of His servants. He has given dreams and visions, symbols and figures; and those to whom the truth was thus revealed, have themselves embodied the thought in human language. {FLB 10.3} [FLB 10.4] The Lord speaks to human beings in imperfect speech, in order that the degenerate senses, the dull, earthly perception, of earthly beings may comprehend His words. Thus is shown God's condescension. He meets fallen human beings where they are. The Bible, perfect as it is in its simplicity, does not answer to the great ideas of God; for infinite ideas cannot be perfectly embodied in finite vehicles of thought. Instead of the expressions of the Bible being exaggerated, as many people suppose, the strong expressions break down before the magnificence of the thought, though the penman selected the most expressive language through which to convey the truths of higher education. {FLB 10.4} [FLB 10.5] God designed the Bible to be a lesson-book to all mankind, in childhood, youth, and manhood, and to be studied through all time. He gave His Word to men as a revelation of Himself. . . . It is the medium of communication between God and man. 11 {FLB 10.5} [FLB 11.1] The Bible From Heaven But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7. {FLB 11.1} [FLB 11.2] God has been pleased to communicate His truth to the world by human agencies, and He Himself, by His Holy Spirit, qualified men and enabled them to do this work. He guided the mind in the selection of what to speak and what to write. The treasure was intrusted to earthen vessels, yet it is, none the less, from Heaven. . . . The obedient, believing child of God beholds in it ［the testimony of God］ the glory of a divine power, full of grace and truth. {FLB 11.2} [FLB 11.3] The writers of the Bible had to express their ideas in human language. It was written by human men. These men were inspired of the Holy Spirit. Because of the imperfections of human understanding of language, or the perversity of the human mind, ingenious in evading truth, many read and understand the Bible to please themselves. It is not that the difficulty is in the Bible.... {FLB 11.3} [FLB 11.4] The Scriptures were given to men, not in a continuous chain of unbroken utterances, but piece by piece through successive generations, as God in His providence saw a fitting opportunity to impress man at sundry times and divers places. Men wrote as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost.... {FLB 11.4} [FLB 11.5] There is not always perfect order or apparent unity in the Scriptures. . . . The truths of the Bible are as pearls hidden. They must be searched, dug out by painstaking effort. Those who take only a surface view of the Scriptures will, with their superficial knowledge, which they think is very deep, talk of the contradictions of the Bible, and question the authority of the Scriptures. But those whose hearts are in harmony with truth and duty will search the Scriptures with a heart prepared to receive divine impressions. The illuminated soul sees a spiritual unity, one grand golden thread running through the whole, but it requires patience, thought, and prayer to trace out the precious golden thread. 12 {FLB 11.5} [FLB 12.1] All the Bible Inspired All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16. {FLB 12.1} [FLB 12.2] The Word of God includes the Scriptures of the Old Testament as well as of the New. One is not complete without the other. {FLB 12.2} [FLB 12.3] The Old Testament, no less than the New, should receive attention. As we study the Old Testament, we shall find living springs bubbling up where the careless reader discerns only a desert. {FLB 12.3} [FLB 12.4] There is no discord between the Old Testament and the New. In the Old Testament we find the gospel of a coming Saviour; in the New Testament we have the gospel of a Saviour revealed as the prophecies had foretold. While the Old Testament is constantly pointing forward to the true offering, the New Testament shows that the Saviour prefigured by the typical offerings has come. The dim glory of the Jewish age has been succeeded by the brighter, clearer glory of the Christian age. {FLB 12.4} [FLB 12.5] Christ as manifested to the patriarchs, as symbolized in the sacrificial service, as portrayed in the law, and as revealed by the prophets, is the riches of the Old Testament. Christ in His life, His death, and His resurrection, Christ as He is manifested by the Holy Spirit, is the treasure of the New Testament. Our Saviour, the outshining of the Father's glory, is both the Old and the New. . . . The Old Testament sheds light upon the New, and the New upon the Old. Each is a revelation of the glory of God in Christ. Both present truths that will continually reveal new depths of meaning to the earnest seeker. {FLB 12.5} [FLB 12.6] Jesus said of the Old Testament Scriptures--and how much more it is true of the New--"They are they which testify of me" (John 5:39). . . . Yes, the whole Bible tells of Christ. From the first record of creation, for "without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:3), to the closing promise, "Behold, I come quickly" (Revelation 22:12), we are reading of His works and listening to His voice. If you would become acquainted with the Saviour, study the Holy Scriptures. 13 {FLB 12.6} [FLB 13.1] An Infallible Revelation The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times. Psalm 12:6. {FLB 13.1} [FLB 13.2] In His Word, God has committed to men the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience. {FLB 13.2} [FLB 13.3] Spiritual darkness has covered the earth and gross darkness the people. . . . Many, very many, are questioning the verity and truth of the Scriptures. Human reasoning and the imaginings of the human heart are undermining the inspiration of the Word of God, and that which should be received as granted, is surrounded with a cloud of mysticism. Nothing stands out in clear and distinct lines, upon rock bottom. This is one of the marked signs of the last days. . . . {FLB 13.3} [FLB 13.4] There are men who strive to be original, who are wise above what is written; therefore, their wisdom is foolishness. . . . In seeking to make plain or to unravel mysteries hid from ages from mortal man, they are like a man floundering about in the mud, unable to extricate himself and yet telling others how to get out of the muddy sea they themselves are in. This is a fit representation of the men who set themselves to correct the errors of the Bible. No man can improve the Bible by suggesting what the Lord meant to say or ought to have said. . . . {FLB 13.4} [FLB 13.5] I take the Bible just as it is, as the Inspired Word. I believe its utterances in an entire Bible. {FLB 13.5} [FLB 13.6] This Holy Book has withstood the assaults of Satan, who has united with evil men to make everything of divine character shrouded in clouds and darkness. But the Lord has preserved this Holy Book by His own miraculous power in its present shape--a chart or guidebook to the human family to show them the way to heaven. . . . {FLB 13.6} [FLB 13.7] We thank God that the Bible is prepared for the poor man as well as for the learned man. It is fitted for all ages and all classes. 14 {FLB 13.7} [FLB 14.1] Mysteries We Cannot Fathom O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Romans 11:33. {FLB 14.1} [FLB 14.2] The Word of God, like the character of its divine Author, presents mysteries that can never be fully comprehended by finite beings. . . . {FLB 14.2} [FLB 14.3] If it were possible for created beings to attain to a full understanding of God and His works, then, having reached this point, there would be for them no further discovery of truth, no growth in knowledge, no further development of mind or heart. God would no longer be supreme; and men, having reached the limit of knowledge and attainment, would cease to advance. Let us thank God that it is not so. God is infinite; in Him are "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:3. And to all eternity men may be ever searching, ever learning, and yet they can never exhaust the treasures of His wisdom, His goodness, and His power. {FLB 14.3} [FLB 14.4] In the natural world we are constantly surrounded with mysteries that we cannot fathom. . . . Should we then be surprised to find that in the spiritual world also there are mysteries that we cannot fathom? {FLB 14.4} [FLB 14.5] The mysteries of the Bible . . . are among the strongest evidences of its divine inspiration. If it contained no account of God but that which we could comprehend; if His greatness and majesty could be grasped by finite minds, then the Bible would not, as now, bear the unmistakable evidences of divinity. . . . The more we search the Bible, the deeper is our conviction that it is the word of the living God, and human reason bows before the majesty of divine revelation. {FLB 14.5} [FLB 14.6] Christ will lead the redeemed ones beside the river of life, and will open to them that which while on this earth they could not understand. {FLB 14.6} [FLB 14.7] In the light that shines from the throne, mysteries will disappear, and the soul will be filled with astonishment at the simplicity of the things that were never before comprehended. 15 {FLB 14.7} [FLB 15.1] The Book That Endures Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matthew 24:35. {FLB 15.1} [FLB 15.2] He ［Christ］ pointed to the Scriptures as of unquestionable authority, and we should do the same. The Bible is to be presented as the word of the infinite God, as the end of all controversy and the foundation of all faith. {FLB 15.2} [FLB 15.3] The infidel Voltaire once boastingly said: "I am weary of hearing people repeat that twelve men established the Christian religion. I will prove that one man may suffice to overthrow it." . . . Millions have joined in the war upon the Bible. But it is so far from being destroyed, that where there were a hundred in Voltaire's time, there are now ten thousand, yes, a hundred thousand copies of the Book of God. In the words of an early Reformer concerning the Christian church, "The Bible is an anvil that has worn out many hammers." Saith the Lord, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn." Isaiah 54:17. {FLB 15.3} [FLB 15.4] At this time, before the great final crisis, as before the world's first destruction, men are absorbed in the pleasures and the pursuits of sense. Engrossed with the seen and transitory, they have lost sight of the unseen and eternal. For the things that perish with the using, they are sacrificing imperishable riches. . . . From the rise and fall of nations as made plain in the pages of Holy Writ, they need to learn how worthless is mere outward and worldly glory. {FLB 15.4} [FLB 15.5] The Word of God is the only steadfast thing our world knows. It is the sure foundation. "Heaven and earth shall pass away," said Jesus, "but my words shall not pass away." {FLB 15.5} [FLB 15.6] "The word of God shall stand for ever." "All his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness." Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 111:7, 8. Whatever is built upon the authority of man will be overthrown; but that which is founded upon the rock of God's immutable Word shall stand forever. 16 {FLB 15.6} [FLB 16.1] The Evidence of Experience O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Psalm 34:8. {FLB 16.1} [FLB 16.2] There is an evidence that is open to all--the most highly educated, and the most illiterate--the evidence of experience. God invites us to prove for ourselves the reality of His Word, the truth of His promises. He bids us "taste and see that the Lord is good." Instead of depending upon the word of another, we are to taste for ourselves. . . . And as we draw near to Jesus, and rejoice in the fullness of His love, our doubt and darkness will disappear in the light of His presence. {FLB 16.2} [FLB 16.3] The Christian knows in whom he has believed. He does not only read the Bible; he experiences the power of its teaching. He has not only heard of Christ's righteousness; he has opened the windows of the soul to the light of the Sun of Righteousness. {FLB 16.3} [FLB 16.4] Every one who has passed from death unto life is able to "set to his seal that God is true." John 3:33. He can testify, "I needed help, and I found it in Jesus. Every want was supplied, the hunger of my soul was satisfied; and now the Bible is to me the revelation of Jesus Christ. Do you ask why I believe in Jesus?--Because He is to me a divine Saviour. Why do I believe the Bible?--Because I have found it to be the voice of God to my soul." We may have the witness in ourselves that the Bible is true, that Christ is the Son of God. We know that we are not following cunningly devised fables. {FLB 16.4} [FLB 16.5] Let the youth make the Word of God the food of mind and soul. . . . Thus through faith they will come to know God by an experimental knowledge. They have proved for themselves the reality of His Word, the truth of His promises. They have tasted, and they know that the Lord is good. . . . It is our privilege to reach higher and still higher for clearer revealings of the character of God. . . . In His light shall we see light, until mind and heart and soul are transformed into the image of His holiness. 17 {FLB 16.5} [FLB 17.1] Christ the Living Word And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14. {FLB 17.1} [FLB 17.2] Jesus is called the Word of God. He accepted His Father's law, wrought out its principles in His life, manifested its spirit, and showed its beneficent power in the heart. Says John: "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." {FLB 17.2} [FLB 17.3] All that man needs to know or can know of God has been revealed in the life and character of His Son. . . . {FLB 17.3} [FLB 17.4] Taking humanity upon Him, Christ came to be one with humanity and at the same time to reveal our heavenly Father to sinful human beings. He was in all things made like unto His brethren. He became flesh, even as we are. He was hungry and thirsty and weary. He was sustained by food and refreshed by sleep. He shared the lot of men, and yet He was the blameless Son of God. . . . {FLB 17.4} [FLB 17.5] Tender, compassionate, sympathetic, ever considerate of others, He represented the character of God, and was constantly engaged in service for God and man. {FLB 17.5} [FLB 17.6] The followers of Christ must be partakers of His experience. They must assimilate the Word of God. They must be changed into its likeness by the power of Christ and reflect the divine attributes. . . . The spirit and work of Christ must become the spirit and work of His disciples. {FLB 17.6} [FLB 17.7] In the study of the Bible the converted souls eats the flesh and drinks the blood of the Son of God, which He Himself interprets as the receiving and doing of His words, that are spirit and life. The Word is made flesh, and dwells among us, in those who receive the holy precepts of the Word of God. The Saviour of the world has left a holy, pure example for all men. It illuminates, uplifts, and brings immortality to all who obey the divine requirements. 18 {FLB 17.7} [FLB 18.1] The Secret of Power Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. Psalm 119:9. {FLB 18.1} [FLB 18.2] It is one thing to treat the Bible as a book of good moral instruction, to be heeded so far as is consistent with the spirit of the times and our position in the world; it is another thing to regard it as it really is--the Word of the living God, the Word that is our life, the Word that is to mold our actions, our words, and our thoughts. To hold God's Word anything less than this is to reject it. {FLB 18.2} [FLB 18.3] The Word of God is a character-detector, a motive-tester. We are to read this Word with heart and mind open to receive the impressions that God will give. We must not think that the reading of the Word can accomplish that which only He whom the Word reveals, who stands behind the Word, can accomplish. Some are in danger of hastening to the conclusion that because they hold firmly to the doctrines of the truth, they are actually in possession of the blessings which these doctrines declare shall come to the receiver of truth. Many keep the truth in the outer court. Its sacred principles have not a controlling influence over the words, the thoughts, the actions. {FLB 18.3} [FLB 18.4] In this perilous day of evil, when allurements to vice and corruption are on every hand, let the earnest, heartfelt cry of the young be raised to heaven: "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?" And may his ears be open and his heart inclined to obey the instruction given in the answer: "By taking heed thereto according to thy word." The only safety for the youth in this age of pollution is to make God their trust. Without divine help they will be unable to control human passions and appetites. In Christ is the very help needed. {FLB 18.4} [FLB 18.5] Truth must reach down to the deepest recesses of the soul, and cleanse away everything unlike the spirit of Christ, and the vacuum be supplied by the attributes of His character who was pure and holy and undefiled, that all the springs of the heart may be as flowers, fragrant with perfume, a sweet smelling savor, a savor of life unto life. 19 {FLB 18.5} [FLB 19.1] Born of the Word Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 1 Peter 1:23. {FLB 19.1} [FLB 19.2] The change of heart by which we become children of God is in the Bible spoken of as birth. Again, it is compared to the germination of the good seed sown by the husbandman. . . . So from natural life, illustrations are drawn, to help us better to understand the mysterious truths of spiritual life. Not all the wisdom and skill of man can produce life in the smallest object in nature. It is only through the life which God Himself has imparted, that either plant or animal can live. So it is only through the life from God that spiritual life is begotten in the hearts of men. {FLB 19.2} [FLB 19.3] When truth becomes an abiding principle in the life, the soul is "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." This new birth is the result of receiving Christ as the word of God. Then by the Holy Spirit divine truths are impressed upon the heart, new conceptions are awakened, and the energies hitherto dormant are aroused to cooperate with God. . . . Christ was the revealer of truth to the world. By Him the incorruptible seed--the Word of God--was sown in the hearts of men. {FLB 19.3} [FLB 19.4] The Word destroys the natural, earthly nature, and imparts a new life in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit comes to the soul as a Comforter. By the transforming agency of His grace, the image of God is reproduced in the disciple; he becomes a new creature. Love takes the place of hatred, and the heart receives the divine similitude. {FLB 19.4} [FLB 19.5] Henceforth you are not your own; you are brought with a price. "Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, . . . but with the precious blood of Christ. . . ." 1 Peter 1:18, 19. Through this simple act of believing God, the Holy Spirit has begotten a new life in your heart. You are as a child born into the family of God, and He loves you as He loves His Son. 20 {FLB 19.5} [FLB 20.1] Food for My Soul And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Luke 4:4. {FLB 20.1} [FLB 20.2] The Word of God is to be our spiritual food. {FLB 20.2} [FLB 20.3] The life of Christ that gives life to the world is in His word. It was by His word that Jesus healed disease and cast out demons; by His word He stilled the sea, and raised the dead. . . . {FLB 20.3} [FLB 20.4] As our physical life is sustained by food, so our spiritual life is sustained by the Word of God. And every soul is to receive life from God's Word for himself. As we eat for ourselves in order to receive nourishment, so we must receive the Word for ourselves. . . . {FLB 20.4} [FLB 20.5] In His promises and warnings, Jesus means me. . . . The experiences related in God's Word are to be my experiences. Prayer and promise, precept and warning, are mine. {FLB 20.5} [FLB 20.6] The creative energy that called the worlds into existence is in the word of God. The word imparts power; it begets life. Every command is a promise; accepted by the will, received into the soul, it brings with it the life of the Infinite One. . . . {FLB 20.6} [FLB 20.7] The life thus imparted is in like manner sustained. "By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4) shall man live. The mind, the soul, is built up by that upon which it feeds; and it rests with us to determine upon what it shall be fed. It is within the power of every one to choose the topics that shall occupy the thoughts and shape the character. {FLB 20.7} [FLB 20.8] Youth, in the name of Jesus I appeal to you whom I shall soon meet around the throne of God, Study your Bible. It will prove to you not only the pillar of cloud by day but the pillar of fire by night. It opens before you a path leading up and still upward, bidding you go forward. The Bible--you do not know its worth! It is a book for the mind, for the heart, for the conscience, the will, and the life. It is the message of God to you, in such simple style that it meets the comprehension of a little child. The Bible--precious Book! 21 {FLB 20.8} [FLB 21.1] Life in God's Word It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63. {FLB 21.1} [FLB 21.2] Every seed has in itself a germinating principle. In it the life of the plant is enfolded. So there is life in God's Word. Christ says, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." . . . In every command and in every promise of the Word of God is the power, the very life of God, by which the command may be fulfilled and the promise realized. He who by faith receives the Word is receiving the very life and character of God. {FLB 21.2} [FLB 21.3] By partaking of this Word our spiritual strength is increased; we grow in grace and in a knowledge of the truth. Habits of self-control are formed and strengthened. The infirmities of childhood--fretfulness, willfulness, selfishness, hasty words, passionate acts--disappear, and in their place are developed the graces of Christian manhood and womanhood. {FLB 21.3} [FLB 21.4] In its power, men and women have broken the chains of sinful habit. They have renounced selfishness. The profane have become reverent, the drunken sober, the profligate pure. Souls that have borne the likeness of Satan have been transformed into the image of God. {FLB 21.4} [FLB 21.5] Would you become assimilated to the divine image? . . . Would you drink of the water which Christ shall give you, which shall be in you a well of water springing up into everlasting life? Would you bear fruit to the glory of God? Would you refresh others? Then with heart hungering for the bread of life, the Word of God, search the Scriptures, and live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Your soul's sanctification and righteousness will result from faith in the Word of God, which leads to obedience of its commands. Let the Word of God be to you as the voice of God instructing you, and saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it." Isaiah 30:21. Christ prayed, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." John 17:17. 22 {FLB 21.5} [FLB 22.1] A Table Set Before Me Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. John 6:54, 55. {FLB 22.1} [FLB 22.2] Eternal life is the receiving of the living elements in the Scriptures, the doing of the will of God. This is what is meant by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God. It is the privilege of all to partake of the bread of heaven by studying the Word, and thus gain spiritual sinew and muscle. {FLB 22.2} [FLB 22.3] Each one must appropriate the blessing to his own soul, or he will not be fed. . . . You know you would not be nourished by seeing a well-spread table, and by others eating. We would starve if we did not partake of physical nourishment, and we shall lose our spiritual strength and vitality if we do not feed on spiritual bread. . . . {FLB 22.3} [FLB 22.4] The table has been spread, and Christ invites you to the feast. Shall we stand back, refusing bounties, and declaring, "He does not mean this for me?" We used to sing a hymn that described a feast where a happy household gathered to partake of the bounties of the board at a kind father's invitation. While the happy children gathered at the table, there stood a hungry beggar child at the threshold. She was invited to come in; but sadly she turned away, exclaiming, "I have no father there." Will you take this position as Jesus invites you in? Oh! if you have a Father in the courts above, I entreat you to reveal the fact. He wants to make you a partaker of His rich bounties and blessings. All who come with the confiding love of a little child will find a Father there. {FLB 22.4} [FLB 22.5] Come to the water of life, and drink. Do not stay away and complain of thirst. The water of life is free to all. {FLB 22.5} [FLB 22.6] Those who eat and digest this Word, making it a part of every action and of every attribute of character, grow strong in the strength of God. It gives immortal vigor to the soul, perfecting the experience, and bringing joys that will abide forever. 23 {FLB 22.6} [FLB 23.1] Linked to the Divine Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:4. {FLB 23.1} [FLB 23.2] The Saviour took upon Himself the infirmities of humanity, and lived a sinless life, that men might have no fear that because of the weakness of human nature they could not overcome. {FLB 23.2} [FLB 23.3] "The prince of this world cometh," said Jesus, "and hath nothing in me." John 14:30. There was in Him nothing that responded to Satan's sophistry. He did not consent to sin. Not even by a thought did He yield to temptation. So it may be with us. Christ's humanity was united with divinity; He was fitted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to make us partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over us. {FLB 23.3} [FLB 23.4] We need not retain one sinful propensity. . . . As we partake of the divine nature, hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong are cut away from the character, and we are made a living power for good. Ever learning of the divine Teacher, daily partaking of His nature, we cooperate with God in overcoming Satan's temptations. {FLB 23.4} [FLB 23.5] How this is accomplished, Christ has shown us. By what means did He overcome in the conflict with Satan? By the Word of God. Only by the Word could He resist temptation. "It is written," He said. And unto us are given "exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature. . . ." Every promise in God's Word is ours. . . . When assailed by temptation, look not to circumstances or to the weakness of self, but to the power of the Word. All its strength is yours. {FLB 23.5} [FLB 23.6] Grasp His promises as leaves from the tree of life: "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37. As you come to Him, believe that He accepts you, because He has promised. You can never perish while you do this--never. 24 {FLB 23.6} [FLB 24.1] Origin by Creation Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Hebrews 11:3. {FLB 24.1} [FLB 24.2] It is the Word of God alone that gives to us an authentic account of the creation of our world. {FLB 24.2} [FLB 24.3] The theory that God did not create matter when He brought the world into existence is without foundation. In the formation of our world, God was not indebted to pre-existing matter. On the contrary, all things, material or spiritual, stood up before the Lord Jehovah at His voice and were created for His own purpose. The heavens and all the host of them, the earth and all things therein, are not only the work of His hand; they came into existence by the breath of His mouth. {FLB 24.3} [FLB 24.4] While there is an individuality and variety in nature, there is a oneness in their diversity; for all things receive their usefulness and beauty from the same source. The great Master Artist writes His name on all His created works, from the loftiest cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop upon the wall. They all declare His handiwork, from the lofty mountain and the grand ocean to the tiniest shell upon the seashore. {FLB 24.4} [FLB 24.5] He made the night, marshaling the shining stars in the firmament. He calls them all by name. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork, showing man that this little world is but a jot in God's creation. {FLB 24.5} [FLB 24.6] The deepest students of science are constrained to recognize in nature the working of infinite power. But to man's unaided reason, nature's teaching cannot but be contradictory and disappointing. Only in the light of revelation can it be read aright. "Through faith we understand." {FLB 24.6} [FLB 24.7] "In the beginning God." Genesis 1:1. Here alone can the mind in its eager questioning, fleeing as the dove to the ark, find rest. Above, beneath, beyond, abides Infinite Love, working out all things to accomplish "the good pleasure of his goodness." 2 Thessalonians 1:11. 25 {FLB 24.7} [FLB 25.1] Nature Speaks of God Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Luke 12:27. {FLB 25.1} [FLB 25.2] In their original perfection all created things were an expression of the thought of God. To Adam and Eve in their Eden home nature was full of the knowledge of God, teeming with divine instruction. Wisdom spoke to the eye and was received into the heart; for they communed with God in His created works. . . . The earth is now marred and defiled by sin. Yet even in its blighted state much that is beautiful remains. {FLB 25.2} [FLB 25.3] Why did not our heavenly Father carpet the earth with brown or gray? He chose the color that was most restful, the most acceptable to the senses. How it cheers the heart and refreshes the weary spirit to look upon the earth, clad in its garments of living green!. . . Every spire of grass, every opening bud and blooming flower, is a token of God's love, and should teach us a lesson of faith and trust in Him. {FLB 25.3} [FLB 25.4] The beauties of nature have a tongue that speaks to us without ceasing. The open heart can be impressed with the love and glory of God, as seen in the works of His hand. The listening ear can hear and understand the communications of God through the things of nature. There is a lesson in the sunbeam, and in the various objects of nature that God has presented to our view. The green fields, the lofty trees, the buds and flowers, the passing cloud, the falling rain, the babbling brook, the sun, moon, and stars in the heavens--all invite our attention and meditation. {FLB 25.4} [FLB 25.5] You who are sighing for the artificial splendor which wealth alone can purchase, for costly paintings, furniture, and dress, listen to the voice of the divine Teacher. He points you to the flower of the field, the simple design of which cannot be equaled by human skill. {FLB 25.5} [FLB 25.6] He is a lover of the beautiful, and above all that is outwardly attractive He loves beauty of character; He would have us cultivate purity and simplicity, the quiet graces of the flowers. 26 {FLB 25.6} [FLB 26.1] The Heavens Are Telling Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. Isaiah 40:26. {FLB 26.1} [FLB 26.2] God's great book of nature is open for us to study, and from it we are to gain more exalted ideas of His greatness and unexcelled love and glory. He . . . would have His children appreciate His works, and delight in the simple, quiet beauty with which He has adorned their earthly home. {FLB 26.2} [FLB 26.3] God calls upon His creatures to turn their attention from the confusion and perplexity around them, and admire His handiwork. The heavenly bodies are worthy of contemplation. God has made them for the benefit of man, and as we study His works, angels of God will be by our side to enlighten our minds, and guard them from satanic deception. {FLB 26.3} [FLB 26.4] Go out, dear young man, at night, and behold the glories of the firmament. Look up to the gems of light which like precious gold stud the heavens. There is a wealth of glory there, but millions of minds are so obtuse they cannot appreciate this treasure. It is a little bit of heaven hung out before our senses to testify of the surpassing glories within. {FLB 26.4} [FLB 26.5] We are not merely to gaze upon the heavens; we are to consider the works of God. He would have us study the works of infinity, and from this study, learn to love and reverence and obey Him. {FLB 26.5} [FLB 26.6] Every shining star which God has placed in the heavens obeys His mandate, and gives its distinctive measure of light to make beautiful the heavens at night; so let every converted soul show the measure of light committed to him; and as it shines forth the light will increase and grow brighter. Give out your light, . . . pour forth your beams mirrored from heaven. O daughter of Zion, "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." Isaiah 60:1. 27 {FLB 26.6} [FLB 27.1] Creation Not Evolution By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. Psalm 33:6. {FLB 27.1} [FLB 27.2] Since the book of nature and the book of revelation bear the impress of the same master mind, they cannot but speak in harmony. . . . {FLB 27.2} [FLB 27.3] Inferences erroneously drawn from facts observed in nature have, however, led to supposed conflict between science and revelation. . . . Millions of years, it is claimed, were required for the evolution of the earth from chaos; and in order to accommodate the Bible to this supposed revelation of science, the days of creation are assumed to have been vast, indefinite periods. . . . Such a conclusion is wholly uncalled for. {FLB 27.3} [FLB 27.4] Of each successive day of creation, the Sacred Record declares that it consisted of the evening and the morning, like all other days that have followed. {FLB 27.4} [FLB 27.5] In regard to the work of creation itself the divine testimony is, "He spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast." Psalm 33:9. With Him who could thus call into existence unnumbered worlds, how long a time would be required for the evolution of the earth from chaos? ... {FLB 27.5} [FLB 27.6] It is true that remains found in the earth testify to the existence of men, animals, and plants much larger than any now known. . . . But concerning these things Bible history furnishes ample explanation. Before the Flood, the development of vegetable and animal life was immeasurably superior to that which has since been known. At the Flood the surface of the earth was broken up, marked changes took place, and in the re-formation of the earth's crust were preserved many evidences of the life previously existing. . . . These things. . . are so many witnesses mutely testifying to the truth of the Word of God. {FLB 27.6} [FLB 27.7] Just how God accomplished the work of creation He has never revealed to men; human science cannot search out the secrets of the Most High. His creative power is as incomprehensible as His existence. 28 {FLB 27.7} [FLB 28.1] All Nature Upheld by God And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Colossians 1:17. {FLB 28.1} [FLB 28.2] As regards this earth, Scripture declares the work of creation to have been completed. "The works were finished from the foundation of the world." Hebrews 4:3. But the power of God is still exercised in upholding the objects of His creation. . . . Every breath, every pulsation of the heart, is an evidence of the care of Him in whom we live and move and have our being. {FLB 28.2} [FLB 28.3] Not by its own inherent energy does the earth produce its bounties, and year by year continue its motion around the sun. An unseen hand guides the planets in their circuit of the heavens. {FLB 28.3} [FLB 28.4] The God of heaven is constantly at work. It is by His power that vegetation is caused to flourish, that every leaf appears and every flower blooms. Every drop of rain or flake of snow, every spire of grass, every leaf and flower and shrub, testifies of God. These little things so common around us teach the lesson that nothing is beneath the notice of the infinite God, nothing is too small for His attention. {FLB 28.4} [FLB 28.5] Many teach that matter possesses vital power, . . . and that the operations of nature are conducted in harmony with fixed laws, with which God Himself cannot interfere. This is false science, and is not sustained by the Word of God. Nature is the servant of her Creator. God does not annul His laws, or work contrary to them; but He is continually using them as His instruments. {FLB 28.5} [FLB 28.6] God's handiwork in nature is not God Himself in nature. . . . While nature is an expression of God's thought, it is not nature but the God of nature that is to be exalted. {FLB 28.6} [FLB 28.7] There is in nature the continual working of the Father and the Son. Christ says, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." John 5:17. {FLB 28.7} [FLB 28.8] The hand that sustains the worlds in space, the hand that holds in their orderly arrangement and tireless activity all things throughout the universe of God, is the hand that was nailed to the cross for us. 29 {FLB 28.8} [FLB 29.1] The Crowning Act of Creation So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him. Genesis 1:27. {FLB 29.1} [FLB 29.2] Here is clearly set forth the origin of the human race; and the divine record is so plainly stated that there is no occasion for erroneous conclusions. {FLB 29.2} [FLB 29.3] After the earth, with its teeming animal and vegetable life, had been called into existence, man, the crowning work of the Creator, and the one for whom the beautiful earth had been fitted up, was brought upon the stage of action. . . . {FLB 29.3} [FLB 29.4] As man came forth from the hand of his Creator, he was of lofty stature and perfect symmetry. His countenance bore the ruddy tint of health, and glowed with the light of life and joy. Adam's height was much greater than that of men who now inhabit the earth. Eve was somewhat less in stature; yet her form was noble, and full of beauty. {FLB 29.4} [FLB 29.5] There is no ground for the supposition that man was evolved, by slow degrees of development, from the lower forms of animal or vegetable life. . . . He who set the starry worlds on high, and tinted with delicate skill the flowers of the field, who filled the earth and the heavens with the wonders of His power, when He came to crown His glorious work, to place one in the midst to stand as ruler of the fair earth, did not fail to create a being worthy of the hand that gave him life. The genealogy of our race, as given by inspiration, traces back its origin, not to a line of developing germs, mollusks, and quadrupeds, but to the great Creator. Though formed from the dust, Adam was "the son of God." {FLB 29.5} [FLB 29.6] Next to the angelic beings, the human family, formed in "the image of God," are the noblest of His created works. {FLB 29.6} [FLB 29.7] When Adam came from the Creator's hand, he bore, in his physical, mental, and spiritual nature, a likeness to his Maker. . . . It was His purpose that the longer man lived the more fully he should reveal this image--the more fully reflect the glory of the Creator. 30 {FLB 29.7} [FLB 30.1] What Is Your Life? The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Luke 12:23. {FLB 30.1} [FLB 30.2] Our life was given us of God, and is dependent upon Him, as the leaf is dependent upon the bough for sustenance. {FLB 30.2} [FLB 30.3] Life is a manifestation of God's love. It is a talent which God has committed to our care, and it is a very costly talent, as viewed in the light of the sacrifice of God's Son. It is an expression of the ownership of God. We are His by creation, and doubly His by redemption. We derive our life from Him. He is the Creator and the Source of all life. He is the Author of the higher life which He desires the beings formed in His image to have. {FLB 30.3} [FLB 30.4] Every one should consider the solemn question, What is my life toward God and my fellow men? No man liveth unto himself. No life is simply neutral in its results. . . . {FLB 30.4} [FLB 30.5] Every soul is under obligation to live a Christian life. Our individuality, our talents, our time, our influence, our abilities, all given to us of God, are to be rendered back to Him in willing service. The aim and object of life is not to secure temporal advantages, but to make sure of the eternal advantages. God claims your soul, your body, your capabilities; for He has bought them by His own precious blood, and they all belong to Him. It is robbery to withhold yourself from God. . . . The question of importance to us is, Is our life interwoven with that of Jesus? {FLB 30.5} [FLB 30.6] What is Christian life? It is a life rescued, a life taken out of a world of sin, and attached to the life of Christ. {FLB 30.6} [FLB 30.7] If our life is hid with Christ in God, we shall, when Christ shall appear, also appear with Him in glory. And while in this world we will give to God, in sanctified service, all the capabilities He has given us. {FLB 30.7} [FLB 30.8] What is your life? You must meet and answer that question sometime. 31 {FLB 30.8} [FLB 31.1] Instituted at Creation And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Genesis 2:2, 3. {FLB 31.1} [FLB 31.2] The great Jehovah had laid the foundations of the earth; He had dressed the whole world in the garb of beauty, and had filled it with things useful to man; He had created all the wonders of the land and of the sea. In six days the great work of creation had been accomplished. And God "rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. . . ." God looked with satisfaction upon the work of His hands. All was perfect, worthy of its divine Author, and He rested, not as one weary, but as well pleased with the fruits of His wisdom and goodness and the manifestations of His glory. {FLB 31.2} [FLB 31.3] After resting upon the seventh day, God sanctified it, or set it apart, as a day of rest for man. Following the example of the Creator, man was to rest upon this sacred day, that as he should look upon the heavens and the earth, he might reflect upon God's great work of creation; and that as he should behold the evidences of God's wisdom and goodness, his heart might be filled with love and reverence for his Maker. . . . {FLB 31.3} [FLB 31.4] God saw that a Sabbath was essential for man, even in Paradise. He needed to lay aside his own interests and pursuits for one day of the seven, that he might more fully contemplate the works of God, and meditate upon His power and goodness. He needed a Sabbath, to remind him more vividly of God, and to awaken gratitude because all that he enjoyed and possessed came from the beneficent hand of the Creator. {FLB 31.4} [FLB 31.5] When the foundations of the earth were laid, . . . then was laid the foundation of the Sabbath. Well may this institution demand our reverence: it was ordained by no human authority, and rests upon no human traditions; it was established by the Ancient of days, and commanded by His eternal word. 32 {FLB 31.5} [FLB 32.1] A Holy Memorial He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion. Psalm 111:4. {FLB 32.1} [FLB 32.2] In Eden, God set up the memorial of His work of creation, in placing His blessing upon the seventh day. The Sabbath was committed to Adam, the father and representative of the whole human family. Its observance was to be an act of grateful acknowledgment, on the part of all who should dwell upon the earth, that God was their creator and their rightful sovereign; that they were the work of His hands, and the subjects of His authority. Thus the institution was wholly commemorative, and given to all mankind. There was nothing in it shadowy, or of restricted application to any people. {FLB 32.2} [FLB 32.3] All things were created by the Son of God. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. . . . All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." John 1:1-3. And since the Sabbath is a memorial of the work of creation, it is a token of the love and power of Christ. {FLB 32.3} [FLB 32.4] The Sabbath calls our thoughts to nature, and brings us into communion with the Creator. In the song of the bird, the sighing of the trees, and the music of the sea, we still may hear His voice who talked with Adam in Eden in the cool of the day. And as we behold His power in nature we find comfort, for the word that created all things is that which speaks life to the soul. {FLB 32.4} [FLB 32.5] God . . . has given man six days in which to labor. But He sanctified the day of His rest, and gave it to man to be kept, free from all secular labor. By thus setting apart the Sabbath, God gave the world a memorial. He did not set apart one day and any day in seven, but one particular day, the seventh day. And by observing the Sabbath, we show that we recognize God as the living God, the Creator of the heaven and the earth. {FLB 32.5} [FLB 32.6] Had the Sabbath always been sacredly observed, there could never have been an atheist or an idolater. 33 {FLB 32.6} [FLB 33.1] A Special Sign Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them. Ezekiel 20:12. {FLB 33.1} [FLB 33.2] As the Sabbath was the sign that distinguished Israel when they came out of Egypt to enter the earthly Canaan, so it is the sign that now distinguishes God's people as they come out from the world to enter the heavenly rest. {FLB 33.2} [FLB 33.3] The observance of the Sabbath is the means ordained by God of preserving a knowledge of Himself and of distinguishing between His loyal subjects and the transgressors of His law. {FLB 33.3} [FLB 33.4] It ［the Sabbath］ belongs to Christ. . . . Since He made all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him it was set apart as a memorial of the work of creation. It points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier. It declares that He who created all things in heaven and in earth, and by whom all things hold together, is the head of the church, and that by His power we are reconciled to God. For, speaking of Israel, He said, "I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them"--make them holy. Then the Sabbath is a sign of Christ's power to make us holy. And it is given to all whom Christ makes holy. As a sign of His sanctifying power, the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part of the Israel of God. . . . {FLB 33.4} [FLB 33.5] To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ's creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. {FLB 33.5} [FLB 33.6] The Sabbath is a golden clasp that unites God and His people. 34 {FLB 33.6} [FLB 34.1] Preparing for the Holy Day Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Exodus 20:8. {FLB 34.1} [FLB 34.2] At the very beginning of the fourth commandment the Lord said, "Remember." He knew that amid the multitude of cares and perplexities man would be tempted to excuse himself from meeting the full requirement of the law, or would forget its sacred importance. Therefore He said: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." {FLB 34.2} [FLB 34.3] All through the week we are to have the Sabbath in mind and be making preparation to keep it according to the commandment. . . . {FLB 34.3} [FLB 34.4] When the Sabbath is thus remembered, the temporal will not be allowed to encroach upon the spiritual. No duty pertaining to the six working days will be left for the Sabbath. During the week our energies will not be so exhausted in temporal labor that on the day when the Lord rested and was refreshed we shall be too weary to engage in His service. . . . {FLB 34.4} [FLB 34.5] On Friday let the preparation for the Sabbath be completed. See that all the clothing is in readiness and that all the cooking is done. . . . The Sabbath is not to be given to the repairing of garments, to the cooking of food, to pleasure seeking, or to any other worldly employment. Before the setting of the sun let all secular work be laid aside and all secular papers be put out of sight. Parents, explain your work and its purpose to your children, and let them share in your preparation to keep the Sabbath according to the commandment. {FLB 34.5} [FLB 34.6] There is another work that should receive attention on the preparation day. On this day all differences between brethren, whether in the family or in the church, should be put away. Let all bitterness and wrath and malice be expelled from the soul. In a humble spirit, "confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another." {FLB 34.6} [FLB 34.7] Before the setting of the sun let the members of the family assemble to read God's Word, to sing and pray. {FLB 34.7} [FLB 34.8] We should jealously guard the edges of the Sabbath. Remember that every moment is consecrated, holy time. 35 {FLB 34.8} [FLB 35.1] Sanctified for Worship I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Psalm 122:1. {FLB 35.1} [FLB 35.2] God has given us the whole of six days in which to do our work, and has reserved only one to Himself. This should be a day of blessing to us--a day when we should lay aside all our secular matters and center our thoughts upon God and heaven. {FLB 35.2} [FLB 35.3] All heaven is keeping the Sabbath, but not in a listless, do-nothing way. On this day every energy of the soul should be awake, for are we not to meet with God and with Christ our Saviour? We may behold Him by faith. He is longing to refresh and bless every soul. {FLB 35.3} [FLB 35.4] On Sabbath morning the family should be astir early. If they rise late, there is confusion and bustle in preparing for breakfast and Sabbath school. There is hurrying, jostling, and impatience. Thus unholy feelings come into the home. The Sabbath, thus desecrated, becomes a weariness, and its coming is dreaded rather than loved. {FLB 35.4} [FLB 35.5] The Sabbath is God's time. He sanctified and hallowed the seventh day. He set it apart for man to keep as a day of worship. {FLB 35.5} [FLB 35.6] We need to cherish and cultivate a spirit of true worship, a spirit of devotion upon the Lord's holy, sanctified day. We should assemble together believing that we shall receive comfort and hope, light and peace from Jesus Christ. {FLB 35.6} [FLB 35.7] All heaven was represented to me as beholding and watching upon the Sabbath those who acknowledge the claims of the fourth commandment and are observing the Sabbath. Angels were marking their interest in, and high regard for, this divine institution. Those who sanctified the Lord God in their hearts by a strictly devotional frame of mind, and who sought to improve the sacred hours in keeping the Sabbath to the best of their ability, and to honor God by calling the Sabbath a delight --these the angels were specially blessing with light and health, and special strength was given them. 36 {FLB 35.7} [FLB 36.1] Happiest Day of the Week If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord. Isaiah 58:13, 14. {FLB 36.1} [FLB 36.2] God's love has set a limit to the demands of toil. Over the Sabbath He places His merciful hand. In His own day He preserves for the family opportunity for communion with Him, with nature, and with one another. {FLB 36.2} [FLB 36.3] The Sabbath and the family were alike instituted in Eden, and in God's purpose they are indissolubly linked together. On this day more than on any other, it is possible for us to live the life of Eden. It was God's plan for the members of the family to be associated in work and study, in worship and recreation. {FLB 36.3} [FLB 36.4] God's holy rest day was made for man, and acts of mercy are in perfect harmony with its intent. {FLB 36.4} [FLB 36.5] To relieve the afflicted, to comfort the sorrowing, is a labor of love that does honor to God's holy day. {FLB 36.5} [FLB 36.6] Since the Sabbath is the memorial of creative power, it is the day above all others when we should acquaint ourselves with God through His works. {FLB 36.6} [FLB 36.7] During a portion of the day, all should have an opportunity to be out of doors. How can children receive a more correct knowledge of God . . . than in spending a portion of their time out of doors, not in play, but in company with their parents? Let their young minds be associated with God in the beautiful scenery of nature. . . . As they view the beautiful things which He has created for the happiness of man, they will be led to regard Him as a tender, loving Father. . . . As the character of God puts on the aspect of love, benevolence, beauty, and attraction, they are drawn to love Him. {FLB 36.7} [FLB 36.8] The Sabbath--oh!--make it the sweetest, the most blessed day of the whole week. 37 {FLB 36.8} [FLB 37.1] To Be Kept in Eternity And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. Isaiah 66:23. {FLB 37.1} [FLB 37.2] How beautiful the earth was when it came from the Creator's hand! God presented before the universe a world in which even His all-seeing eye could find no spot or stain. Each part of the creation occupied the part assigned to it, and answered the purpose for which it was created. Peace and holy joy filled the earth. There was no confusion, no clashing. There was no disease to afflict man or beast, and the vegetable kingdom was without taint or corruption. God looked upon the work of His hands, wrought out by Christ, and pronounced it "very good." {FLB 37.2} [FLB 37.3] The Sabbath was hallowed at the creation. As ordained for man, it had its origin when "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Job 38:7. . . . {FLB 37.3} [FLB 37.4] The Sabbath was not for Israel merely, but for the world. It had been made known to man in Eden, and, like the other precepts of the Decalogue, it is of imperishable obligation. Of that law of which the fourth commandment forms a part, Christ declares, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law." Matthew 5:18. So long as the heavens and the earth endure, the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator's power. And when Eden shall bloom on earth again, God's holy rest day will be honored by all beneath the sun. "From one sabbath to another" the inhabitants of the glorified new earth shall . . . "worship before me, saith the Lord." {FLB 37.4} [FLB 37.5] God teaches that we should assemble in His house to cultivate the attributes of perfect love. This will fit the dwellers of earth for the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for all who love Him. There they will assemble in the sanctuary from Sabbath to Sabbath, from one new moon to another, to unite in loftiest strains of song, in praise and thanksgiving to Him who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever. {FLB 37.5} [FLB 38.1] Chap. 2 - The Three Dignitaries of Heaven Our Loving Heavenly Father To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 1 Corinthians 8:6. {FLB 38.1} [FLB 38.2] God is our tender, pitiful Father, and every believing child is the object of His special care. {FLB 38.2} [FLB 38.3] He ［Jesus］ pointed . . . to the Ruler of the universe, under the new name, "Our Father." {FLB 38.3} [FLB 38.4] This name, spoken to Him and of Him, is a sign of our love and trust toward Him, and a pledge of His regard and relationship to us. Spoken when asking His favor or blessing, it is as music in His ears. . . . {FLB 38.4} [FLB 38.5] He invites us to trust in Him with a trust deeper and stronger than that of a child in his earthly father. Parents love their children, but the love of God is larger, broader, deeper, than human love can possibly be. It is immeasurable. {FLB 38.5} [FLB 38.6] Such a conception of God was never given to the world by any religion but that of the Bible. Heathenism teaches men to look upon the Supreme Being as an object of fear rather than of love--a malign deity to be appeased by sacrifices, rather than a Father pouring upon His children the gift of His love. . . . {FLB 38.6} [FLB 38.7] It is not earthly rank, nor birth, nor nationality, nor religious privilege, which proves that we are members of the family of God; it is love, a love that embraces all humanity. . . . To be kind to the unthankful and to the evil, to do good hoping for nothing again, is the insignia of the royalty of heaven, the sure token by which the children of the Highest reveal their high estate. 39 {FLB 38.7} [FLB 39.1] His Majesty and Greatness Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. 1 Chronicles 29:11. {FLB 39.1} [FLB 39.2] God is our Father, who loves and cares for us as His children; He is also the great King of the universe. {FLB 39.2} [FLB 39.3] God cannot be compared with the things His hands have made. These are mere earthly things, suffering under the curse of God because of the sins of man. The Father cannot be described by the things of earth. The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight. {FLB 39.3} [FLB 39.4] We must not attempt to lift with presumptuous hand the curtain behind which He veils His majesty. The apostle exclaims: "How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" Romans 11:33. It is a proof of His mercy that there is the hiding of His power, that He is enshrouded in the awful clouds of mystery and obscurity; for to lift the curtain that conceals the divine presence is death. No mortal mind can penetrate the secrecy in which the Mighty One dwells and works. We can comprehend no more of His dealings with us and the motives that actuate Him than He sees fit to reveal. He orders everything in righteousness, and we are not to be dissatisfied and distrustful, but to bow in reverent submission. He will reveal to us as much of His purposes as it is for our good to know; and beyond that we must trust the hand that is omnipotent, the heart that is full of love. {FLB 39.4} [FLB 39.5] Jehovah is the fountain of all wisdom, of all truth, of all knowledge . . . . Man can now only linger upon the borders of that vast expanse, and let imagination take its flight. Finite man cannot fathom the deep things of God. {FLB 39.5} [FLB 39.6] True reverence for God is inspired by a sense of His infinite greatness and a realization of His presence. With this sense of the Unseen, every heart should be deeply impressed. 40 {FLB 39.6} [FLB 40.1] A Personal God God . . . hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son. . . ; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 1:1-3. {FLB 40.1} [FLB 40.2] God is a Spirit; yet He is a personal being; for so He has revealed Himself. {FLB 40.2} [FLB 40.3] As a personal being, God has revealed Himself in His Son. The outshining of the Father's glory, "and the express image of his person," Jesus, as a personal Saviour, came to the world. As a personal Saviour He ascended on high. As a personal Saviour He intercedes in the heavenly courts. {FLB 40.3} [FLB 40.4] I saw a throne, and on it sat the Father and the Son. I gazed on Jesus' countenance and admired His lovely person. The Father's person I could not behold, for a cloud of glorious light covered Him. I asked Jesus if His Father had a form like Himself. He said He had, but I could not behold it, for said He, "If you should once behold the glory of His person, you would cease to exist." {FLB 40.4} [FLB 40.5] The theory that God is an essence pervading all nature is received by many who profess to believe the Scriptures; but, however beautifully clothed, this theory is a most dangerous deception. . . . If God is an essence pervading all nature, then He dwells in all men; and in order to attain holiness, man has only to develop the power within him. These theories ［pantheism, etc.］, followed to their logical conclusion, . . . do away with the necessity for the atonement and make man his own savior. . . . Those who accept them are in great danger of being led finally to look upon the whole Bible as a fiction. . . . {FLB 40.5} [FLB 40.6] The revelation of Himself that God has given in His Word is for our study. This we may seek to understand. But beyond this we are not to penetrate. . . . None are to indulge in speculation regarding His nature. Here silence is eloquence. The Omniscient One is above discussion. 41 {FLB 40.6} [FLB 41.1] Holy and Reverend Is His Name He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. Psalm 111:9. {FLB 41.1} [FLB 41.2] We are never in any manner to treat lightly the titles or appellations of the Deity. . . . The angels veil their faces in His presence. The cherubim and the bright and holy seraphim approach His throne with solemn reverence. How much more should we finite, sinful beings, come in a reverent manner before the Lord, our Maker! {FLB 41.2} [FLB 41.3] I saw that God's holy name should be used with reverence and awe. {FLB 41.3} [FLB 41.4] Some think it a mark of humility to pray to God in a common manner. . . . They profane His name by needlessly and irreverently mingling with their prayers the words, "God Almighty"--awful, sacred words, which should never pass the lips except in subdued tones and with a feeling of awe. {FLB 41.4} [FLB 41.5] Those who realize the greatness and majesty of God, will take His name on their lips with holy awe. He dwelleth in light unapproachable; no man can see Him and live. {FLB 41.5} [FLB 41.6] If Christ were on earth today, surrounded by those who bear the title of "Reverend" or "Right Reverend," would He not repeat His saying, "Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ"? Matthew 23:10. The Scripture declares of God, "Holy and reverend is his name." To what human being is such a title befitting? How little does man reveal of the wisdom and righteousness it indicates! How many of those who assume this title are misrepresenting the name and character of God! Alas, how often have worldly ambition, despotism, and the basest sins been hidden under the broidered garments of a high and holy office! {FLB 41.6} [FLB 41.7] "The name of the Lord" is "merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, . . . forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." Exodus 34:5-7. Of the church of Christ it is written "This is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness." Jeremiah 33:16. This name is put upon every follower of Christ. 42 {FLB 41.7} [FLB 42.1] Faithful and True For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Malachi 3:6. {FLB 42.1} [FLB 42.2] In regard to the personality and prerogatives of God, where He is, and what He is, this is a subject which we are not to dare to touch. . . . The one who in the daily life holds closest communion with God, and who has the deepest knowledge of Him, realizes most keenly the utter inability of human beings to explain the Creator. . . . {FLB 42.2} [FLB 42.3] God always has been. He is the great I AM. The psalmist declares, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." Psalm 90:2. He is the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity. "I am the Lord, I change not," He declares. With Him there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. He is "the same yesterday, and to day and for ever." Hebrews 13:8. He is infinite and omnipresent. No words of ours can describe His greatness and majesty. {FLB 42.3} [FLB 42.4] Above the distractions of the earth He sits enthroned; all things are open to His divine survey; and from His great and calm eternity He orders that which His providence sees best. {FLB 42.4} [FLB 42.5] God does not propose to be called to account for His ways and works. It is for His glory to conceal His purposes now; but by and by they will be revealed in their true importance. But He has not concealed His great love, which lies at the foundation of all His dealings with His children. {FLB 42.5} [FLB 42.6] The rainbow about the throne is an assurance that God is true. . . . We have sinned against Him and are undeserving of His favor; yet He Himself has put into our lips that most wonderful of pleas: "Do not abhor us, for thy name's sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us." Jeremiah 14:21. He has pledged Himself to give heed to our cry when we come to Him confessing our unworthiness and sin. The honor of His throne is staked for the fulfillment of His Word to us. 43 {FLB 42.6} [FLB 43.1] His Wonderful Love Expressed Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 1 John 3:1. {FLB 43.1} [FLB 43.2] Love is the principle that underlies God's government in heaven and on earth, and this love must be interwoven in the life of the Christian. . . . The heart that is influenced by this holy principle will be carried above everything of a selfish nature. {FLB 43.2} [FLB 43.3] When we seek for appropriate language in which to describe the love of God, we find words too tame, too weak, too far beneath the theme, and we lay down our pen and say, "No, it cannot be described." We can only do as did the beloved disciple, and say, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." 1 John 3:1. In attempting any description of this love, we feel that we are as infants lisping their first words. Silently we may adore; for silence in this matter is the only eloquence. This love is past all language to describe. {FLB 43.3} [FLB 43.4] All the paternal love which has come down from generation to generation through the channel of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness which have opened in the souls of men, are but as a tiny rill to the boundless ocean when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God. Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it. You may meditate upon it every day of your life; you may search the Scriptures diligently in order to understand it; you may summon every power and capability that God has given you, in the endeavor to comprehend the love and compassion of the heavenly Father; and yet there is an infinity beyond. You may study that love for ages; yet you can never fully comprehend the length and the breadth, the depth and the height, of the love of God in giving His Son to die for the world. Eternity itself can never fully reveal it. Yet as we study the Bible and meditate upon the life of Christ and the plan of redemption, these great themes will open to our understanding more and more. 44 {FLB 43.4} [FLB 44.1] Perfect in All His Ways Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48. {FLB 44.1} [FLB 44.2] God's work is perfect as a whole because it is prefect in every part, however minute. He fashions the tiny spear of grass with as much care as He would exercise in making a world. If we desire to be perfect, even as our Father in heaven is perfect, we must be faithful in doing little things. That which is worth doing at all is worth doing well. {FLB 44.2} [FLB 44.3] God's ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought can reach. . . . The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning. {FLB 44.3} [FLB 44.4] The tempter's agency is not to be accounted an excuse for one wrong act. Satan is jubilant when he hears the professed followers of Christ making excuses for their deformity of character. It is these excuses that lead to sin. There is no excuse for sinning. A holy temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child of God. {FLB 44.4} [FLB 44.5] The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. As the Son of man was perfect in His life, so His followers are to be perfect in their life. . . . He bids us by faith in Him attain to the glory of the character of God. {FLB 44.5} [FLB 44.6] A well-balanced character is formed by single acts well performed. One defect, cultivated instead of being overcome, makes the man imperfect, and closes against him the gate of the Holy City. . . . In all the redeemed host not one defect will be seen. . . . {FLB 44.6} [FLB 44.7] Whatever your work may be, do it faithfully. . . . As you work in this way, God will place His approval on you, and Christ will one day say to you. "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Matthew 25:21. 45 {FLB 44.7} [FLB 45.1] God's Gift to the Human Race For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16. {FLB 45.1} [FLB 45.2] The heart of God yearns over His earthly children with a love stronger than death. In giving up His Son, He has poured out to us all heaven in one gift. {FLB 45.2} [FLB 45.3] Through that gift there comes to us day by day the unfailing flow of Jehovah's goodness. Every flower, with its delicate tints and sweet fragrance, is given for our enjoyment through that one Gift. The sun and moon were made by Him; there is not a star that beautifies the heavens which He did not make. There is not an article of food upon our tables that He has not provided for our sustenance. The superscription of Christ is upon it all. Everything is supplied to man through the one unspeakable Gift, the only-begotten Son of God. He was nailed to the cross that all these bounties might flow to God's workmanship. {FLB 45.3} [FLB 45.4] In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." He gave Him not only to bear our sins, and to die as our sacrifice; He gave Him to the fallen race. To assure us of His immutable counsel of peace, God gave His only-begotten Son to become one of the human family, forever to retain His human nature. This is the pledge that God will fulfill His word. "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder." Isaiah 9:6. God has adopted human nature in the person of His Son, and has carried the same into the highest heaven. . . . Heaven is enshrined in humanity, and humanity is enfolded in the bosom of Infinite Love. {FLB 45.4} [FLB 45.5] Christ bowed down in unparalleled humility, that in His exaltation to the throne of God, He might also exalt those who believe in Him, to a seat with Him upon His throne. 46 {FLB 45.5} [FLB 46.1] His Eternal Pre-existence And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. John 17:5. {FLB 46.1} [FLB 46.2] Christ was one with the Father before the foundation of the world was laid. This is the light shining in a dark place, making it resplendent with divine, original glory. {FLB 46.2} [FLB 46.3] Christ is the pre-existent, self-existent Son of God. . . . In speaking of His pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God. . . . {FLB 46.3} [FLB 46.4] His divine life could not be reckoned by human computation. The existence of Christ before His incarnation is not measured by figures. {FLB 46.4} [FLB 46.5] Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity, God over all, blessed forevermore. The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father. He was the surpassing glory of heaven. He was the commander of the heavenly intelligences, and the adoring homage of the angels was received by Him as His right. {FLB 46.5} [FLB 46.6] He was equal with God, infinite and omnipotent. {FLB 46.6} [FLB 46.7] But He humbled Himself, and took mortality upon Him. As a member of the human family, He was mortal; but as a God, He was the fountain of life to the world. He could, in His divine person, ever have withstood the advances of death, and refused to come under its dominion; but He voluntarily laid down His life, that in so doing He might give life and bring immortality to light. He bore the sins of the world, and endured the penalty, which rolled like a mountain upon His divine soul. He yielded up His life a sacrifice, that man should not eternally die. He died, not through being compelled to die, but by His own free will. {FLB 46.7} [FLB 46.8] And this wonderful mystery, the incarnation of Christ and the atonement that He made, must be declared to every son and daughter of Adam. 47 {FLB 46.8} [FLB 47.1] The Great "I AM" And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Exodus 3:14. {FLB 47.1} [FLB 47.2] In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived. "He that hath the Son hath life." 1 John 5:12. The divinity of Christ is the believer's assurance of eternal life. {FLB 47.2} [FLB 47.3] All the communion between heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ. It was the Son of God that gave to our first parents the promise of redemption. It was He who revealed Himself to the patriarchs. Adam . . . understood the gospel. . . . {FLB 47.3} [FLB 47.4] Jesus was the light of His people--the light of the world--before He came to earth in the form of humanity. The first gleam of light that pierced the gloom in which sin had wrapped the world, came from Christ. And from Him has come every ray of heaven's brightness that has fallen upon the inhabitants of the earth. In the plan of redemption, Christ is the Alpha and the Omega--the First and the Last. {FLB 47.4} [FLB 47.5] It was Christ who from the bush on Mount Horeb spoke to Moses saying, "I AM THAT I AM: ... Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." This was the pledge of Israel's deliverance. So when He came "in the likeness of men," He declared Himself the I AM. The Child of Bethlehem, the meek and lowly Saviour, is God "manifest in the flesh." 1 Timothy 3:16. {FLB 47.5} [FLB 47.6] This unconscious babe was the promised seed, to whom the first altar at the gate of Eden pointed. This was Shiloh, the peace giver. ... This was He whom seers had long foretold. He was the Desire of all nations, the Root and the Offspring of David, and the Bright and Morning Star. {FLB 47.6} [FLB 47.7] And to us He says: "I AM the good shepherd." "I AM the living bread." "I AM the way, the truth, and the life.". . . I AM the assurance of every promise. I AM; be not afraid. "God with us" is the surety of our deliverance from sin. 48 {FLB 47.7} [FLB 48.1] The Creator Incarnate And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 1 Timothy 3:16. {FLB 48.1} [FLB 48.2] The incarnation of Christ is the mystery of all mysteries. {FLB 48.2} [FLB 48.3] Christ was one with the Father, yet . . . He was willing to step down from the exaltation of one who was equal with God. {FLB 48.3} [FLB 48.4] That He might accomplish His purpose of love for the fallen race, He became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. {FLB 48.4} [FLB 48.5] How wide is the contrast between the divinity of Christ and the helpless infant in Bethlehem's manger! How can we span the distance between the mighty God and a helpless child? And yet the Creator of worlds, He in whom was the fullness of the Godhead bodily, was manifest in the helpless babe in the manger. Far higher than any of the angels, equal with the Father in dignity and glory, and yet wearing the garb of humanity! Divinity and humanity were mysteriously combined, and man and God became one. {FLB 48.5} [FLB 48.6] It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man's nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life. {FLB 48.6} [FLB 48.7] Those who claim that it was not possible for Christ to sin, cannot believe that He really took upon Himself human nature. But was not Christ actually tempted, not only by Satan in the wilderness, but all through His life, from childhood to manhood? {FLB 48.7} [FLB 48.8] Our Saviour took humanity, with all its liabilities. He took the nature of man, with the possibility of yielding to temptation. We have nothing to bear which He has not endured. 49 {FLB 48.8} [FLB 49.1] His Blameless Life Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. John 14:30. {FLB 49.1} [FLB 49.2] We should have no misgivings in regard to the perfect sinlessness of the human nature of Christ. {FLB 49.2} [FLB 49.3] He is a brother in our infirmities, but not in possessing like passions. As the sinless One, His nature recoiled from evil. He endured struggles and torture of soul in a world of sin. His humanity made prayer a necessity and privilege. {FLB 49.3} [FLB 49.4] He could have sinned; He could have fallen, but not for one moment was there in Him an evil propensity. {FLB 49.4} [FLB 49.5] In taking upon Himself man's nature in its fallen condition, Christ did not in the least participate in its sin. He was subject to the infirmities and weaknesses by which man is encompassed. . . . He was touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and was in all points tempted like as we are. And yet He "knew no sin." He was the lamb "without blemish and without spot." Could Satan in the least particular have tempted Christ to sin, he would have bruised the Saviour's head. As it was, he could only touch His heel. Had the head of Christ been touched, the hope of the human race would have perished. Divine wrath would have come upon Christ as it came upon Adam. Christ and the church would have been without hope. {FLB 49.5} [FLB 49.6] Not even by a thought could Christ be brought to yield to the power of temptation. . . . Christ declared of Himself, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." {FLB 49.6} [FLB 49.7] Jesus did not allow the enemy to pull Him into the mire of unbelief, or crowd Him into the mire of despondency and despair. {FLB 49.7} [FLB 49.8] Christ's humanity was united with divinity, and in this strength He would bear all the temptations that Satan could bring against Him, and yet keep His soul untainted by sin. And this power to overcome He would give to every son and daughter of Adam who would accept by faith the righteous attributes of His character. 50 {FLB 49.8} [FLB 50.1] He Died for Us But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8. {FLB 50.1} [FLB 50.2] There is one great central truth to be kept ever before the mind in the searching of the Scriptures--Christ and Him crucified. Every other truth is invested with influence and power corresponding to its relation to this theme. . . . The soul palsied by sin can be endowed with life only through the work wrought out upon the cross by the Author of our salvation. {FLB 50.2} [FLB 50.3] When Christ bowed His head and died, He bore the pillars of Satan's kingdom with Him to the earth. He vanquished Satan. {FLB 50.3} [FLB 50.4] Christ submitted to crucifixion, although the heavenly host could have delivered Him. The angels suffered with Christ. God Himself was crucified with Christ; for Christ was one with the Father. Those who reject Christ, those who will not have this man to rule over them, choose to place themselves under the rule of Satan, to do his work as his bondslaves. Yet for them Christ yielded up His life on Calvary. {FLB 50.4} [FLB 50.5] He who died for the sins of the world was to remain in the tomb the allotted time. He was in that stony prison house as a prisoner of divine justice. He was responsible to the Judge of the universe. He was bearing the sins of the world, and His Father only could release Him. {FLB 50.5} [FLB 50.6] He identified Himself with our interests, bared His breast for the stroke of death, took man's guilt and its penalty, and offered in man's behalf a complete sacrifice to God. By virtue of this atonement, He has power to offer to man perfect righteousness and full salvation. Whosoever shall believe on Him as a personal Saviour shall not perish, but have everlasting life. {FLB 50.6} [FLB 50.7] The price of man's redemption has been paid, and all he has and is should be sprinkled with the blood of Christ, dedicated to God; for it belongs to Him. 51 {FLB 50.7} [FLB 51.1] Jesus' Resurrection and the New Life The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10. {FLB 51.1} [FLB 51.2] The resurrection of Jesus was a type of the final resurrection of all who sleep in Him. {FLB 51.2} [FLB 51.3] He who had said, "I lay down my life, that I might take it again," came forth from the grave to life that was in Himself. Humanity died: divinity did not die. In His divinity, Christ possessed the power to break the bonds of death. He declares that He has life in Himself to quicken whom He will. . . . {FLB 51.3} [FLB 51.4] He is the spring, the fountain, of life. Only He who alone hath immortality, dwelling in light and life, could say, "I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again." ... {FLB 51.4} [FLB 51.5] Christ was invested with the right to give immortality. The life which He had laid down in humanity, He again took up and gave to humanity. "I am come," He says, "that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." {FLB 51.5} [FLB 51.6] Christ is life itself. He who passed through death to destroy him that had the power of death is the Source of all vitality. There is balm in Gilead, and a Physician there. Christ endured an agonizing death under the most humiliating circumstances that we might have life. He gave up His precious life that He might vanquish death. But He rose from the tomb, and the myriads of angels who came to behold Him take up the life He had laid down heard His words of triumphant joy as He stood above Joseph's rent sepulcher proclaiming: "I am the resurrection, and the life." {FLB 51.6} [FLB 51.7] The resurrection and ascension of our Lord is a sure evidence of the triumph of the saints of God over death and the grave, and a pledge that heaven is open to those who wash their robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. Jesus ascended to the Father as a representative of the human race, and God will bring those who reflect His image to behold and share with Him His glory. 52 {FLB 51.7} [FLB 52.1] Third Person of the Godhead The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14. {FLB 52.1} [FLB 52.2] We need to realize that the Holy Spirit . . . is as much a person as God is a person. . . . {FLB 52.2} [FLB 52.3] The Holy Spirit has a personality, else He could not bear witness to our spirits and with our spirits that we are the children of God. He must also be a divine person, else He could not search out the secrets which lie hidden in the mind of God. {FLB 52.3} [FLB 52.4] The Holy Spirit is a free, working, independent agency. The God of heaven uses His Spirit as it pleases Him; and human minds, human judgment, and human methods can no more set boundaries to its working, or prescribe the channel through which it shall operate, than they can say to the wind, "I bid you to blow in a certain direction, and to conduct yourself in such and such a manner." {FLB 52.4} [FLB 52.5] From the beginning God has been working by His Holy Spirit through human instrumentalities for the accomplishment of His purpose in behalf of the fallen race. . . . The same power that sustained the patriarchs, that gave Caleb and Joshua faith and courage, and that made the work of the apostolic church effective, has upheld God's faithful children in every succeeding age. {FLB 52.5} [FLB 52.6] The Holy Spirit was the highest of all gifts that He ［Jesus］ could solicit from His Father for the exaltation of His people. The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of men to this satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the third person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. {FLB 52.6} [FLB 52.7] The Holy Spirit is an effective helper in restoring the image of God in the human soul. 53 {FLB 52.7} [FLB 53.1] The Gift of God to You Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38. {FLB 53.1} [FLB 53.2] Christ has promised the gift of the Holy Spirit to His church, and the promise belongs to us as much as to the first disciples. {FLB 53.2} [FLB 53.3] We should pray as earnestly for the descent of the Holy Spirit as the disciples prayed on the day of Pentecost. If they needed it at that time, we need it more today. {FLB 53.3} [FLB 53.4] The measure of the Holy Spirit we receive will be proportioned to the measure of our desire and the faith exercised for it, and the use we shall make of the light and knowledge that shall be given to us. {FLB 53.4} [FLB 53.5] There are many who believe and profess to claim the Lord's promise; they talk about Christ and about the Holy Spirit, yet receive no benefit. They do not surrender the soul to be guided and controlled by the divine agencies. We cannot use the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is to use us. Through the Spirit God works in His people "to will and to do of his good pleasure." Philippians 2:13. But many will not submit to this. They want to manage themselves. This is why they do not receive the heavenly gift. Only to those who wait humbly upon God, who watch for His guidance and grace, is the Spirit given. The power of God awaits their demand and reception. This promised blessing, claimed by faith, brings all other blessings in its train. It is given according to the riches of the grace of Christ, and He is ready to supply every soul according to the capacity to receive. {FLB 53.5} [FLB 53.6] When the Holy Spirit is abiding in the heart, it will lead the human agent to see his own defects of character, to pity the weakness of others, to forgive as he wishes to be forgiven. He will be pitiful, courteous, Christlike. {FLB 53.6} [FLB 53.7] The Holy Spirit imparts love, joy, peace, strength, and consolation; it is as a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. The blessing is free to all. 54 {FLB 53.7} [FLB 54.1] A Mysterious and Tender Presence The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. John 3:8. {FLB 54.1} [FLB 54.2] The greatness of God is to us incomprehensible. "The Lord's throne is in heaven" (Psalm 11:4); yet by His Spirit He is everywhere present. He has an intimate knowledge of, and a personal interest in, all the works of His hand. . . . {FLB 54.2} [FLB 54.3] It was the Maker of all things . . . who created the human soul, with its capacity for knowing and for loving. And He is not in Himself such as to leave the demands of the soul unsatisfied. No intangible principle, no impersonal essence or mere abstraction, can satisfy the needs and longings of human beings in this life of struggle with sin and sorrow and pain. It is not enough to believe in law and force, in things that have no pity, and never hear the cry for help. We need to know of an almighty arm that will hold us up, of an infinite Friend that pities us. We need to clasp a hand that is warm, to trust in a heart full of tenderness. And even so God has in His Word revealed Himself. {FLB 54.3} [FLB 54.4] Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. The carnal mind cannot comprehend these mysteries. . . . The worldly-wise have attempted to explain upon scientific principles the influence of the Spirit of God upon the heart. The least advance in this direction will lead the soul into the mazes of skepticism. The religion of the Bible is simply the mystery of godliness; no human mind can fully understand it, and it is utterly incomprehensible to the unregenerate heart. {FLB 54.4} [FLB 54.5] The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery. Men cannot explain it, because the Lord has not revealed it to them. Men having fanciful views may bring together passages of Scripture and put a human construction on them; but the acceptance of these views will not strengthen the church. Regarding such mysteries, which are too deep for human understanding, silence is golden. 55 {FLB 54.5} [FLB 55.1] Agent in Redemption And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:5. {FLB 55.1} [FLB 55.2] By nature the heart is evil, and "who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one." Job 14:4. No human invention can find a remedy for the sinning soul. . . . The fountain of the heart must be purified before the streams can become pure. He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibility. There is no safety for one who has merely a legal religion, a form of godliness. The Christian's life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. {FLB 55.2} [FLB 55.3] It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world's Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character upon His church. {FLB 55.3} [FLB 55.4] Like the wind, which is invisible, yet the effects of which are plainly seen and felt, is the Spirit of God in its work upon the human heart. That regenerating power, which no human eye can see, begets a new life in the soul; it creates a new being in the image of God. {FLB 55.4} [FLB 55.5] The thoughtless and wayward become serious. The hardened repent of their sins, and the faithless believe. The gambler, the drunkard, the licentious, become steady, sober, and pure. The rebellious and obstinate become meek and Christlike. When we see these changes in the character, we may be assured that the converting power of God has transformed the entire man. {FLB 55.5} [FLB 55.6] He who looks to Christ in simple, childlike faith is made a partaker of the divine nature through the agency of the Holy Spirit. 56 {FLB 55.6} [FLB 56.1] Comforter and Teacher But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:26. {FLB 56.1} [FLB 56.2] The Holy Spirit is Christ's representative, but divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally. Therefore it was for their ［the disciples'］ interest that He should go to the Father, and send the Spirit to be His successor on earth. No one could then have any advantage because of his location or his personal contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour would be accessible to all. . . . {FLB 56.2} [FLB 56.3] At all times and in all places, in all sorrows and in all afflictions, when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we feel helpless and alone, the Comforter will be sent in answer to the prayer of faith. Circumstances may separate us from every earthly friend; but no circumstance, no distance, can separate us from the heavenly Comforter. Wherever we are, wherever we may go, He is always at our right hand to support, sustain, uphold, and cheer. . . . {FLB 56.3} [FLB 56.4] The Comforter is called "the Spirit of truth." His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood. . . . Through the Scriptures the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind, and impresses truth upon the heart. {FLB 56.4} [FLB 56.5] Those who are under the influence of the Spirit of God will not be fanatical, but calm and steadfast, free from extravagance in thought, word, or deed. Amid the confusion of delusive doctrines, the Spirit of God will be a guide and a shield to those who have not resisted the evidences of truth. {FLB 56.5} [FLB 56.6] Every man, woman, and child that is not under the control of the Spirit of God is under the influence of Satan's sorcery, and by his words and example he will lead others away from the path of truth. 57 {FLB 56.6} [FLB 57.1] The Indwelling Spirit And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. 1 John 3:24. {FLB 57.1} [FLB 57.2] The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ. {FLB 57.2} [FLB 57.3] The Holy Spirit will enter the heart that can boast of nothing. The love of Jesus will fill the vacuum that is made by the emptying out of self. {FLB 57.3} [FLB 57.4] Those who see Christ in His true character, and receive Him into the heart, have everlasting life. It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received into the heart by faith, is the beginning of the life eternal. {FLB 57.4} [FLB 57.5] We do not see Christ and speak to Him, but His Holy Spirit is just as near us in one place as in another. It works in and through every one who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of the Spirit reveal the fruits of the Spirit--love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. {FLB 57.5} [FLB 57.6] The Holy Spirit is to be continually present with the believer. We have need more carefully to consider the fact that the Comforter is to abide with us. If we individually comprehended this truth, we should never feel alone. When assailed by the enemy, when overwhelmed by temptation, we are to repose our faith in God; for we have His pledged word that we are never to be left to battle alone. Every soul, pardoned of sin, is precious in His sight--more precious than the whole world. It has been purchased at infinite cost, and Christ will never abandon the soul for whom He has died. {FLB 57.6} [FLB 57.7] Christ is represented by the Holy Spirit; and when this Spirit is appreciated, when those controlled by the Spirit communicate to others the energy with which they are imbued, an invisible chord is touched which electrifies the whole. Would that we could all understand how boundless are the divine resources. 58 {FLB 57.7} [FLB 58.1] Grieve Not the Spirit And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30. {FLB 58.1} [FLB 58.2] Conscience is the voice of God, heard amid the conflict of human passions; when it is resisted, the Spirit of God is grieved. {FLB 58.2} [FLB 58.3] Men have the power to quench the Spirit of God; the power of choosing is left with them. They are allowed freedom of action. They may be obedient through the name and grace of our Redeemer, or they may be disobedient, and realize the consequences. {FLB 58.3} [FLB 58.4] The sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit does not lie in any sudden word or deed; it is the firm, determined resistance of truth and evidence. {FLB 58.4} [FLB 58.5] It is not that God sends out a decree that man shall not be saved. He does not throw a darkness before the eyes which cannot be penetrated. But man at first resists a motion of the Spirit of God, and, having once resisted, it is less difficult to do so the second time, less the third, and far less the fourth. Then comes the harvest to be reaped from the seed of unbelief and resistance. Oh what a harvest of sinful indulgences is preparing for the sickle! . . . {FLB 58.5} [FLB 58.6] On the other hand, every ray of light cherished will yield a harvest of light. Temptation once resisted will give power to more firmly resist the second time; every new victory gained over self will smooth the way for higher and nobler triumphs. Every victory is a seed sown to eternal life. {FLB 58.6} [FLB 58.7] God destroys no one. The sinner destroys himself by his own impenitence. {FLB 58.7} [FLB 58.8] No one need look upon the sin against the Holy Ghost as something mysterious and indefinable. The sin against the Holy Ghost is the sin of persistent refusal to respond to the invitation to repent. {FLB 58.8} [FLB 58.9] There is no . . . hope of the higher life, but through the submission of the soul to Christ. 59 {FLB 58.9} [FLB 59.1] God Is Love He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 1 John 4:8. {FLB 59.1} [FLB 59.2] "God is love." His nature, His law, is love. It ever has been; it ever will be. . . . {FLB 59.2} [FLB 59.3] Every manifestation of creative power is an expression of infinite love. {FLB 59.3} [FLB 59.4] It is through His power that summer and winter, seedtime and harvest, day and night, follow each other in their regular succession. It is by His word that vegetation flourishes, that leaves appear, and the flowers bloom. Every good thing we have, each ray of sunshine and shower of rain, every morsel of food, every moment of life, is a gift of love. {FLB 59.4} [FLB 59.5] The history of the great conflict between good and evil, from the time it first began in heaven to the final overthrow of rebellion and the total eradication of sin, is also a demonstration of God's unchanging love. {FLB 59.5} [FLB 59.6] The gift of Christ reveals the Father's heart. {FLB 59.6} [FLB 59.7] God made to our world the wonderful gift of His only-begotten Son. In the light of this act, it could never be said by the inhabitants of other worlds that God could have done more than He did to show His love for the children of men. He made a sacrifice that defies all computation. {FLB 59.7} [FLB 59.8] Thousands have a false conception of God and His attributes. They are as verily serving a false god as were the servants of Baal. Are we worshiping the true God as He is revealed in His Word, in Christ, in nature, or are we adoring some philosophical idol enshrined in His place? God is a God of truth. Justice and mercy are the attributes of His throne. He is a God of love, of pity and tender compassion. Thus He is represented in His Son, our Saviour. He is a God of patience and long-suffering. If such is the being whom we adore and to whose character we are seeking to assimilate, we are worshiping the true God. 60 {FLB 59.8} [FLB 60.1] No Respecter of Persons Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. Acts 10:34, 35. {FLB 60.1} [FLB 60.2] God is no respecter of persons. . . . Those who have the light and do not follow it, but disregard the requirements of God, will find that their blessings will be changed into curses and their mercies into judgments. {FLB 60.2} [FLB 60.3] God does not regard all sins as of equal magnitude; there are degrees of guilt in His estimation, as well as in that of man; but however trifling this or that wrong act may seem in the eyes of men, no sin is small in the sight of God. Man's judgment is partial, imperfect; but God estimates all things as they really are. The drunkard is despised, and is told that his sin will exclude him from heaven; while pride, selfishness, and covetousness too often go unrebuked. But these are sins that are especially offensive to God; for they are contrary to the benevolence of His character, to that unselfish love which is the very atmosphere of the unfallen universe. {FLB 60.3} [FLB 60.4] The exceeding sinfulness of sin can be estimated only in the light of the cross. When men urge that God is too good to cast off the sinner, let them look to Calvary. It was because there was no other way in which man could be saved, because without this sacrifice it was impossible for the human race to escape from the defiling power of sin, and be restored to communion with holy beings--impossible for them again to become partakers of spiritual life--it was because of this that Christ took upon Himself the guilt of the disobedient, and suffered in the sinner's stead. The love and suffering and death of the Son of God all testify to the terrible enormity of sin, and declare that there is no escape from its power, no hope of the higher life, but through the submission of the soul to Christ. {FLB 60.4} [FLB 60.5] Let the soul be uplifted from the lowlands of sin to contemplate the God of all goodness, mercy, and love, but who will in no wise clear the guilty. 61 {FLB 60.5} [FLB 61.1] Infinitely Wise and Good The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. Nahum 1:7. {FLB 61.1} [FLB 61.2] God is the source of all wisdom. He is infinitely wise and just and good. Apart from Christ, the wisest men that ever lived cannot comprehend Him. . . . If men could see for a moment beyond the range of finite vision, if they could catch a glimpse of the Eternal, every mouth would be stopped in its boasting. Men living in this little atom of a world are finite; God has unnumbered worlds that are obedient to His laws, and are conducted with reference to His glory. {FLB 61.2} [FLB 61.3] Nothing can happen in any part of the universe without the knowledge of Him who is omnipresent. Not a single event of human life is unknown to our Maker. While Satan is constantly devising evil, the Lord our God overrules all, so that it will not harm His obedient, trusting children. The same power that controls the boisterous waves of the ocean can hold in check all the power of rebellion and of crime. God says to one as to the other, "Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther." {FLB 61.3} [FLB 61.4] What lessons of humility and faith may we not learn as we trace the dealings of God with His creatures. The Lord can do but little for the children of men, because they are so full of pride and vain glory. They exalt self, magnifying their own strength, learning, and wisdom. It is necessary for God to disappoint their hopes and frustrate their plans, that they may learn to trust in Him alone. All our powers are from God; we can do nothing independent of the strength which He has given us. Where is the man or woman or child that God does not sustain? Where is the desolate place which God does not fill? Where is the want that any but God can supply? {FLB 61.4} [FLB 61.5] We are as ignorant of God as little children, but as little children we may love and obey Him. Instead of speculating in regard to His nature or His prerogatives, let us give heed to the word He has spoken: "Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10. 62 {FLB 61.5} [FLB 62.1] The Divine Presence With Us Always Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. Psalm 139:7, 8. {FLB 62.1} [FLB 62.2] The psalmist represents the presence of the Infinite One as pervading the universe. "If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there." We can never find a solitude where God is not. {FLB 62.2} [FLB 62.3] The Lord God omnipotent, who reigneth in the heavens, declares, "I am with you." He assures His people that those who are obedient are in a position where He can bless them, to the glory of His name. . . . He will be a present help to all who serve Him in preference to serving self. {FLB 62.3} [FLB 62.4] Although God dwells not in temples made with hands, yet He honors with His presence the assemblies of His people. He has promised that when they come together to seek Him, to acknowledge their sins, and to pray for one another, He will meet with them by His Spirit. {FLB 62.4} [FLB 62.5] When Christ ascended to heaven, the sense of His presence was still with His followers. It was a personal presence, full of love and light. . . . {FLB 62.5} [FLB 62.6] Henceforth through the Spirit, Christ was to abide continually in the hearts of the children. Their union with Him was closer than when He was personally with them. The light, and love, and power of the indwelling Christ shone out through them, so that men, beholding, "marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13. All that Christ was to the disciples, He desires to be to His children today. {FLB 62.6} [FLB 62.7] We may be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Receiving Christ, we are clothed with power. An indwelling Saviour makes His power our property. . . . Christ's presence in the heart is a vitalizing power, strengthening the entire being. {FLB 62.7} [FLB 62.8] Never feel that Christ is far away. He is always near. His loving presence surrounds you. 63 {FLB 62.8} [FLB 63.1] His Gentle, Loving Care Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7. {FLB 63.1} [FLB 63.2] The Lord's care is over all His creatures. He loves them all and makes no difference, except that He has the most tender pity for those who are called to bear life's heaviest burdens. God's children must meet trials and difficulties. But they should accept their lot with a cheerful spirit, remembering that for all that the world neglects to bestow, God Himself will make up to them in the best of favors. {FLB 63.2} [FLB 63.3] It is when we come into difficult places that He reveals His power and wisdom in answer to humble prayer. Have confidence in Him as a prayer-hearing, prayer-answering God. He will reveal Himself to you as One who can help in every emergency. He who created man, who gave him his wonderful physical, mental, and spiritual faculties, will not withhold that which is necessary to sustain the life He has given. He who has given us His Word--the leaves of the tree of life--will not withhold from us a knowledge of how to provide food for His needy children. {FLB 63.3} [FLB 63.4] Some are always anticipating evil, or magnifying the difficulties that really exist, so that their eyes are blinded to the many blessings which demand their gratitude. The obstacles they encounter, instead of leading them to seek help from God, the only source of strength, separate them from Him, because they awaken unrest and repining. {FLB 63.4} [FLB 63.5] Do we well to be thus unbelieving? Why should we be ungrateful and distrustful? Jesus is our friend; all heaven is interested in our welfare; and our anxiety and fear grieve the Holy Spirit of God. We should not indulge in a solicitude that only frets and wears us, but does not help us to bear trials. . . . He invites the weary and care-laden, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Lay off the yoke of anxiety and worldly care that you have placed on your own neck, and "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." Matthew 11:28, 29. We may find rest and peace in God. 64 {FLB 63.5} [FLB 64.1] The Saving Providences of God And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28. {FLB 64.1} [FLB 64.2] The fact that we are called upon to endure trial shows that the Lord Jesus sees in us something precious which He desires to develop. If He saw in us nothing whereby He might glorify His name, He would not spend time in refining us. He does not cast worthless stones into His furnace. It is valuable ore that He refines. {FLB 64.2} [FLB 64.3] God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him. {FLB 64.3} [FLB 64.4] All that has perplexed us in the providences of God will in the world to come be made plain. The things hard to be understood will then find explanation. The mysteries of grace will unfold before us. Where our finite minds discovered only confusion and broken promises, we shall see the most perfect and beautiful harmony. We shall know that infinite love ordered the experiences that seemed most trying. {FLB 64.4} [FLB 64.5] He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ. The blow that is aimed at him falls upon the Saviour, who surrounds him with His presence. Whatever comes to him comes from Christ. He has no need to resist evil, for Christ is his defense. Nothing can touch him except by our Lord's permission, and "all things" that are permitted "work together for good to them that love God." {FLB 64.5} [FLB 64.6] Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service of God supreme, will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet. {FLB 64.6} [FLB 64.7] As a little child, trust to the guidance of Him who will "keep the feet of his saints." 1 Samuel 2:9. {FLB 64.7} [FLB 64.8] As we commit our ways to Him, He will direct our steps. 65 {FLB 64.8} [FLB 65.1] Lover of All Men For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. Ephesians 3:14, 15. {FLB 65.1} [FLB 65.2] The perception of God's love works the renunciation of selfishness. In calling God our Father, we recognize all His children as our brethren. We are all a part of the great web of humanity, all members of one family. {FLB 65.2} [FLB 65.3] No distinction on account of nationality, race, or caste, is recognized by God. He is the Maker of all mankind. All men are of one family by creation, and all are one through redemption. Christ came to demolish every wall of partition, to throw open every compartment of the temple courts, that every soul may have free access to God. {FLB 65.3} [FLB 65.4] He came to show that His gift of mercy and love is as unconfined as the air, the light, or the showers of rain that refresh the earth. {FLB 65.4} [FLB 65.5] His love is so broad, so deep, so full, that it penetrates everywhere. It lifts out of Satan's influence those who have been deluded by his deceptions, and places them within reach of the throne of God, the throne encircled by the rainbow of promise. {FLB 65.5} [FLB 65.6] God is our Father and Governor. . . . The principles which rule in heaven should rule upon earth, the same love that animates the angels, the same purity and holiness that reign in heaven, should, as far as possible, be reproduced upon earth. {FLB 65.6} [FLB 65.7] If you call God your Father, you acknowledge yourselves His children, to be guided by His wisdom and to be obedient in all things, knowing that His love is changeless. You will accept His plan for your life. As children of God, you will hold His honor, His character, His family, His work, as the objects of your highest interest. It will be your joy to recognize and honor your relation to your Father and to every member of His family. You will rejoice to do any act, however humble, that will tend to His glory or to the well-being of your kindred. {FLB 65.7} [FLB 66.1] Chap. 3 - Satan And The Great Rebellion The Uprising of Rebellion But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:2. {FLB 66.1} [FLB 66.2] Evil originated with Lucifer, who rebelled against the government of God. Before his fall he was a covering cherub, distinguished by his excellence. God made him good and beautiful, as near as possible like Himself. {FLB 66.2} [FLB 66.3] Nothing is more plainly taught in Scripture than that God was in no wise responsible for the entrance of sin; that there was no arbitrary withdrawal of divine grace, no deficiency in the divine government, that gave occasion for the uprising of rebellion. Sin is an intruder, for whose presence no reason can be given. It is mysterious, unaccountable; to excuse it, is to defend it. Could excuse for it be found, or cause shown for its existence, it would cease to be sin. {FLB 66.3} [FLB 66.4] The first sinner was one whom God had greatly exalted. He is represented under the figure of the prince of Tyrus flourishing in might and magnificence. Little by little Satan came to indulge the desire for self-exaltation. . . . Though all his glory was from God, this mighty angel came to regard it as pertaining to himself. Not content with his position, though honored above the heavenly host, he ventured to covet homage due alone to the Creator. Instead of seeking to make God supreme in the affections and allegiance of all created beings, it was his endeavor to secure their service and loyalty to himself. . . . {FLB 66.4} [FLB 66.5] Is he ［Satan］ not the first great apostate from God? {FLB 66.5} [FLB 66.6] It is at Lucifer's throne that every evil work finds its starting point, and obtains its support. 67 {FLB 66.6} [FLB 67.1] Ambition Brings Sorrow The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22. {FLB 67.1} [FLB 67.2] Lucifer . . . , before his rebellion, was a high and exalted angel, next in honor to God's dear Son. His countenance, like those of the other angels, was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and broad, showing a powerful intellect. His form was perfect; his bearing noble and majestic. A special light beamed in his countenance and shone around him brighter and more beautiful than around the other angels; yet Christ, God's dear Son, had the pre-eminence over all the angelic host. He was one with the Father before the angels were created. . . . {FLB 67.2} [FLB 67.3] Lucifer was envious and jealous of Jesus Christ. Yet when all the angels bowed to Jesus to acknowledge His supremacy and high authority and rightful rule, he bowed with them; but his heart was filled with envy and hatred. . . . Why should Christ thus be honored before himself? {FLB 67.3} [FLB 67.4] Lucifer in heaven desired to be first in power and authority; he wanted to be God, to have the rulership of heaven; and to this end he won many of the angels to his side. When with his rebel host he was cast out from the courts of God, the work of rebellion and self-seeking was continued on earth. Through the temptation to self-indulgence and ambition Satan accomplished the fall of our first parents; and from that time to the present the gratification of human ambition and the indulgence of selfish hopes and desires have proved the ruin of mankind. {FLB 67.4} [FLB 67.5] He who makes self-glorification his aim will find himself destitute of the grace of God, through whose efficiency the truest riches and the most satisfying joys are won. But he who gives all and does all for Christ will know the fulfillment of the promise, "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it." 68 {FLB 67.5} [FLB 68.1] Pride Comes Before a Fall Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18. {FLB 68.1} [FLB 68.2] Satan fell because of his ambition to be equal with God. He desired to enter into the divine counsels and purposes, from which he was excluded by his own inability, as a created being, to comprehend the wisdom of the Infinite One. It was this ambitious pride that led to his rebellion, and by the same means he seeks to cause the ruin of man. {FLB 68.2} [FLB 68.3] Sin originated in self-seeking. Lucifer, the covering cherub, desired to be first in heaven. He sought to gain control of heavenly beings, to draw them away from their Creator, and to win their homage to himself. Therefore he misrepresented God, attributing to Him the desire for self-exaltation. With his own evil characteristics he sought to invest the loving Creator. {FLB 68.3} [FLB 68.4] Had Lucifer really desired to be like the Most High, he would never have deserted his appointed place in heaven; for the spirit of the Most High is manifested in unselfish ministry. Lucifer desired God's power, but not His character. He sought for himself the highest place, and every being who is actuated by his spirit will do the same. {FLB 68.4} [FLB 68.5] Whenever pride and ambition are indulged, the life is marred; for pride, feeling no need, closes the heart against the infinite blessings of Heaven. {FLB 68.5} [FLB 68.6] Pride of heart is a fearful trait of character. "Pride goeth before destruction." This is true in the family, the church, and the nation. {FLB 68.6} [FLB 68.7] God's people should be subject one to another. They should counsel with each other, that the lack of one be supplied by the sufficiency of the other. {FLB 68.7} [FLB 68.8] God hates pride, and . . . all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up. {FLB 68.8} [FLB 68.9] "Learn of me," said Christ; "for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Matthew 11:29. 69 {FLB 68.9} [FLB 69.1] Guard Against Untruthfulness! Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth. Ephesians 6:14. {FLB 69.1} [FLB 69.2] God permitted Satan to carry forward his work until the spirit of disaffection ripened into active revolt. It was necessary for his plans to be fully developed, that their true nature and tendency might be seen by all. . . . His power to deceive was very great. By disguising himself in a cloak of falsehood, he had gained an advantage. All his acts were so clothed with mystery, that it was difficult to disclose to the angels the true nature of his work. . . . It was his policy to perplex with subtle arguments concerning the purposes of God. Everything that was simple he shrouded in mystery, and by artful perversion cast doubt upon the plainest statements of Jehovah. {FLB 69.2} [FLB 69.3] The underworking was so subtle that it could not be made to appear before the heavenly host as the thing that it really was; and so there was war in heaven, and Satan was expelled with all who would not stand on the side of loyalty to God's government. {FLB 69.3} [FLB 69.4] I am bidden to warn all who make untruthful statements that they are serving him who has been a liar from the beginning. Let us be on our guard against untruthfulness, which grows upon him who practices it. I say to all, Make truth your girdle. . . . Put away all prevarication and exaggeration; never make a false statement. {FLB 69.4} [FLB 69.5] An intention to deceive is what constitutes falsehood. By a glance of the eye, a motion of the hand, an expression of the countenance, a falsehood may be told as effectually as by words. All intentional overstatement, every hint or insinuation calculated to convey an erroneous or exaggerated impression, even the statement of facts in such a manner as to mislead, is falsehood. {FLB 69.5} [FLB 69.6] There should be a continual effort to imitate the society we expect soon to join; namely, angels of God who have never fallen by sin. The character should be holy, the manners comely, the words without guile, and thus should we follow on step by step until we are fitted for translation. 70 {FLB 69.6} [FLB 70.1] Sin--Exceedingly Sinful That sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. Romans 7:13. {FLB 70.1} [FLB 70.2] In great mercy, according to His divine character, God bore long with Lucifer. The spirit of discontent and disaffection had never before been known in heaven. It was a new element, strange, mysterious, unaccountable. {FLB 70.2} [FLB 70.3] Lucifer himself had not at first been acquainted with the real nature of his feelings; for a time he had feared to express the workings and imaginings of his mind; yet he did not dismiss them. He did not see whither he was drifting. But such efforts as infinite love and wisdom only could devise, were made to convince him of his error. His disaffection was proved to be without cause, and he was made to see what would be the result of persisting in revolt. Lucifer was convinced that he was in the wrong. He saw that "the Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works" (Psalm 145:17); that the divine statutes are just, and that he ought to acknowledge them as such before all heaven. . . . He nearly reached the decision to return; but pride forbade him. . . . He persistently defended his own course, and fully committed himself to the great controversy against his Maker. . . . {FLB 70.3} [FLB 70.4] Satan's rebellion was to be a lesson to the universe through all coming ages--a perpetual testimony to the nature of sin and its terrible results. The working out of Satan's rule, its effects upon both men and angels, would show what must be the fruit of setting aside the divine authority. It would testify that with the existence of God's government is bound up the well-being of all the creatures He has made. Thus the history of this terrible experiment of rebellion was to be a perpetual safeguard to all holy beings, to prevent them from being deceived as to the nature of transgression, to save them from committing sin, and suffering its penalty. {FLB 70.4} [FLB 70.5] The infinite value of the sacrifice required for our redemption reveals the fact that sin is a tremendous evil. 71 {FLB 70.5} [FLB 71.1] Life or Death? For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23. {FLB 71.1} [FLB 71.2] God, the One infinite and all-wise, sees the end from the beginning, and in dealing with evil His plans were far reaching and comprehensive. It was His purpose, not merely to put down the rebellion, but to demonstrate to all the universe the nature of rebellion. . . . It will be seen that all who have forsaken the divine precepts have placed themselves on the side of Satan, in warfare against Christ. When the prince of this world shall be judged, and all who have united with him shall share his fate, the whole universe as witnesses to the sentence will declare, "Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." Revelation 15:3. {FLB 71.2} [FLB 71.3] In the final execution of the judgment it will be seen that no cause for sin exists. When the Judge of all the earth shall demand of Satan, "Why hast thou rebelled against Me, and robbed Me of the subjects of My kingdom?" the originator of evil can render no excuse. Every mouth will be stopped, and all the hosts of rebellion will be speechless. . . . The whole universe will have become witnesses to the nature and results of sin. And its utter extermination, which in the beginning would have brought fear to angels and dishonor to God, will now vindicate His love and establish His honor before the universe. . . . Never will evil again be manifest. Says the Word of God, "Affliction shall not rise up the second time." Nahum 1:9. . . . A tested and proved creation will never again be turned from allegiance to Him whose character has been fully manifested before them. {FLB 71.3} [FLB 71.4] He who chooses a course of disobedience to God's law is deciding his future destiny; he is sowing to the flesh, earning the wages of sin, even eternal destruction, the opposite of life eternal. Submission to God and obedience to His holy law bring the sure result. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3. 72 {FLB 71.4} [FLB 72.1] Rebellion Will Be Put Down And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Romans 16:20. {FLB 72.1} [FLB 72.2] Ever since Adam yielded his mind to Satan's device, the conflict has raged between right and wrong, between God and Satan. Connected with the doing of right there is a power that Satan cannot overcome. Righteousness has a vitality that is divine. Truth will triumph at last over falsehood, and God will vanquish the enemy. {FLB 72.2} [FLB 72.3] Christ conquered Satan in our behalf. . . . He is mightier than Satan, and He will shortly bruise him under our feet. {FLB 72.3} [FLB 72.4] In mercy to the universe . . . God will finally destroy the rejecters of His grace. {FLB 72.4} [FLB 72.5] "Upon the wicked he shall rain quick burning coals, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup." Psalm 11:6 (margin). {FLB 72.5} [FLB 72.6] While life is the inheritance of the righteous, death is the portion of the wicked. Moses declared to Israel, "I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil." Deuteronomy 30:15. The death referred to in these scriptures is not that pronounced upon Adam, for all mankind suffer the penalty of his transgression. It is the "second death" that is placed in contrast with everlasting life. {FLB 72.6} [FLB 72.7] In the cleansing flames the wicked are at last destroyed, root and branch--Satan the root, his followers the branches. The full penalty of the law has been visited; the demands of justice have been met; and heaven and earth, beholding, declare the righteousness of Jehovah. {FLB 72.7} [FLB 72.8] Satan's work of ruin is forever ended. For six thousand years he has wrought his will, filling the earth with woe, and causing grief throughout the universe. The whole creation has groaned and travailed together in pain. Now God's creatures are forever delivered from his presence and temptations. {FLB 72.8} [FLB 72.9] It should be the aim of your life to fit yourself for association with the redeemed, with holy angels, and with Jesus, the world's Redeemer. 73 {FLB 72.9} [FLB 73.1] Waywardness of Man O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! Deuteronomy 5:29. {FLB 73.1} [FLB 73.2] After Satan was shut out of heaven, with those who fell with him, he realized that he had lost all the purity and glory of heaven forever. . . . {FLB 73.2} [FLB 73.3] He consulted with his angels, and a plan was laid to still work against God's government. When Adam and Eve were placed in the beautiful garden, Satan was laying plans to destroy them. . . . {FLB 73.3} [FLB 73.4] Satan commenced his work with Eve, to cause her to disobey. She first erred in wandering from her husband, next, in lingering around the forbidden tree, and next in listening to the voice of the tempter, and even daring to doubt what God had said--In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. She thought, Perhaps it does not mean just as the Lord said. She ventured to disobey. She put forth her hand, took of the fruit, and ate. . . . She offered the fruit to her husband, thereby tempting him. . . . {FLB 73.4} [FLB 73.5] I saw a sadness come over Adam's countenance. He appeared afraid and astonished. A struggle appeared to be going on in his mind. He felt . . . that his wife must die. They must be separated. His love for Eve was strong. And in utter discouragement he resolved to share her fate. He seized the fruit, and quickly ate it. Then Satan exulted. . . . {FLB 73.5} [FLB 73.6] Adam, through his love for Eve, disobeyed the command of God, and fell with her. {FLB 73.6} [FLB 73.7] Notwithstanding the sophistry of Satan to the contrary, it is always disastrous to disobey God. We must set our hearts to know what is truth. All the lessons which God has caused to be placed on record in His Word are for our warning and instruction. They are given to save us from deception. Their neglect will result in ruin to ourselves. Whatever contradicts God's Word, we may be sure proceeds from Satan. 74 {FLB 73.7} [FLB 74.1] The Way of Transgressors Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard. Proverbs 13:15. {FLB 74.1} [FLB 74.2] The news of man's fall spread through heaven. Every harp was hushed. The angels cast their crowns from their heads in sorrow. All heaven was in agitation. A counsel was held to decide what must be done with the guilty pair. The angels feared that they would put forth the hand, and eat of the tree of life, and be immortal sinners. But God said that He would drive the transgressors from the garden. Angels were commissioned immediately to guard the way of the tree of life. It had been Satan's studied plan that Adam and Eve should disobey God, receive His frown, and then be led on to partake of the tree of life, that they might live forever in sin and disobedience, and thus sin be immortalized. But holy angels were sent to drive them out of the garden, while another company of angels were commissioned to guard the way to the tree of life. . . . {FLB 74.2} [FLB 74.3] Satan triumphed. Others he had made to suffer by his fall. He had been shut out of heaven, they out of Paradise. {FLB 74.3} [FLB 74.4] By transgression Adam lost Eden. By the transgression of God's commandments man will lose heaven, and an eternity of bliss. These are no idle tales, but truth. . . . I ask, On which side are you standing? {FLB 74.4} [FLB 74.5] It is true that Satan's path is made to appear attractive, but it is all a deception; in the way of evil there are bitter remorse and cankering care. . . . In the downward road the gateway may be bright with flowers, but thorns are in the path. . . . {FLB 74.5} [FLB 74.6] "The way of transgressors is hard," but wisdom's "ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." Proverbs 13:15; 3:17. Every act of obedience to Christ, every act of self-denial for His sake, every trial well endured, every victory gained over temptation, is a step in the march to the glory of final victory. If we take Christ for our guide, He will lead us safely. 75 {FLB 74.6} [FLB 75.1] First Promise of Redemption And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15. {FLB 75.1} [FLB 75.2] To man the first intimation of redemption was communicated in the sentence pronounced upon Satan in the garden. The Lord declared, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." This sentence, uttered in the hearing of our first parents, was to them a promise. While it foretold war between man and Satan, it declared that the power of the great adversary would finally be broken. . . . Adam and his companion were assured that notwithstanding their great sin, they were not to be abandoned to the control of Satan. The Son of God had offered to atone, with His own life, for their transgression. A period of probation would be granted them, and through repentance, and faith in Christ, they might again become the children of God. {FLB 75.2} [FLB 75.3] The instant man accepted the temptations of Satan, and did the very things God had said he should not do, Christ, the Son of God, stood between the living and the dead, saying, "Let the punishment fall on Me. I will stand in man's place. He shall have another chance." {FLB 75.3} [FLB 75.4] As soon as there was sin, there was a Saviour. Christ knew that He would have to suffer, yet He became man's substitute. As soon as Adam sinned, the Son of God presented Himself as surety for the human race, with just as much power to avert the doom pronounced upon the guilty as when He died upon the cross of Calvary. {FLB 75.4} [FLB 75.5] Although gloom and darkness hung, like the pall of death, over the future, yet in the promise of the Redeemer, the Star of hope lighted up the dark future. The gospel was first preached to Adam by Christ. Adam and Eve felt sincere sorrow and repentance for their guilt. They believed the precious promise of God, and were saved from utter ruin. 76 {FLB 75.5} [FLB 76.1] A Saviour From Eternity Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Ephesians 1:3, 4. {FLB 76.1} [FLB 76.2] Since the Fall the Lord has wrought out His will in the plan of redemption, a plan by which He is seeking to restore man to his original perfection. Christ's death on the cross has made it possible for God to receive and pardon every repentant soul. {FLB 76.2} [FLB 76.3] As the divine Sufferer hung upon the cross, angels gathered about Him, and as they looked upon Him, and heard His cry, they asked, with intense emotion, "Will not the Lord Jehovah save Him?" . . . Then were the words spoken: "The Lord hath sworn, and He will not repent. Father and Son are pledged to fulfill the terms of the everlasting covenant. God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Christ was not alone in making His great sacrifice. It was the fulfillment of the covenant made between Him and His Father before the foundation of the world was laid. With clasped hands they had entered into the solemn pledge that Christ would become the surety for the human race if they were overcome by Satan's sophistry. {FLB 76.3} [FLB 76.4] The salvation of the human race has ever been the object of the councils of heaven. The covenant of mercy was made before the foundation of the world. It has existed from all eternity, and is called the everlasting covenant. So surely as there never was a time when God was not, so surely there never was a moment when it was not the delight of the eternal mind to manifest His grace to humanity. {FLB 76.4} [FLB 76.5] The more we consider this subject, the greater depths we find, and yet there are depths that we do not reach as we study the Redeemer's glory. It is the glory of the Prince of life, and the mightiest powers of man cannot reach it. The angels themselves desire to look into this mysterious and wonderful theme, the redemption of the human race. 77 {FLB 76.5} [FLB 77.1] God's Plan to Ransom Man And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. Genesis 17:7. {FLB 77.1} [FLB 77.2] As the Bible presents two laws, one changeless and eternal, the other provisional and temporary, so there are two covenants. The covenant of grace was first made with man in Eden, when after the Fall, there was given a divine promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. To all men this covenant offered pardon, and the assisting grace of God for future obedience through faith in Christ. It also promised them eternal life on condition of fidelity to God's law. Thus the patriarchs received the hope of salvation. {FLB 77.2} [FLB 77.3] This same covenant was renewed to Abraham in the promise, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Genesis 22:18. This promise pointed to Christ. So Abraham understood it, and he trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. It was this faith that was accounted unto him for righteousness. The covenant with Abraham also maintained the authority of God's law. The Lord appeared unto Abraham, and said, "I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect." The testimony of God concerning His faithful servant was, "Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." Genesis 17:1; 26:5. . . . {FLB 77.3} [FLB 77.4] The Abrahamic covenant was ratified by the blood of Christ, and it is called the "second," or "new," covenant, because the blood by which it was sealed was shed after the blood of the first covenant. {FLB 77.4} [FLB 77.5] The covenant of grace is not a new truth, for it existed in the mind of God from all eternity. This is why it is called the everlasting covenant. {FLB 77.5} [FLB 77.6] There is hope for us only as we come under the Abrahamic covenant, which is the covenant of grace by faith in Christ Jesus. The gospel preached to Abraham, through which he had hope, was the same gospel that is preached to us today. . . . Abraham looked unto Jesus, who is also the author and the finisher of our faith. 78 {FLB 77.6} [FLB 78.1] Man's Inability to Save Himself Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Galatians 2:16. {FLB 78.1} [FLB 78.2] Another compact--called in Scripture the "old" covenant--was formed between God and Israel at Sinai, and was then ratified by the blood of a sacrifice. . . . {FLB 78.2} [FLB 78.3] God . . . gave them ［Israel］ His law, with the promise of great blessings on condition of obedience: "If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then . . . ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." Exodus 19:5, 6. The people did not realize the sinfulness of their own hearts, and that without Christ it was impossible for them to keep God's law; and they readily entered into covenant with God. Feeling that they were able to establish their own righteousness, they declared, "All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient." Exodus 24:7. They had witnessed the proclamation of the law in awful majesty, and had trembled with terror before the mount; and yet only a few weeks passed before they broke their covenant with God, and bowed down to worship a graven image. They could not hope for the favor of God through a covenant which they had broken; and now, seeing their sinfulness and their need of pardon, they were brought to feel their need of the Saviour revealed in the Abrahamic covenant, and shadowed forth in the sacrificial offerings. . . . {FLB 78.3} [FLB 78.4] The terms of the "old covenant" were, Obey and live: "If a man do, he shall even live in them;" but "cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them." Ezekiel 20:11; Leviticus 18:5; Deuteronomy 27:26. The "new covenant" was established upon "better promises"--the promise of forgiveness of sins, and of the grace of God to renew the heart, and bring it into harmony with the principles of God's law. {FLB 78.4} [FLB 78.5] The only means of salvation is provided under the Abrahamic covenant. 79 {FLB 78.5} [FLB 79.1] Our Angel Friends and Guardians Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Hebrews 1:14. {FLB 79.1} [FLB 79.2] The plan by which alone man's salvation could be secured, involved all heaven in its infinite sacrifice. The angels could not rejoice as Christ opened before them the plan of redemption; for they saw that man's salvation must cost their loved Commander unutterable woe. In grief and wonder they listened to His words as He told them how He must descend from heaven's purity and peace, . . . and come in contact with the degradation of earth, to endure its sorrow, shame, and death. . . . {FLB 79.2} [FLB 79.3] The angels . . . offered to become a sacrifice for man. But an angel's life could not pay the debt; only He who created man had power to redeem him. Yet the angels were to have a part to act in the plan of redemption. Christ was to be made "a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death." Hebrews 2:9. As He should take human nature upon Him, His strength would not be equal to theirs, and they were to minister to Him, to strengthen and soothe Him under His sufferings. They were also to be ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who should be heirs of salvation. They would guard the subjects of grace from the power of evil angels, and from the darkness constantly thrown around them by Satan. {FLB 79.3} [FLB 79.4] Angels are ever present where they are most needed, with those who have the hardest battles with self to fight, and whose surroundings are the most discouraging. Weak and trembling souls who have many objectionable traits of character are their special charge. That which selfish hearts would regard as humiliating service, ministering to those who are wretched and in every way inferior in character, is the work of the pure, sinless beings from the courts above. {FLB 79.4} [FLB 79.5] All the angels of heaven are united in the work of bringing to man the infinite treasures of the better world. {FLB 79.5} [FLB 79.6] God and Christ and the heavenly angels are fighting with you. . . . In the strength of the Redeemer, you can be more than conquerors. 80 {FLB 79.6} [FLB 80.1] God's Commandments Are Sure The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. Psalm 111:7, 8. {FLB 80.1} [FLB 80.2] The law of God existed before the creation of man or else Adam could not have sinned. After the transgression of Adam the principles of the law were not changed, but were definitely arranged and expressed to meet man in his fallen condition. {FLB 80.2} [FLB 80.3] The angels were governed by it ［the law］. Satan fell because he transgressed the principles of God's government. After Adam and Eve were created, God made known to them His law. It was not then written, but was rehearsed to them by Jehovah. {FLB 80.3} [FLB 80.4] In love, with a desire to elevate and ennoble us, God provided for us a standard of obedience. In awful majesty, amid thundering and lightning, He proclaimed from Mount Sinai His ten holy precepts. This law reveals the whole duty of the human family; the first four precepts define our duty to God, and the last six our duty to man. {FLB 80.4} [FLB 80.5] The law of God, being a revelation of His will, a transcript of His character, must forever endure, "as a faithful witness in heaven." Not one command has been annulled; not a jot or tittle has been changed. Says the psalmist: "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven." Psalm 119:89. {FLB 80.5} [FLB 80.6] From the first, the great controversy had been upon the law of God. Satan had sought to prove that God was unjust, that His law was faulty, and that the good of the universe required it to be changed. In attacking the law, he aimed to overthrow the authority of its Author. {FLB 80.6} [FLB 80.7] Through Satan's temptations the whole human race have become transgressors of God's law; but by the sacrifice of His Son a way is opened whereby they may return to God. Through the grace of Christ they may be enabled to render obedience to the Father's law. {FLB 80.7} [FLB 80.8] When we trust God fully, when we rely upon the merits of Jesus as a sin-pardoning Saviour, we shall receive all the help that we can desire. 81 {FLB 80.8} [FLB 81.1] Tampering With the Commandments And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws. Daniel 7:25. {FLB 81.1} [FLB 81.2] Satan could not hinder the plan of salvation. Jesus was crucified, and arose again the third day. He ［Satan］ told his angels that he would make even the crucifixion and resurrection tell to his advantage. He was willing that those who professed faith in Jesus should believe that the laws regulating the Jewish sacrifices and offerings ceased at the death of Christ, if he could push them further, and make them believe that the law of ten commandments died also with Christ. . . . {FLB 81.2} [FLB 81.3] He ［Satan］ told his angels . . . that the Ten Commandments were so plain that many would believe that they were still binding; therefore he must seek to corrupt the fourth commandment, which brings to view the living God. He led on his representatives to attempt to change the Sabbath, and alter the only commandment of the ten which brings to view the true God, the maker of the heavens and the earth. Satan presented before them the glorious resurrection of Jesus, and told them that by His rising on the first day of the week, He changed the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week. Thus Satan used the resurrection to serve his purpose. He and his angels rejoiced that the errors they had prepared took so well with the professed friends of Christ. {FLB 81.3} [FLB 81.4] Satan, working through unconsecrated leaders of the church, tampered with the fourth commandment . . . and essayed to set aside the ancient Sabbath, the day which God had blessed and sanctified (Genesis 2:2, 3), and in its stead to exalt the festival observed by the heathen as "the venerable day of the sun." {FLB 81.4} [FLB 81.5] The Lord has clearly defined the road to the city of God; but the great apostate has changed the signpost, setting up a false one--a spurious sabbath. . . . The enemy of all good has turned the signpost round, so that it points to the path of disobedience as the path of happiness. . . . He has thought to change times and laws. 82 {FLB 81.5} [FLB 82.1] Man a Free Moral Agent If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. John 7:17. {FLB 82.1} [FLB 82.2] Man was created a free moral agent. Like the inhabitants of all other worlds, he must be subjected to the test of obedience; but he is never brought into such a position that yielding to evil becomes a matter of necessity. No temptation or trial is permitted to come to him which he is unable to resist. God made such ample provision that man need never have been defeated in the conflict with Satan. {FLB 82.2} [FLB 82.3] Satan is the great originator of sin; yet this does not excuse any man for sinning; for he cannot force men to do evil. He tempts them to it, and makes sin look enticing and pleasant; but he has to leave it to their own wills whether they will do it or not. . . . Man is a free moral agent to accept or refuse. {FLB 82.3} [FLB 82.4] Conversion is a work that most do not appreciate. It is not a small matter to transform an earthly, sin-loving mind and bring it to understand the unspeakable love of Christ, the charms of His grace, and the excellency of God, so that the soul shall be imbued with divine love. {FLB 82.4} [FLB 82.5] Every provision has been made; everything in God's plan has been arranged so that man should not be left to his own impulses, to his own finite powers, to carry on the warfare against the powers of darkness in his own finite strength; because he would certainly fail if he were thus left to himself. {FLB 82.5} [FLB 82.6] As a redeemed, free moral agent, ransomed by an infinite price, God calls upon you to assert your liberty, and employ your God-given powers as a free subject of the kingdom of heaven. . . . You are to refuse to be in subjection to the power of evil. {FLB 82.6} [FLB 82.7] Let a solemn, unalterable purpose take possession of you, and resolve in the strength and grace of God, that henceforth you will live for Him, and that no earthly consideration shall persuade you to disown the divine law of ten commandments. 83 {FLB 82.7} [FLB 83.1] In Harmony With Heaven Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. Psalm 119:165. {FLB 83.1} [FLB 83.2] Adam taught his descendants the law of God, and it was handed down from father to son through successive generations. But . . . there were few who accepted it and rendered obedience. By transgression the world became so vile that it was necessary to cleanse it by the Flood from its corruption. The law was preserved by Noah and his family, and Noah taught his descendants the Ten Commandments. As men again departed from God, the Lord chose Abraham, of whom He declared, "Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." Genesis 25:5. . . . {FLB 83.2} [FLB 83.3] Concerning the law proclaimed from Sinai, Nehemiah says, "Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments." Nehemiah 9:13. And Paul . . . declares, "The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." Romans 7:12. {FLB 83.3} [FLB 83.4] The whole world will be judged by the moral law according to their opportunity of becoming acquainted with it, whether by reason, or tradition, or the written Word. {FLB 83.4} [FLB 83.5] We behold in it the goodness of God, who by revealing to men the immutable principles of righteousness seeks to shield them from the evils that result from transgression. . . . {FLB 83.5} [FLB 83.6] The law is an expression of God's idea. When we receive it in Christ, it becomes our idea. It lifts us above the power of natural desires and tendencies, above temptations that lead to sin. "Great peace have they which love thy law; and nothing shall offend them" --cause them to stumble. There is no peace in unrighteousness; the wicked are at war with God. But he who receives the righteousness of the law in Christ is in harmony with heaven. {FLB 83.6} [FLB 83.7] As received in Christ, it ［God's law］ works in us the purity of character that will bring joy to us through eternal ages. 84 {FLB 83.7} [FLB 84.1] Wondrous Things in God's Law Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Psalm 119:18. {FLB 84.1} [FLB 84.2] Jesus Christ is the glory of the law. The bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness are to be reflected from His messengers upon the minds of sinners, in order that they may be led to say, with one of old, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." Many . . . do not discern the wondrous things that are to be seen in God's law. They have not beheld that which was revealed to Moses when he prayed, "I beseech thee, shew me thy glory." Exodus 33:18. To Moses was revealed God's character. {FLB 84.2} [FLB 84.3] In the law every specification is the character of the infinite God. {FLB 84.3} [FLB 84.4] Heaven's law is always merciful, kind, tender, helpful, uplifting to others. {FLB 84.4} [FLB 84.5] The downtrodden law of God is to be exalted before the people; as soon as they turn with earnestness and reverence to the Holy Scriptures, light from heaven will reveal to them wondrous things out of God's law. . . . Truths which have proved an overmatch for giant intellects are understood by babes in Christ. {FLB 84.5} [FLB 84.6] The law of ten commandments is not to be looked upon as much from the prohibitory side as from the mercy side. Its prohibitions are the sure guarantee of happiness in obedience. . . . {FLB 84.6} [FLB 84.7] We are not to regard God as waiting to punish the sinner for his sin. The sinner brings punishment upon himself. His own actions start a train of circumstances that bring the sure result. Every act of transgression reacts upon the sinner, works in him a change of character, and makes it more easy for him to transgress again. By choosing to sin, men separate themselves from God, cut themselves off from the channel of blessing, and the sure result is ruin and death. {FLB 84.7} [FLB 84.8] By obedience to this law the intellect is strengthened, and the conscience is enlightened and made sensitive. The youth need to gain a clear understanding of God's law. 85 {FLB 84.8} [FLB 85.1] Jesus' Example in Law Keeping If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. John 15:10. {FLB 85.1} [FLB 85.2] The law of God is the only true standard of moral perfection. That law was practically exemplified in the life of Christ. He says of Himself, "I have kept my Father's commandments." {FLB 85.2} [FLB 85.3] The law is an expression of the thought of God; when received in Christ, it becomes our thought. . . . God desires us to be happy, and He gave us the precepts of the law that in obeying them we might have joy. When at Jesus' birth the angels sang-- "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14), they were declaring the principles of the law which He had come to magnify and make honorable. . . . {FLB 85.3} [FLB 85.4] "Till heaven and earth pass," said Jesus, "one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matthew 5:18. The sun shining in the heavens, the solid earth upon which you dwell, are God's witnesses that His law is changeless and eternal. Though they may pass away, the divine precepts shall endure. "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." Luke 16:17. . . . {FLB 85.4} [FLB 85.5] Since "the law of the Lord is perfect," every variation from it must be evil. Those who disobey the commandments of God, and teach others to do so, are condemned by Christ. The Saviour's life of obedience maintained the claims of the law, it proved that the law could be kept in humanity, and showed the excellence of character that obedience would develop. All who obey as He did are likewise declaring that the law is "holy, and just, and good." Romans 7:12. {FLB 85.5} [FLB 85.6] When, through faith in Jesus Christ, man does according to the very best of his ability, and seeks to keep the way of the Lord by obedience to the Ten Commandments, the perfection of Christ is imputed to cover the transgression of the repentant and obedient soul. 86 {FLB 85.6} [FLB 86.1] The Great Principle of the Law If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15. {FLB 86.1} [FLB 86.2] The law was not spoken . . . exclusively for the benefit of the Hebrews. God honored them by making them the guardians and keepers of His law, but it was to be held as a sacred trust for the whole world. The precepts of the Decalogue are adapted to all mankind, and they were given for the instruction and government of all. Ten precepts, brief, comprehensive, and authoritative, cover the duty of man to God and to his fellow man; and all based upon the great fundamental principle of love. "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 neighbour as thyself." Luke 10:27. {FLB 86.2} [FLB 86.3] God's law is not a new thing. It is not holiness created, but holiness made known. It is a code of principles expressing mercy, goodness, and love. It presents to fallen humanity the character of God, and states plainly the whole duty of man. {FLB 86.3} [FLB 86.4] In the precepts of His holy law, God has given a perfect rule of life; and He has declared that until the close of time this law, unchanged in a single jot or tittle, is to maintain its claim upon human beings. Christ came to magnify the law and make it honorable. . . . In His own life He gave an example of obedience to the law of God. In the sermon on the mount He showed how its requirements extend beyond the outward acts, and take cognizance of the thoughts and intents of the heart. {FLB 86.4} [FLB 86.5] Today God gives men opportunity to show whether they love their neighbor. He who truly loves God and his fellow man is he who shows mercy to the destitute, the suffering, the wounded, those who are ready to die. God calls upon every man to take up his neglected work, to seek to restore the moral image of the Creator in humanity. {FLB 86.5} [FLB 86.6] The Ten Commandments, Thou shalt, and Thou shalt not, are ten promises, assured to us if we render obedience to the law governing the universe. "If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15. 87 {FLB 86.6} [FLB 87.1] Our Helpless Condition in Sin And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord. Jeremiah 29:13, 14. {FLB 87.1} [FLB 87.2] By sin we have been severed from the life of God. Our souls are palsied. . . . The sense of sin has poisoned the springs of life. {FLB 87.2} [FLB 87.3] By nature we are alienated from God. The Holy Spirit describes our condition in such words as these: "Dead in trespasses and sins;" "the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint"; "no soundness in it." We are held fast in the snare of Satan; "taken captive by him at his will." Ephesians 2:1; Isaiah 1:5, 6; 2 Timothy 2:26. God desires to heal us, to set us free. But since this requires an entire transformation, a renewing of our whole nature, we must yield ourselves wholly to Him. {FLB 87.3} [FLB 87.4] The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought. The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God, requires a struggle; but the soul must submit to God before it can be renewed in holiness. {FLB 87.4} [FLB 87.5] Many realize their helplessness; they are longing for that spiritual life which will bring them into harmony with God, and are striving to obtain it. But in vain. . . . Let those desponding, struggling ones look up. . . . {FLB 87.5} [FLB 87.6] When sin struggles for the mastery . . . look to the Saviour. His grace is sufficient to subdue sin. Let your grateful heart, trembling with uncertainty, turn to Him. Lay hold on the hope set before you. . . . His strength will help your weakness; He will lead you step by step. Place your hand in His, and let Him guide you. {FLB 87.6} [FLB 87.7] He will set free the captive that is held by weakness and misfortune and the chains of sin. . . . {FLB 87.7} [FLB 87.8] He is always near. His loving presence surrounds you. Seek Him as One who desires to be found of you. {FLB 87.8} [FLB 87.9] God's promise is, "Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." 88 {FLB 87.9} [FLB 88.1] The Gospel for Both Dispensations Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17. {FLB 88.1} [FLB 88.2] Since the fall of Adam, it has been the fashion of the world to sin, and it is for our interest to know what sin is. John declares: "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4. {FLB 88.2} [FLB 88.3] God's purpose is . . . to save from sin. . . . The soul, corrupted and deformed, is to be purified, transformed. {FLB 88.3} [FLB 88.4] Through the gospel, souls that are degraded and enslaved by Satan are to be redeemed to share the glorious liberty of the sons of God. {FLB 88.4} [FLB 88.5] The gospel is the power and wisdom of God. {FLB 88.5} [FLB 88.6] Christ had been sent to earth to represent God in character. . . . He Himself was the gospel. {FLB 88.6} [FLB 88.7] Many who claim to believe and to teach the gospel . . . set aside the Old Testament Scriptures, of which Christ declared, "They are they which testify of me." John 5:39. In rejecting the Old, they virtually reject the New; for both are parts of an inseparable whole. No man can rightly present the law of God without the gospel, or the gospel without the law. The law is the gospel embodied, and the gospel is the law unfolded. The law is the root, the gospel is the fragrant blossom and fruit which it bears. {FLB 88.7} [FLB 88.8] He who proclaimed the law from Sinai, and delivered to Moses the precepts of the ritual law, is the same that spoke the sermon on the mount. . . .The teacher is the same in both dispensations. God's claims are the same. The principles of His government are the same. For all proceed from Him "with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." {FLB 88.8} [FLB 88.9] The gospel of the New Testament is not the Old Testament standard lowered to meet the sinner and save him in his sins. God requires of all His subjects obedience, entire obedience to all His commandments. 89 {FLB 88.9} [FLB 89.1] Abundant Grace for Obedience For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:14. {FLB 89.1} [FLB 89.2] It is the sophistry of Satan that the death of Christ brought in grace to take the place of the law. The death of Jesus did not change, or annul, or lessen in the slightest degree, the law of ten commandments. That precious grace offered to men through a Saviour's blood, establishes the law of God. Since the fall of man, God's moral government and His grace are inseparable. They go hand in hand through all dispensations. "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Psalm 85:10. {FLB 89.2} [FLB 89.3] Each law of God is an enactment of mercy, love, and saving power. These laws, obeyed, are our life, our salvation, our happiness, our peace. {FLB 89.3} [FLB 89.4] Obedience to His statutes and laws is the life and prosperity of His people. {FLB 89.4} [FLB 89.5] The influence of a gospel hope will not lead the sinner to look upon the salvation of Christ as a matter of free grace, while he continues to live in transgression of the law of God. . . . He will reform his ways, become loyal to God through the strength obtained from his Saviour, and lead a new and purer life. {FLB 89.5} [FLB 89.6] As the sacrifice in our behalf was complete, so our restoration from the defilement of sin is to be complete. No act of wickedness will the law of God excuse; no unrighteousness can escape its condemnation. The ethics of the gospel acknowledge no standard but the perfection of the divine character. The life of Christ was a perfect fulfillment of every precept of the law. He said, "I have kept my Father's commandments." John 15:10. His life is our example of obedience and service. God alone can renew the heart. "It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." But we are bidden, "Work out your own salvation." Philippians 2:13, 12. {FLB 89.6} [FLB 89.7] To the obedient child of God, the commandments are a delight. 90 {FLB 89.7} [FLB 90.1] The Faith That Works But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6. {FLB 90.1} [FLB 90.2] Faith is not certainty of knowledge, it is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. {FLB 90.2} [FLB 90.3] Faith is trusting in God--believing that He loves us, and knows what is for our best good. Thus, instead of our own way, it leads us to choose His way. In place of our ignorance, it accepts His wisdom; in place of our weakness, His strength; in place of our sinfulness, His righteousness. Our lives, ourselves, are already His; faith acknowledges His ownership, and accepts its blessing. Truth, uprightness, purity, are pointed out as secrets of life's success. It is faith that puts us in possession of these. Every good impulse or aspiration is the gift of God; faith receives from God the life that alone can produce true growth and efficiency. {FLB 90.3} [FLB 90.4] When we speak of faith, there is a distinction that should be borne in mind. There is a kind of belief that is wholly distinct from faith. The existence and power of God, the truth of His Word, are facts that even Satan and his hosts cannot at heart deny. The Bible says that "the devils also believe, and tremble"; but this is not faith. Where there is not only a belief in God's Word, but a submission of the will to Him; where the heart is yielded to Him, the affections fixed upon Him, there is faith--faith that works by love and purifies the soul. Through this faith the heart is renewed in the image of God. And the heart that in its unrenewed state is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, now delights in its holy precepts, exclaiming with the psalmist, "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day." Psalm 119:97. And the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us, "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1. {FLB 90.4} [FLB 90.5] Faith earns nothing for us; it is the gift of God, which we may receive and cherish by making Christ our personal Saviour. 91 {FLB 90.5} [FLB 91.1] How Faith Is Made Perfect Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. James 2:17. {FLB 91.1} [FLB 91.2] The expulsion of sin is the act of the soul itself. In its great need the soul cries out for a power out of and above itself; and through the operation of the Holy Spirit the nobler powers of the mind are imbued with strength to break away from the bondage of sin. {FLB 91.2} [FLB 91.3] When man surrenders to Christ, the mind is brought under the control of the law, but it is the royal law, which proclaims liberty to every captive. Only by becoming one with Christ can men be made free. Subjection to the will of Christ means restoration to perfect manhood. Sin can triumph only by . . . destroying the liberty of the soul. {FLB 91.3} [FLB 91.4] Do you realize your sinfulness? Do you despise sin? Then remember that the righteousness of Christ is yours if you will grasp it. Can you not see what a strong foundation is placed beneath your feet when you accept Christ? God has accepted the offering of His Son as a complete atonement for the sins of the world. {FLB 91.4} [FLB 91.5] True faith, which relies wholly upon Christ, will be manifested by obedience to all the requirements of God. . . . In all ages there have been those who claimed a right to the favor of God even while they were disregarding some of His commands. But the Scriptures declare that by works is "faith made perfect"; and that, without the works of obedience, faith "is dead." {FLB 91.5} [FLB 91.6] Satan believes and trembles. He works. He knows his time is short, and he has come down in great power to do his evil works according to his faith. But God's professed people do not support their faith by their works. They believe in the shortness of time, yet grasp just as eagerly after this world's goods as though the world were to stand a thousand years as it now is. {FLB 91.6} [FLB 91.7] Do you believe that the end of all things is at hand, that the scenes of this earth's history are fast closing? If so, show your faith by your works. A man will show all the faith he has. 92 {FLB 91.7} [FLB 92.1] Do We Contradict Our Profession? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. Romans 2:23, 24. {FLB 92.1} [FLB 92.2] All who join themselves to the church but not to the Lord will in time develop their true character. "Ye shall know them by their fruits." Matthew 7:16. The precious fruit of godliness, temperance, patience, kindness, love, and charity, does not appear in their lives. They bear only thorns and briers. God is dishonored before the world by all such professors. . . . They are, Satan knows, his best working agents while they are unchanged in heart and life, and their works are in such marked contrast to their profession that they are a stumbling block to unbelievers and a great trial to believers. . . . {FLB 92.2} [FLB 92.3] What an account will those have to give in the day of final reckoning, who profess to be keeping the commandments of God, while their lives contradict their profession, for they bear no precious fruit. {FLB 92.3} [FLB 92.4] Many who would shrink with horror from some great transgression are led to look upon sin in little matters as of trifling consequence. But these little sins eat out the life of godliness in the soul. The feet which enter upon a path diverging from the right way are tending toward the broad road that ends in death. When once a retrograde movement begins, no one can tell where it may end. {FLB 92.4} [FLB 92.5] A true disciple of Christ will seek to imitate the Pattern. His love will lead to perfect obedience. He will study to do the will of God on earth, as it is done in heaven. He whose heart is still defiled with sin cannot be zealous of good works, and is not careful to abstain from evil, . . . is not jealous over his unruly tongue; he is not careful to deny self and lift the cross of Christ. . . . {FLB 92.5} [FLB 92.6] The fruits of the Spirit, ruling in the heart and controlling the life, are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, bowels of mercies, and humbleness of mind. True believers walk after the Spirit, and the Spirit of God dwells in them. 93 {FLB 92.6} [FLB 93.1] Does Faith Cancel Obedience? Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. Romans 3:31. {FLB 93.1} [FLB 93.2] Faith is not an opiate, but a stimulant. Looking to Calvary will not quiet your soul into nonperformance of duty, but will create faith that will work, purifying the soul from all selfishness. {FLB 93.2} [FLB 93.3] The faith in Christ which saves the soul is not what it is represented to be by many. "Believe, believe," is their cry; "only believe in Christ, and you will be saved. It is all you have to do." While true faith trusts wholly in Christ for salvation, it will lead to perfect conformity to the law of God. {FLB 93.3} [FLB 93.4] There are two errors against which the children of God--particularly those who have just come to trust in His grace--especially need to guard. The first . . . is that of looking to their own works, trusting to anything they can do, to bring themselves into harmony with God. He who is trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility. . . . It is the grace of Christ alone, through faith, that can make us holy. {FLB 93.4} [FLB 93.5] The opposite and no less dangerous error is that belief in Christ releases men from keeping the law of God; that since by faith alone we become partakers of the grace of Christ, our works have nothing to do with our redemption. {FLB 93.5} [FLB 93.6] But notice here that obedience is not a mere outward compliance, but the service of love. The law of God is an expression of His very nature; it is an embodiment of the great principle of love, and hence is the foundation of His government in heaven and earth. . . . Instead of releasing man from obedience, it is faith, and faith only, that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enables us to render obedience. {FLB 93.6} [FLB 93.7] As Jesus was in human nature, so God means His followers to be. In His strength we are to live the life of purity and nobility which the Saviour lived. 94 {FLB 93.7} [FLB 94.1] The Great Element of Saving Power For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8, 9. {FLB 94.1} [FLB 94.2] Grace is an attribute of God exercised toward undeserving human beings. We did not seek for it, but it was sent in search of us. {FLB 94.2} [FLB 94.3] Divine grace is the great element of saving power; without it all human effort is unavailing. {FLB 94.3} [FLB 94.4] Are you in Christ? Not if you do not acknowledge yourselves erring, helpless, condemned sinners. Not if you are exalting and glorifying self. If there is any good in you, it is wholly attributable to the mercy of a compassionate Saviour. Your birth, your reputation, your wealth, your talents, your virtues, your piety, your philanthropy, or anything else in you or connected with you, will not form a bond of union between your soul and Christ. Your connection with the church, the manner in which you brethren regard you, will be of no avail unless you believe in Christ. It is not enough to believe about Him; you must believe in Him. You must rely wholly upon His saving grace. {FLB 94.4} [FLB 94.5] Would that you could conceive of the rich supplies of grace and power awaiting your demand. {FLB 94.5} [FLB 94.6] In the matchless gift of His Son, God has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air which circulates around the globe. All who choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere will live, and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. {FLB 94.6} [FLB 94.7] Christ . . . died for us. He does not treat us according to our desert. Although our sins have merited condemnation, He does not condemn us. Year after year He has borne with our weakness and ignorance, with our ingratitude and waywardness. Notwithstanding our wanderings, . . . His hand is stretched out still. {FLB 94.7} [FLB 94.8] Through the grace of Christ we may accomplish everything that God requires. 95 {FLB 94.8} [FLB 95.1] Praying for a Larger Experience I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. Psalm 119:32. {FLB 95.1} [FLB 95.2] The ten holy precepts spoken by Christ upon Sinai's mount . . . made known to the world the fact that He had jurisdiction over the whole human heritage. That law of ten precepts of the greatest love that can be presented to man is the voice of God from heaven speaking to the soul in promise, "This do, and you will not come under the dominion and control of Satan." There is not a negative in that law, although it may appear thus. It is DO, and Live. {FLB 95.2} [FLB 95.3] The God of heaven has placed a benediction upon them that keep the commandments of God. Shall we stand as a peculiar people of God, or shall we trample upon the law of God and say it is not binding? God might just as well have abolished Himself. {FLB 95.3} [FLB 95.4] His law is the echo of His own voice, giving to all the invitation, "Come up higher. Be holy, holier still." Every day we may advance in perfection of Christian character. {FLB 95.4} [FLB 95.5] As the stars tell us that there is a great light in heaven with whose glory they are made bright, so Christians are to make it manifest that there is a God on the throne of the universe whose character is worthy of praise and imitation. {FLB 95.5} [FLB 95.6] The bright beams of heaven's light are shining upon your pathway, dear youth, and I pray that you may make the most of your opportunities. Receive and cherish every heaven-sent ray, and your path will grow brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. {FLB 95.6} [FLB 95.7] We gain . . . strength by walking in the light, that we may have energy to run in the way of God's commandments. We may gain an increase of strength at every step we advance heavenward. {FLB 95.7} [FLB 95.8] We need constantly a fresh revelation of Christ, a daily experience that harmonizes with His teachings. High and holy attainments are within our reach. Continual progress in knowledge and virtue is God's purpose for us. 96 {FLB 95.8} [FLB 96.1] The Saving Power of Jesus And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9. {FLB 96.1} [FLB 96.2] Our precious Saviour has invited us to join ourselves to Him and unite our weakness with His strength, our ignorance with His wisdom, our unworthiness with His merit. {FLB 96.2} [FLB 96.3] Rigid precision in obeying the law would entitle no man to enter the kingdom of heaven. {FLB 96.3} [FLB 96.4] There must be a new birth, a new mind through the operation of the Spirit of God, which purifies the life and ennobles the character. This connection with God fits man for the glorious kingdom of heaven. No human invention can ever find a remedy for the sinning soul. {FLB 96.4} [FLB 96.5] There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness. . . . The idea that it is necessary only to develop the good that exists in man by nature, is a fatal deception. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14. . . . Of Christ it is written, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men"--the only "name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." John 1:4; Acts 4:12. . . . {FLB 96.5} [FLB 96.6] Paul the apostle . . . longed for the purity, the righteousness, to which in himself he was powerless to attain, and he cried out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death?" Romans 7:24, margin. Such is the cry that has gone up from burdened hearts in all lands and in all ages. To all, there is but one answer, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29. {FLB 96.6} [FLB 97.1] Chap. 4 - God's Remedy For Sin The Saviour of Men But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5. {FLB 97.1} [FLB 97.2] The blood of Christ is the eternal antidote for sin. {FLB 97.2} [FLB 97.3] Christ's death on the cross was one of willing obedience, else in it there would have been no merit; for justice would not punish in the place of the sinner an innocent being who was unwilling to bear the penalty. {FLB 97.3} [FLB 97.4] Jesus . . . became a "Man of sorrows," that we might be made partakers of everlasting joy. God permitted His beloved Son, full of grace and truth, to come from a world of indescribable glory, to a world marred and blighted with sin, darkened with the shadow of death and the curse. He permitted Him to leave the bosom of His Love, the adoration of the angels, to suffer shame . . . and death. {FLB 97.4} [FLB 97.5] Behold the cross, and the Victim uplifted upon it. . . . Christ bore our sins in His own body. That suffering, that agony, is the price of your redemption. {FLB 97.5} [FLB 97.6] The bitter cup was apportioned to us to drink. Our sins mingled it. But our dear Saviour took the cup from our lips and drank it Himself, and in its stead He presents to us a cup of . . . salvation. {FLB 97.6} [FLB 97.7] We cannot measure how much deeper our afflictions would have been, how much greater our woes, had not Jesus encircled us with His human arm of sympathy and love, and lifted us up. {FLB 97.7} [FLB 97.8] We may rejoice in hope. . . . Through His ［our Advocate's］ merits we have pardon and peace. He died that He might wash away our sins, clothe us with His righteousness, and fit us for the society of heaven, where we may dwell in light forever. 98 {FLB 97.8} [FLB 98.1] The Sinner's Friend A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24. {FLB 98.1} [FLB 98.2] Jesus is the sinner's friend, His heart is ever open, ever touched with human woe; He has all power, both in heaven and upon earth. {FLB 98.2} [FLB 98.3] In the person of Christ we behold the eternal God engaged in an enterprise of boundless mercy toward fallen man. {FLB 98.3} [FLB 98.4] Christ came to this world to show that by receiving power from on high, man can live an unsullied life. . . . {FLB 98.4} [FLB 98.5] He could say to whom He pleased, "Follow Me," and the one addressed arose and followed Him. The spell of the world's enchantment was broken. At the sound of His voice the spirit of greed and ambition fled from the heart, and men arose, emancipated, to follow the Saviour. . . . {FLB 98.5} [FLB 98.6] He passed by no human being as worthless, but sought to apply the healing remedy to every soul. . . . He sought to inspire with hope the roughest and most unpromising, setting before them the assurance that they might become blameless and harmless, attaining such a character as would make them manifest as the children of God. {FLB 98.6} [FLB 98.7] Often He met those who had drifted under Satan's control, and who had no power to break from his snare. To such a one, discouraged, sick, tempted, fallen, Jesus would speak words of tenderest pity, words that were needed and could be understood. Others He met who were fighting a hand-to-hand battle with the adversary of souls. These He encouraged to persevere, assuring them that they would win; for angels of God were on their side and would give them the victory. {FLB 98.7} [FLB 98.8] The Sinless One pities the weakness of the sinner. . . . {FLB 98.8} [FLB 98.9] Men hate the sinner, while they love the sin. Christ hates the sin, but loves the sinner. This will be the spirit of all who follow Him. Christian love is slow to censure, quick to discern penitence, ready to forgive, to encourage, to set the wanderer in the path of holiness, and to stay his feet therein. 99 {FLB 98.9} [FLB 99.1] A Wellspring of Life But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. John 4:14. {FLB 99.1} [FLB 99.2] Many are suffering from maladies of the soul far more than from diseases of the body, and they will find no relief until they come to Christ, the wellspring of life. . . . Christ is the mighty Healer of the sin-sick soul. {FLB 99.2} [FLB 99.3] If we let go of Jesus we have nothing to hold on to. . . . Perpetual grace in ever-flowing streams is blessing those who will, if athirst, come unto Him and drink. {FLB 99.3} [FLB 99.4] He who seeks to quench his thirst at the fountains of this world will drink only to thirst again. Everywhere men are unsatisfied. They long for something to supply the need of the soul. Only One can meet that want. The need of the world, "the desire of all nations," is Christ. The divine grace which He alone can impart, is as living water, purifying, refreshing, and invigorating the soul. . . . {FLB 99.4} [FLB 99.5] He who tastes of the love of Christ will continually long for more; but he seeks for nothing else. The riches, honors, and pleasures of the world do not attract him. The constant cry of his heart is, More of Thee. And He who reveals to the soul its necessity is waiting to satisfy its hunger and thirst. Every human resource and dependence will fail. The cisterns will be emptied, the pools become dry; but our Redeemer is an inexhaustible fountain. We may drink, and drink again, and ever find a fresh supply. He in whom Christ dwells has within himself the fountain of blessing--"a well of water springing up into everlasting life." From this source he may draw strength and grace sufficient for all his needs. {FLB 99.5} [FLB 99.6] He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver. The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the desert, welling up to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish eager to drink of the water of life. 100 {FLB 99.6} [FLB 100.1] My Guide and Pilot I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Psalm 32:8. {FLB 100.1} [FLB 100.2] Often the Christian life is beset with dangers, and duty seems hard to perform. The imagination pictures impending ruin before, and bondage and death behind. Yet the voice of God speaks clearly, Go forward. . . . Faith looks beyond the difficulties, and lays hold of the unseen, even Omnipotence, therefore it cannot be baffled. Faith is the clasping of the hand of Christ in every emergency. {FLB 100.2} [FLB 100.3] Every ship sailing the sea of life needs to have the divine Pilot on board; but when storms arise, when tempests threaten, many persons push their Pilot overboard, and commit their bark into the hand of finite man, or try to steer it themselves. Then disaster and wreckage generally follow, and the Pilot is blamed for running them into such dangerous waters. Do not commit yourselves into the keeping of men, but say, "The Lord is my helper"; I will seek His counsel; I will be a doer of His will. . . . It is as impossible for us to receive qualification from man, without the divine enlightenment, as it was for the gods of Egypt to deliver those who trusted in them. . . . Do not trust yourself to men. Act under the divine Guide. {FLB 100.3} [FLB 100.4] You have been chosen by Christ. You have been redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb. Plead before God the efficacy of that blood. Say unto Him: "I am Thine by creation; I am Thine by redemption. I respect human authority, and the advice of my brethren; but I cannot depend wholly upon these. I want Thee, O God, to teach me. I have covenanted with Thee to adopt the divine standard of character, and make Thee my counselor and guide--a party to every plan of my life; therefore teach me." Let the glory of the Lord be your first consideration. . . . Let every act of your life be sanctified by a holy endeavor to do the Lord's will, that your influence may not lead others into forbidden paths. 101 {FLB 100.4} [FLB 101.1] The Sacrificial Blood of Christ Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1:18, 19. {FLB 101.1} [FLB 101.2] Upon Christ as our substitute and surety was laid the iniquity of us all. He was counted a transgressor, that He might redeem us from the condemnation of the law. {FLB 101.2} [FLB 101.3] Hating sin with a perfect hatred, He yet gathered to His soul the sins of the whole world. Guiltless, He bore the punishment of the guilty. Innocent, yet offering Himself as a substitute for the transgressor. The guilt of every sin pressed its weight upon the divine soul of the world's Redeemer. The evil thoughts, the evil words, the evil deeds of every son and daughter of Adam, called for retribution upon Himself; for He had become man's substitute. {FLB 101.3} [FLB 101.4] Behold Him in the wilderness, in Gethsemane, upon the cross! The spotless Son of God took upon Himself the burden of sin. He who had been one with God, felt in His soul the awful separation that sin makes between God and man. This wrung from His lips the anguished cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46. It was the burden of sin, the sense of its terrible enormity, of its separation of the soul from God--it was this that broke the heart of the Son of God. {FLB 101.4} [FLB 101.5] "Ye know," says Peter, "that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold." 1 Peter 1:18. Oh, had these been sufficient to purchase the salvation of man, how easily it might have been accomplished by Him who says, "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine"! Haggai 2:8. But the sinner could be redeemed only by the precious blood of the Son of God. {FLB 101.5} [FLB 101.6] By pouring the whole treasury of heaven into this world, by giving us in Christ all heaven, God has purchased the will, the affections, the mind, the soul, of every human being. 102 {FLB 101.6} [FLB 102.1] Justified by His Blood Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Romans 5:9. {FLB 102.1} [FLB 102.2] God calls for faith in Christ as our atoning sacrifice. His blood is the only remedy for sin. {FLB 102.2} [FLB 102.3] It is not God's will that you should be distrustful, and torture your soul with the fear that God will not accept you because you are sinful and unworthy. . . . You can say: "I know I am a sinner, and that is the reason I need a Saviour. . . . I have no merit or goodness whereby I may claim salvation, but I present before God the all-atoning blood of the spotless Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is my only plea." {FLB 102.3} [FLB 102.4] God is approached through Jesus Christ, the Mediator, the only way through which He forgives sins. God cannot forgive sins at the expense of His justice, His holiness, and His truth. But He does forgive sins and that fully. There are no sins He will not forgive in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the sinner's only hope, and if he rests here in sincere faith, he is sure of pardon and that full and free. There is only one channel and that is accessible to all, and through that channel a rich and abundant forgiveness awaits the penitent, contrite soul and the darkest sins are forgiven. These lessons were taught to the chosen people of God thousands of years ago, and repeated in various symbols and figures, that the work of truth might be riveted in every heart, that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. . . . Justice demanded the sufferings of man; but Christ rendered the sufferings of a God. He needed no atonement of suffering for Himself; all His sufferings were for us; all His merits and holiness were open to fallen man, presented as a gift. {FLB 102.4} [FLB 102.5] Christ calls upon us to lay our sins upon Him, the Sin-Bearer. . . . But if we refuse to let them go, taking the responsibility ourselves, we will be lost. We may fall upon Christ, the living stone, and be broken, but if that Stone falls upon us, it will grind us to powder. 103 {FLB 102.5} [FLB 103.1] Peace Through the Cross There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1. {FLB 103.1} [FLB 103.2] If sinners can be led to give one earnest look at the cross, if they can obtain a full view of the crucified Saviour, they will realize the depth of God's compassion and the sinfulness of sin. {FLB 103.2} [FLB 103.3] As your conscience has been quickened by the Holy Spirit, you have seen something of the evil of sin, of its power, its guilt, its woe; and you look upon it with abhorrence. . . . You long to be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be set free. Harmony with God, likeness to Him-- what can you do to obtain it? {FLB 103.3} [FLB 103.4] It is peace that you need--Heaven's forgiveness and peace and love in the soul. Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot procure it, wisdom cannot attain to it; you can never hope, by your own efforts, to secure it. But God offers it to you as a gift, "without money and without price." Isaiah 55:1. . . . {FLB 103.4} [FLB 103.5] Go to Him, and ask that He will wash away your sins, and give you a new heart. Then believe that He does this because He has promised . . . . It is our privilege to go to Jesus and be cleansed, and to stand before the law without shame or remorse. {FLB 103.5} [FLB 103.6] When at the foot of the cross the sinner looks up to the One who died to save him, he may rejoice with fullness of joy; for his sins are pardoned. Kneeling in faith at the cross, he has reached the highest place to which man can attain. {FLB 103.6} [FLB 103.7] Thank God for the gift of His dear Son, and pray that He may not have died for you in vain. The spirit invites you today. Come with your whole heart to Jesus, and you may claim His blessing. {FLB 103.7} [FLB 103.8] As you read the promises, remember they are the expression of unutterable love and pity. . . . Yes, only believe that God is your helper. He wants to restore His moral image in man. As you draw near to Him with confession and repentance, He will draw near to you with mercy and forgiveness. 104 {FLB 103.8} [FLB 104.1] A Glorious Substitution Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. Galatians 3:13. {FLB 104.1} [FLB 104.2] It is the province of the law to condemn, but there is in it no power to pardon or to redeem. {FLB 104.2} [FLB 104.3] Without Christ the law of itself was only condemnation and death to the transgressor. It has no saving quality--no power to shield the transgressor from its penalty. . . . {FLB 104.3} [FLB 104.4] The transgression of God's law made the death of Christ essential to save man and yet maintain the dignity and honor of the law. Christ took upon Himself the condemnation of sin. He opened His bosom to the woes of man. He who knew no sin became sin for us. {FLB 104.4} [FLB 104.5] As man's substitute and surety, the iniquity of men was laid upon Christ; He was counted a transgressor that He might redeem them from the curse of the law. . . . He, the Sin-Bearer, endures judicial punishment for iniquity and becomes sin itself for man. {FLB 104.5} [FLB 104.6] Sin, so hateful to His sight, was heaped upon Him till He groaned beneath its weight. The despairing agony of the Son of God was so much greater than His physical pain, that the latter was hardly felt by Him. {FLB 104.6} [FLB 104.7] God permits His Son to be delivered up for our offenses. He Himself assumes toward the Sin-Bearer the character of a judge, divesting Himself of the endearing qualities of a father. {FLB 104.7} [FLB 104.8] Herein His love commends itself in the most marvelous manner to the rebellious race. {FLB 104.8} [FLB 104.9] The sin of the whole world was laid upon Jesus, and divinity gave its highest value to the suffering of humanity in Jesus, that the whole world might be pardoned through faith in the Substitute. The most guilty need have no fear that God will not pardon, for because of the efficacy of the divine sacrifice the penalty of the law will be remitted. Through Christ the sinner may return to allegiance to God. 105 {FLB 104.9} [FLB 105.1] A Perfect Atonement And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Romans 5:11. {FLB 105.1} [FLB 105.2] The infinite sufficiency of Christ is demonstrated by His bearing the sins of the whole world. He occupies the double position of offerer and of offering, of priest and of victim. {FLB 105.2} [FLB 105.3] In the atonement made for him the believer sees such breadth, and length, and height, and depth of efficiency--sees such completeness of salvation, purchased at such infinite cost, that his soul is filled with praise and thanksgiving. He sees as in a glass the glory of the Lord, and is changed into the same image as by the Spirit of the Lord. {FLB 105.3} [FLB 105.4] The great High Priest has made the only sacrifice that will be of any value. The incense that is offered now by men, the masses that are said for the deliverance of souls from purgatory, are not of the least avail with God. All the altars and sacrifices, the traditions and inventions whereby men hope to earn salvation, are fallacies. . . . Christ is the only sin-bearer, the only sin-offering. . . . {FLB 105.4} [FLB 105.5] Priests and rulers have no right to interpose between Christ and the souls for whom He has died, as though invested with the Saviour's attributes, and able to pardon transgression and sin. They themselves are sinners. They are only human. {FLB 105.5} [FLB 105.6] Prayer and confession are to be offered only to Him who has entered once for all into the holy place. Christ has declared, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2:1. He will save to the uttermost all who come to Him in faith. {FLB 105.6} [FLB 105.7] The Elder Brother of our race is by the eternal throne. He looks upon every soul who is turning his face toward Him as the Saviour. {FLB 105.7} [FLB 105.8] The heaviest burden that we bear is the burden of sin. . . . He will take the load from our weary shoulders. He will give us rest. The burden of care and sorrow also He will bear. He invites us to cast all our care upon Him; for He carries us upon His heart. 106 {FLB 105.8} [FLB 106.1] Type Meets Antitype But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13. {FLB 106.1} [FLB 106.2] God's people, whom He calls His peculiar treasure, were privileged with a twofold system of law; the moral and ceremonial. . . . {FLB 106.2} [FLB 106.3] From the creation the moral law was an essential part of God's divine plan, and was as unchangeable as Himself. The ceremonial law was to answer a particular purpose in Christ's plan for the salvation of the race. The typical system of sacrifices and offerings was established that through these services the sinner might discern the great offering, Christ. . . . The ceremonial law was glorious; it was the provision made by Jesus Christ in counsel with His Father, to aid in the salvation of the race. The whole arrangement of the typical system was founded on Christ. Adam saw Christ prefigured in the innocent beast suffering the penalty of his transgression of Jehovah's law. {FLB 106.3} [FLB 106.4] The need for the service of sacrifices and offerings ceased when type met antitype in the death of Christ. In Him the shadow reached the substance. . . . The law of God will maintain its exalted character as long as the throne of Jehovah endures. This law is the expression of God's character. . . . Types and shadows, offerings and sacrifices, had no virtue after Christ's death on the cross; but God's law was not crucified with Christ. . . . Today he ［Satan］ is deceiving human beings in regard to the law of God. {FLB 106.4} [FLB 106.5] The law of the ten commandments lives and will live through the eternal ages. . . . {FLB 106.5} [FLB 106.6] God did not make the infinite sacrifice of giving His only-begotten Son to our world, to secure for man the privilege of breaking the commandments of God in this life and in the future eternal life. {FLB 106.6} [FLB 106.7] He ［Jesus］ gave His precious, innocent life to save guilty human beings from eternal ruin, that through faith in Him they might stand guiltless before the throne of God. 107 {FLB 106.7} [FLB 107.1] Redemption and Forgiveness In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Ephesians 1:7. {FLB 107.1} [FLB 107.2] The grace of Christ is freely to justify the sinner without merit or claim on his part. Justification is a full, complete pardon of sin. The moment a sinner accepts Christ by faith, that moment he is pardoned. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to him, and he is no more to doubt God's forgiving grace. {FLB 107.2} [FLB 107.3] There is nothing in faith that makes it our saviour. Faith cannot remove our guilt. Christ is the power of God unto salvation to all them that believe. The justification comes through the merits of Jesus Christ. He has paid the price for the sinner's redemption. Yet it is only through faith in His blood that Jesus can justify the believer. {FLB 107.3} [FLB 107.4] The sinner cannot depend upon his own good works as a means of justification. He must come to the point where he will renounce all his sin, and embrace one degree of light after another as it shines upon his pathway. He simply grasps by faith the free and ample provision made in the blood of Christ. He believes the promises of God, which through Christ are made unto him sanctification and righteousness and redemption. And if he follows Jesus, he will walk humbly in the light, rejoicing in the light and diffusing that light to others. {FLB 107.4} [FLB 107.5] Let the repenting sinner fix his eyes upon "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." . . . When we see Jesus, a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief, working to save the lost, slighted, scorned, derided, driven from city to city till His mission was accomplished; when we behold Him in Gethsemane, sweating great drops of blood, and on the cross dying in agony--when we see this, self will no longer clamor to be recognized. Looking unto Jesus, we shall be ashamed of our coldness, our lethargy, our self-seeking. We shall be willing to be anything or nothing, so that we may do heart service for the Master. We shall rejoice to bear the cross after Jesus, to endure trial, shame, or persecution for His dear sake. 108 {FLB 107.5} [FLB 108.1] Self-righteousness Insufficient For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20. {FLB 108.1} [FLB 108.2] The greatest deception of the human mind in Christ's day was that a mere assent to the truth constitutes righteousness. In all human experience a theoretical knowledge of the truth has been proved to be insufficient for the saving of the soul. It does not bring forth the fruits of righteousness. . . . The Pharisees claimed to be children of Abraham, and boasted of their possession of the oracles of God; yet these advantages did not preserve them from selfishness, malignity, greed for gain, and the basest hypocrisy. . . . {FLB 108.2} [FLB 108.3] The same danger still exists. Many take it for granted that they are Christians, simply because they subscribe to certain theological tenets. But they have not brought the truth into practical life. They have not believed and loved it, therefore they have not received the power and grace that come through sanctification of the truth. Men may profess faith in the truth; but if it does not make them sincere, kind, patient, forbearing, heavenly-minded, it is a curse to its possessors, and through their influence it is a curse to the world. {FLB 108.3} [FLB 108.4] The righteousness which Christ taught is conformity of heart and life to the revealed will of God. Sinful men can become righteous only as they have faith in God and maintain a vital connection with Him. Then true godliness will elevate the thoughts and ennoble the life. Then the external forms of religion accord with the Christian's internal purity. Then the ceremonies required in the service of God are not meaningless rites, like those of the hypocritical Pharisees. {FLB 108.4} [FLB 108.5] Salvation is God's free gift to the believer, given to him for Christ's sake alone. The troubled soul may find peace through faith in Christ, and his peace will be in proportion to his faith and trust. He cannot present his good works as a plea for the salvation of his soul. 109 {FLB 108.5} [FLB 109.1] Filled With His Righteousness Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6. {FLB 109.1} [FLB 109.2] Righteousness is holiness, likeness to God, and "God is love." 1 John 4:16. It is conformity to the law of God, for "all thy commandments are righteousness" (Psalm 119:172), and "love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:10). Righteousness is love, and love is the light and the life of God. The righteousness of God is embodied in Christ. We receive righteousness by receiving Him. {FLB 109.2} [FLB 109.3] Not by painful struggles or wearisome toil, not by gift or sacrifice, is righteousness obtained; but it is freely given to every soul who hungers and thirsts to receive it. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat;. . . without money and without price." Isaiah 55:1. "Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord," and, "This is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our righteousness." Isaiah 54:17; Jeremiah 23:6. {FLB 109.3} [FLB 109.4] No human agent can supply that which will satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul. But Jesus says, . . ."I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." John 6:35. . . . {FLB 109.4} [FLB 109.5] The more we know of God, the higher will be our ideal of character and the more earnest our longing to reflect His likeness. A divine element combines with the human when the soul reaches out after God and the longing heart can say, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him." Psalm 62:5. . . . {FLB 109.5} [FLB 109.6] The continual cry of the heart is, "More of Thee," and ever the Spirit's answer is, "Much more." Romans 5:9, 10. . . . It was the good pleasure of the Father that in Christ should "all the fulness dwell," and "in him ye are made full." Colossians 1:19, R.V.; 2:10, R.V. {FLB 109.6} [FLB 109.7] Christ is the great depository of justifying righteousness and sanctifying grace. {FLB 109.7} [FLB 109.8] All may come to Him, and receive of His fullness. 110 {FLB 109.8} [FLB 110.1] The First Steps in Justification Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. Acts 5:31. {FLB 110.1} [FLB 110.2] Many are confused as to what constitutes the first steps in the work of salvation. Repentance is thought to be a work the sinner must do for himself in order that he may come to Christ. They think that the sinner must procure himself a fitness in order to obtain the blessing of God's grace. But while it is true that repentance must precede forgiveness, for it is only the broken and contrite heart that is acceptable to God, yet the sinner cannot bring himself to repentance, or prepare himself to come to Christ. . . . The very first step to Christ is taken through the drawing of the Spirit of God; as man responds to this drawing, he advances toward Christ in order that he may repent. . . . {FLB 110.2} [FLB 110.3] When before the high priests and Sadducees, Peter clearly presented the fact that repentance is the gift of God. Speaking of Christ, he said, "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Repentance is no less the gift of God than are pardon and justification, and it cannot be experienced except as it is given to the soul by Christ. If we are drawn to Christ, it is through His power and virtue. The grace of contrition comes through Him, and from Him comes justification. {FLB 110.3} [FLB 110.4] Who is desirous of becoming truly repentant? What must he do? He must come to Jesus, just as he is, without delay. He must believe that the word of Christ is true, and, believing the promise, ask, that he may receive. When sincere desire prompts men to pray, they will not pray in vain. The Lord will fulfill His word, and will give the Holy Spirit to lead to repentance. . . . With prayer he ［the repentant sinner］ will mingle faith, and not only believe in but obey the precepts of the law. . . . He will renounce all habits and associations that tend to draw the heart from God. 111 {FLB 110.4} [FLB 111.1] The Righteousness of Christ Sufficient But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference. Romans 3:21, 22. {FLB 111.1} [FLB 111.2] What is justification by faith? It is the work of God in laying the glory of man in the dust, and doing for man that which it is not in his power to do for himself. When men see their own nothingness, they are prepared to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. {FLB 111.2} [FLB 111.3] Those whom heaven recognizes as holy ones are the last to parade their own goodness. The apostle Peter became a faithful minister of Christ, and he was greatly honored with divine light and power; he had an active part in the upbuilding of Christ's church; but Peter never forgot the fearful experience of his humiliation; his sin was forgiven; yet well he knew that for the weakness of character which had caused his fall only the grace of Christ could avail. He found in himself nothing in which to glory. {FLB 111.3} [FLB 111.4] None of the apostles or prophets ever claimed to be without sin. Men who have lived nearest to God, men who would sacrifice life itself rather than knowingly commit a wrong act, men whom God had honored with divine light and power, have confessed the sinfulness of their own nature. They have put no confidence in the flesh, have claimed no righteousness of their own, but have trusted wholly in the righteousness of Christ. So will it be with all who behold Christ. {FLB 111.4} [FLB 111.5] The righteousness of Christ, as a pure white pearl, has no defect, no stain, no guilt. This righteousness may be ours. Salvation, with its blood-bought, inestimable treasures, is the pearl of great price. {FLB 111.5} [FLB 111.6] The thought that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us, not because of any merit on our part, but as a free gift from God, is a precious thought. The enemy of God and man is not willing that this truth should be clearly presented; for he knows that if the people receive it fully, his power will be broken. 112 {FLB 111.6} [FLB 112.1] His Righteousness Obtained by Faith But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Romans 4:5. {FLB 112.1} [FLB 112.2] The faith that is unto salvation is not a casual faith, it is not the mere consent of the intellect, it is belief rooted in the heart, that embraces Christ as a personal Saviour, assured that He can save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. . . . {FLB 112.2} [FLB 112.3] The perishing sinner may say: "I am a lost sinner; but Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. He says, `I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' I am a sinner, and He died upon Calvary's cross to save me. I need not remain a moment longer unsaved. He died and rose again for my justification, and He will save me now. I accept the forgiveness He has promised." . . . {FLB 112.3} [FLB 112.4] The great work that is wrought for the sinner who is spotted and stained by evil is the work of justification. By Him who speaketh truth he is declared righteous. The Lord imputes unto the believer the righteousness of Christ and pronounces him righteous before the universe. He transfers his sins to Jesus, the sinner's representative, substitute, and surety. Upon Christ He lays the iniquity of every soul that believeth. "He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21. . . . {FLB 112.4} [FLB 112.5] Through repentance and faith we are rid of sin, and look unto the Lord our righteousness. Jesus suffered, the just for the unjust. . . . {FLB 112.5} [FLB 112.6] Having made us righteous through the imputed righteousness of Christ, God pronounces us just, and treats us as just. He looks upon us as His dear children. Christ works against the power of sin, and where sin abounded, grace much more abounds. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:1, 2. {FLB 112.6} [FLB 112.7] God has made ample provision that we may stand perfect in His grace, wanting in nothing, waiting for the appearing of our Lord. 113 {FLB 112.7} [FLB 113.1] Clothed in His Righteousness I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10. {FLB 113.1} [FLB 113.2] Only the covering which Christ Himself has provided can make us meet to appear in God's presence. This covering, the robe of His own righteousness, Christ will put upon every repenting, believing soul. "I counsel thee," He says, "to buy of me . . . white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed. . . ." Revelation 3:18. {FLB 113.2} [FLB 113.3] This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human devising. Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us. "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Isaiah 64:6. Everything that we of ourselves can do is defiled by sin. But the Son of God "was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin." Sin is defined to be "the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:5, 4. But Christ was obedient to every requirement of the law. . . . {FLB 113.3} [FLB 113.4] By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God's commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah. {FLB 113.4} [FLB 113.5] Those who . . . accept of Christ are looked upon by God, not as they are in Adam, but as they are in Jesus Christ, as the sons and daughters of God. {FLB 113.5} [FLB 113.6] We are not to be anxious about what Christ and God think of us, but about what God thinks of Christ, our Substitute. 114 {FLB 113.6} [FLB 114.1] Proving the Will of God And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2. {FLB 114.1} [FLB 114.2] Christ came to the world to counteract Satan's falsehood that God had made a law which men could not keep. Taking humanity upon Himself, He came to this earth, and by a life of obedience showed that God has not made a law that man cannot keep. He showed that it is possible for man perfectly to obey the law. Those who accept Christ as their Saviour, becoming partakers of His divine nature, are enabled to follow His example, living in obedience to every precept of the law. Through the merits of Christ, man is to show by his obedience that he could be trusted in heaven, that he would not rebel. {FLB 114.2} [FLB 114.3] In all His Godlike deeds, the world's Redeemer declares, "I can of mine own self do nothing." "This commandment have I received of my Father." John 5:30; 10:18. All I do is in fulfillment of the counsel and will of My heavenly Father. The history of the daily earthly life of Jesus is the exact record of the fulfillment of the purposes of God toward man. His life and character were the unfolding or representation of the perfection of the character that man may attain by becoming a partaker of the divine nature, and overcoming the world through daily conflicts. {FLB 114.3} [FLB 114.4] The youth need to keep ever before them the course that Christ followed. . . . In the study of His life we shall learn how much God through Him will do for His children. And we shall learn that, however great our trials may be, they cannot exceed what Christ endured. {FLB 114.4} [FLB 114.5] Those who walk even as Christ walked, who are patient, gentle, kind, meek and lowly in heart, those who yoke up with Christ and lift His burdens, who yearn for souls as He yearned for them--these will enter into the joy of their Lord. They will see with Christ the travail of His soul, and be satisfied. Heaven will triumph, for the vacancies made in heaven by the fall of Satan and his angels will be filled by the redeemed of the Lord. 115 {FLB 114.5} [FLB 115.1] Faith Demonstrated by Works Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. James 2:18. {FLB 115.1} [FLB 115.2] The part man has to act in the salvation of the soul is to believe on Jesus Christ as a perfect Redeemer, not for some other man, but for his own self. {FLB 115.2} [FLB 115.3] Christ imputes His perfection and righteousness to the believing sinner when he does not continue in sin, but turns from transgression to obedience of the commandments. {FLB 115.3} [FLB 115.4] While God can be just, and yet justify the sinner through the merits of Christ, no man can cover his soul with the garments of Christ's righteousness while practicing known sins, or neglecting known duties. {FLB 115.4} [FLB 115.5] The apostle James saw that dangers would arise in presenting the subject of justification by faith, and he labored to show that genuine faith cannot exist without corresponding works. The experience of Abraham is presented. "Seest thou," he says, "how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" James 2:22. Thus genuine faith does a genuine work in the believer. Faith and obedience bring a solid, valuable experience. {FLB 115.5} [FLB 115.6] Faith and works are two oars which we must use equally if we ［would］ press our way up the stream against the current of unbelief. {FLB 115.6} [FLB 115.7] The so-called faith that does not work by love and purify the soul will not justify any man. "Ye see," says the apostle, "how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." James 2:24. Abraham believed God. How do we know that he believed? His works testified to the character of his faith, and his faith was accounted to him for righteousness. We need the faith of Abraham in our day, to lighten the darkness that gathers around us, shutting out the sweet sunlight of God's love, and dwarfing spiritual growth. Our faith should be prolific of good works; for faith without works is dead. 116 {FLB 115.7} [FLB 116.1] Sanctification the Work of a Lifetime And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. John 17:19. {FLB 116.1} [FLB 116.2] The righteousness by which we are justified is imputed; the righteousness by which we are sanctified is imparted. The first is our title to heaven, the second is our fitness for heaven. {FLB 116.2} [FLB 116.3] Many commit the error of trying to define minutely the fine points of distinction between justification and sanctification. Into the definitions of these two terms they often bring their own ideas and speculations. Why try to be more minute than is Inspiration on the vital question of righteousness by faith? {FLB 116.3} [FLB 116.4] As the penitent sinner, contrite before God, discerns Christ's atonement in his behalf, and accepts this atonement as his only hope in this life and the future life, his sins are pardoned. This is justification by faith. {FLB 116.4} [FLB 116.5] Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, a day, but of a lifetime. It is not gained by a happy flight of feeling, but is the result of constantly dying to sin, and constantly living for Christ. Wrongs cannot be righted nor reformations wrought in the character by feeble, intermittent efforts. It is only by long, persevering effort, sore discipline, and stern conflict, that we shall overcome. {FLB 116.5} [FLB 116.6] It ［sanctification］ is not merely a theory, an emotion, or a form of words, but a living, active principle, entering into the everyday life. It requires that our habits of eating, drinking, and dressing be such as to secure the preservation of physical, mental, and moral health, that we may present to the Lord our bodies--not an offering corrupted by wrong habits but--"a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God." {FLB 116.6} [FLB 116.7] The Scriptures are the great agency in the transformation of character. . . . If studied and obeyed, the Word of God works in the heart, subduing every unholy attribute. {FLB 116.7} [FLB 116.8] There is no such thing as instantaneous sanctification. True sanctification is a daily work, continuing as long as life shall last. 117 {FLB 116.8} [FLB 117.1] A Hatred of Sin Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Hebrews 1:9. {FLB 117.1} [FLB 117.2] When in conversion the sinner finds peace with God through the blood of the atonement, the Christian life has but just begun. {FLB 117.2} [FLB 117.3] The grace that Christ implants in the soul . . . creates in man enmity against Satan. Without this converting grace and renewing power, man would continue the captive of Satan, a servant ever ready to do his bidding. But the new principle in the soul creates conflict where hitherto had been peace. The power which Christ imparts, enables man to resist the tyrant and usurper. Whoever is seen to abhor sin instead of loving it, whoever resists and conquers those passions that have held sway within, displays the operation of a principle wholly from above. {FLB 117.3} [FLB 117.4] Conformity to the world and harmony with Christ cannot be maintained. Worldly maxims and worldly practices sap spirituality from heart and life. Conformity to the world means resemblance to the world in meeting the world's standard. . . . No man can serve the world and Jesus Christ at the same time. There is an irreconcilable antagonism, between Christ and the world. {FLB 117.4} [FLB 117.5] How few can say: "I am dead to the world; the life I now live is by faith in the Son of God!" . . . While those around us may be vain and engaged in pleasure-seeking and folly, our conversation is in heaven, whence we look for the Saviour; the soul is reaching out after God for pardon and peace, for righteousness and true holiness. Converse with God and contemplation of things above transform the soul into the likeness of Christ. {FLB 117.5} [FLB 117.6] Let your heart be softened and melted under the divine influence of the Spirit of God. You should not talk so much about yourself, for this will strengthen no one. . . . Talk of Jesus, and let self go; let it be submerged in Christ. 118 {FLB 117.6} [FLB 118.1] "If Any Man Sin--" If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1. {FLB 118.1} [FLB 118.2] When we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, we shall have no relish for sin; for Christ will be working with us. We may make mistakes, but we will hate the sin that caused the suffering of the Son of God. {FLB 118.2} [FLB 118.3] If one who daily communes with God errs from the path, if he turns a moment from looking steadfastly unto Jesus, it is not because he sins willfully; for when he sees his mistake, he turns again, and fastens his eyes upon Jesus, and the fact that he has erred does not make him less dear to the heart of God. He knows that he has communion with the Saviour; and when reproved for his mistake in some matter of judgment, he does not walk sullenly, and complain of God, but turns the mistake into a victory. {FLB 118.3} [FLB 118.4] There are those who have known the pardoning love of Christ, and who really desire to be children of God, yet they realize that their character is imperfect, their life faulty, and they are ready to doubt whether their hearts have been renewed by the Holy Spirit. To such I would say, Do not draw back in despair. We shall often have to bow down and weep at the feet of Jesus because of our shortcomings and mistakes; but we are not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome by the enemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken and rejected of God. No; Christ is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Said the beloved John, "These things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." And do not forget the words of Christ, "The Father himself loveth you." John 16:27. He desires to restore you to Himself, to see His own purity and holiness reflected in you. And if you will but yield yourself to Him, He that hath begun a good work in you will carry it forward to the day of Jesus Christ. {FLB 118.4} [FLB 118.5] All sin . . . may be overcome by the Holy Spirit's power. 119 {FLB 118.5} [FLB 119.1] The Test of Character And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Malachi 3:3. {FLB 119.1} [FLB 119.2] Many who profess sanctification are entirely ignorant of the work of grace upon the heart. . . . They lay aside reason and judgment, and depend wholly upon their feelings, basing their claims to sanctification upon emotions which they have at some time experienced. . . . {FLB 119.2} [FLB 119.3] Bible sanctification does not consist in strong emotion. Here is where many are led into error. They make feelings their criterion. When they feel elated or happy, they claim that they are sanctified. Happy feelings or the absence of joy is no evidence that a person is or is not sanctified. . . . Those who are battling with daily temptations, overcoming their own sinful tendencies, and seeking for holiness of heart and life, make no boastful claims of holiness. They are hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Sin appears to them exceedingly sinful. {FLB 119.3} [FLB 119.4] In summer, as we look upon the trees of the distant forest, all clothed with a beautiful mantle of green, we may not be able to distinguish between the evergreens and the other trees. But as winter approaches, and the frost king encloses them in his icy embrace, stripping the other trees of their beautiful foliage, the evergreens are readily discerned. Thus it will be with all who are walking in humility, distrustful of self, but clinging tremblingly to the hand of Christ. While those who are self-confident, and trust in their own perfection of character, lose their false robe of righteousness when subjected to the storms of trial, the truly righteous, who sincerely love and fear God, wear the robe of Christ's righteousness in prosperity and adversity alike. {FLB 119.4} [FLB 119.5] It requires the testing time to reveal the pure gold of love and faith in the character. When trials and perplexities come upon the church, then the steadfast zeal and warm affections of Christ's true followers are developed. 120 {FLB 119.5} [FLB 120.1] The Ladder to Perfection According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. 2 Peter 1:3. {FLB 120.1} [FLB 120.2] Jesus is the ladder to heaven, . . . and God calls upon us to mount this ladder. But we cannot do this while we load ourselves down with earthly treasures. We wrong ourselves when we place our convenience and personal advantages before the things of God. There is no salvation in earthly possessions or surroundings. A man is not exalted in God's sight, or accredited by Him as possessing goodness, because he has earthly riches. If we gain a genuine experience in climbing, . . . we must leave every hindrance behind. Those who mount must place their feet firmly on every round of the ladder. {FLB 120.2} [FLB 120.3] We are saved by climbing round after round of the ladder, looking to Christ, clinging to Christ, mounting step by step to the height of Christ, so that He is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity are the rounds of this ladder. {FLB 120.3} [FLB 120.4] Courage, fortitude, faith, and implicit trust in God's power to save are needed. These heavenly graces do not come in a moment; they are acquired by the experience of years. But every sincere and earnest seeker will become a partaker of the divine nature. His soul will be filled with intense longing to know the fullness of that love which passes knowledge. As he advances in the divine life, he will be better able to grasp the elevated, ennobling truths of the Word of God, until, by beholding, he becomes changed, and is enabled to reflect the likeness of his Redeemer. {FLB 120.4} [FLB 120.5] Child of God, angels are watching the character you develop, they are weighing your words and actions; therefore take heed to your ways, . . . prove whether you are in the love of God. {FLB 120.5} [FLB 120.6] To love God supremely and our neighbor as ourselves is genuine sanctification. 121 {FLB 120.6} [FLB 121.1] Joy and Peace in the Holy Ghost For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Romans 14:17. {FLB 121.1} [FLB 121.2] The promises are, "A new heart will I give you"; "I will put my Spirit within you." This provision is made for us through the merit of Christ's righteousness: "And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever." Isaiah 32:17. Those who experience the change spoken of in these words will find that their restlessness and disquietude are all taken away, and they will find rest unto their souls in Christ. His merit, His righteousness, are imputed to the believing soul, and the believer has inward peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. {FLB 121.2} [FLB 121.3] The Lord would have all His sons and daughters happy, peaceful, and obedient. . . . {FLB 121.3} [FLB 121.4] Happiness that is sought from selfish motives, outside of the path of duty, is ill-balanced, fitful, and transitory; it passes away, and the soul is filled with loneliness and sorrow; but there is joy and satisfaction in the service of God; the Christian is not left to walk in uncertain paths; he is not left to vain regrets and disappointments. If we do not have the pleasures of this life, we may still be joyful in looking to the life beyond. {FLB 121.4} [FLB 121.5] But even here Christians may have the joy of communion with Christ; they may have the light of His love, the perpetual comfort of His presence. Every step in life may bring us closer to Jesus, may give us a deeper experience of His love, and may bring us one step nearer to the blessed home of peace. {FLB 121.5} [FLB 121.6] There is peace in believing, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Believing brings peace, and trusting in God brings joy. Believe, believe! my soul says, believe. Rest in God. He is able to keep that which you have committed to His trust. He will bring you off more than conqueror through Him who hath loved you. 122 {FLB 121.6} [FLB 122.1] What Is Faith? Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1. {FLB 122.1} [FLB 122.2] It is not essential to the exercise of faith that the feelings should be wrought up to a high pitch of excitement; neither is it necessary, in order to gain the hearing of the Lord, that our petitions should be noisy, or attended with physical exercise. {FLB 122.2} [FLB 122.3] It is true that Satan frequently creates in the heart of the suppliant such a conflict with doubt and temptation that strong cries and tears are involuntarily forced from him; and it is also true that the penitent's sense of guilt is sometimes so great that a repentance commensurate with his sin causes him to experience an agony that finds vent in cries and groans, which the compassionate Saviour hears with pity. But Jesus does not fail to answer the silent prayer of faith. He who simply takes God at His word, and reaches out to connect himself with the Saviour, will receive His blessing in return. {FLB 122.3} [FLB 122.4] Faith is not feeling. . . . True faith is in no sense allied to presumption. Only he who has true faith is secure against presumption, for presumption is Satan's counterfeit of faith. {FLB 122.4} [FLB 122.5] Faith claims God's promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience. Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love of God and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to transgress His law, believing that His great love would save them from the consequences of their sin. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the conditions on which mercy is to be granted. Genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures. {FLB 122.5} [FLB 122.6] To abide in faith is to put aside feeling and selfish desires, to walk humbly with the Lord, to appropriate His promises, and apply them to all occasions, believing that God will work out His own plans and purposes in your heart and life. 123 {FLB 122.6} [FLB 123.1] Faith Comes Through the Promises So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17. {FLB 123.1} [FLB 123.2] The truths of the Word of God meet man's great practical necessity--the conversion of the soul through faith. These grand principles are not to be thought too pure and holy to be brought into the daily life. They are truths which reach to heaven and compass eternity, yet their vital influence is to be woven into human experience. They are to permeate all the great things and all the little things of life. {FLB 123.2} [FLB 123.3] How far we come from representing the character of Christ! But we must lay hold of His merits by living faith, and claim Him as our Saviour. He died on Calvary to save us. Each should make it a personal work between God and his own soul, as though there were no one in the world but himself. When we exercise personal faith, our hearts will not be as cold as an iron wedge; we shall be able to realize what is meant by the psalmist when he says, "Blessed is he . . . whose sin is covered." Psalm 32:1. {FLB 123.3} [FLB 123.4] God invites us to prove for ourselves the reality of His Word, the truth of His promises. He bids us "taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalm 34:8. . . . He declares, "Ask, and ye shall receive." John 16:24. His promises will be fulfilled. They have never failed; they never can fail. {FLB 123.4} [FLB 123.5] Our Saviour wants you to keep in close relation to Himself, that He may make you happy. When Christ lets His blessing rest upon us, we should offer thanksgiving and praise to His dear name. But, you say, if I could only know that He is my Saviour! Well, what kind of evidence do you want? Do you want a special feeling or emotion to prove that Christ is yours? Is this more reliable than pure faith in God's promises? Would it not be better to take the blessed promises of God and apply them to yourself, bearing your whole weight upon them? This is faith. 124 {FLB 123.5} [FLB 124.1] The Good Fight of Faith Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12. {FLB 124.1} [FLB 124.2] The earnest counsel given by the apostle Paul to Timothy, that he might not fail in doing his duty, should be set before the youth of today: "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12. Besetting sins must be battled with and overcome. Objectionable traits of character, whether hereditary or cultivated, should be taken up separately, and compared with the great rule of righteousness; and in the light reflected from the Word of God, they should be firmly resisted and overcome, through the strength of Christ. . . . {FLB 124.2} [FLB 124.3] Day by day, and hour by hour, there must be a vigorous process of self-denial and of sanctification going on within; and then the outward works will testify that Jesus is abiding in the heart by faith. Sanctification does not close the avenues of the soul to knowledge, but it comes to expand the mind, and to inspire it to search for truth, as for hidden treasure; and the knowledge of God's will advances the work of sanctification. There is a heaven, and O, how earnestly we should strive to reach it. I appeal to you . . . to believe in Jesus as your Saviour. Believe that He is ready to help you by His grace, when you come to Him in sincerity. You must fight the good fight of faith. You must be wrestlers for the crown of life. Strive, for the grasp of Satan is upon you; and if you do not wrench yourselves from him, you will be palsied and ruined. The foe is on the right hand, and on the left, before you, and behind you; and you must trample him under your feet. Strive, for there is a crown to be won. {FLB 124.3} [FLB 124.4] Soon we shall witness the coronation of our King. Those whose lives have been hidden with Christ, those who on this earth have fought the good fight of faith, will shine forth with the Redeemer's glory in the kingdom of God. 125 {FLB 124.4} [FLB 125.1] The Just Shall Live by Faith As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Colossians 2:6. {FLB 125.1} [FLB 125.2] Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness--all depend upon our union with Christ. It is by communion with Him, daily, hourly--by abiding in Him--that we are to grow in grace. He is not only the author, but the finisher of our faith. It is Christ first and last and always. He is to be with us, not only at the beginning and the end of our course, but at every step of the way. . . . {FLB 125.2} [FLB 125.3] Do you ask, "How am I to abide in Christ?" In the same way as you received Him at first. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." Colossians 2:6. "The just shall live by faith." Hebrews 10:38. You gave yourself to God, to be His wholly, to serve and obey Him, and you took Christ as your Saviour. You could not yourself atone for your sins or change your heart; but having given yourself to God, you believe that He for Christ's sake did all this for you. By faith you became Christ's, and by faith you are to grow up in Him--by giving and taking. You are to give all--your heart, your will, your service--give yourself to Him to obey all His requirements; and you must take all--Christ, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness, your everlasting helper --to give you power to obey. {FLB 125.3} [FLB 125.4] Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, "Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee." This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ. 126 {FLB 125.4} [FLB 126.1] Faith Is the Victory For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4. {FLB 126.1} [FLB 126.2] The Christian's life should be one of faith, of victory, and joy in God. "Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Truly spake God's servant Nehemiah, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10. And Paul says: "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice." Philippians 4:4. "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks. . . ." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. {FLB 126.2} [FLB 126.3] God is able and willing to bestow upon His servants all the strength they need, and to give them the wisdom that their varied necessities demand. He will more than fulfill the highest expectations of those who put their trust in Him. {FLB 126.3} [FLB 126.4] Jesus does not call on us to follow Him, and then forsake us. If we surrender our lives to His service, we can never be placed in a position for which God has not made provision. Whatever may be our situation, we have a Guide to direct our way; whatever our perplexities, we have a sure Counselor; whatever our sorrow, bereavement, or loneliness, we have a sympathizing Friend. If in our ignorance we make missteps, Christ does not leave us. . . . "He shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper." Psalm 72:12. {FLB 126.4} [FLB 126.5] Faith . . . enables us to look beyond the present, with its burdens and cares, to the great hereafter, where all that now perplexes us shall be made plain. Faith sees Jesus standing as our Mediator at the right hand of God. Faith beholds the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for those who love Him. Faith sees the robe and crown prepared for the overcomer, and hears the song of the redeemed. {FLB 126.5} [FLB 126.6] We may claim much of our kind heavenly Father. . . . We may believe in God, we may trust Him, and by so doing glorify His name. {FLB 126.6} [FLB 126.7] The strength of those who, in faith, love and serve God, will be renewed day by day. {FLB 126.7} [FLB 127.1] Chap. 5 - Conversion And The New Life True Sorrow for Sin Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3:19. {FLB 127.1} [FLB 127.2] The conditions of obtaining mercy of God are simple and just and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing in order that we may have the forgiveness of sin. We need not make long and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform painful penances, to commend our souls to the God of heaven or to expiate our transgression; but he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy. {FLB 127.2} [FLB 127.3] Repentance includes sorrow for sin, and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life. {FLB 127.3} [FLB 127.4] One ray of the glory of God, one gleam of the purity of Christ, penetrating the soul, makes every spot of defilement painfully distinct, and lays bare the deformity and defects of the human character. It makes apparent the unhallowed desires, the infidelity of the heart, the impurity of the lips. The sinner's acts of disloyalty in making void the law of God, are exposed to his sight, and his spirit is stricken and afflicted under the searching influence of the Spirit of God. {FLB 127.4} [FLB 127.5] The tears of the penitent are only the raindrops that precede the sunshine of holiness. This sorrow heralds a joy which will be a living fountain in the soul. "Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God"; "and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord." Jeremiah 3:13, 12. "Unto them that mourn in Zion," He has appointed to give "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." Isaiah 61:3. 128 {FLB 127.5} [FLB 128.1] Sincere Confession Essential If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9. {FLB 128.1} [FLB 128.2] The apostle says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." James 5:16. Confess your sins to God, who only can forgive them, and your faults to one another. If you have given offense to your friend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty freely to forgive you. Then you are to seek the forgiveness of God, because the brother you have wounded is the property of God, and in injuring him you have sinned against his Creator. . . . {FLB 128.2} [FLB 128.3] True confession is always of a specific character, and acknowledges particular sins. They may be of such a nature as to be brought before God only; they may be wrongs that should be confessed to individuals who have suffered injury through them; or they may be of a public character, and should then be as publicly confessed. But all confession should be definite and to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which you are guilty. {FLB 128.3} [FLB 128.4] Many, many confessions should never be spoken in the hearing of mortals; for the result is that which the limited judgment of finite beings does not anticipate. . . . God will be better glorified if we confess the secret, inbred corruption of the heart to Jesus alone than if we open its recesses to finite, erring man, who cannot judge righteously unless his heart is constantly imbued with the Spirit of God. . . . Do not pour into human ears the story which God alone should hear. {FLB 128.4} [FLB 128.5] The confession that is the outpouring of the inmost soul finds its way to the God of infinite pity. {FLB 128.5} [FLB 128.6] Your sins may be as mountains before you; but if you humble your heart, and confess your sins, trusting in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour, He will forgive, and will cleanse you from all unrighteousness. . . . Desire the fullness of the grace of Christ. Let your heart be filled with an intense longing for His righteousness. 129 {FLB 128.6} [FLB 129.1] The Meaning of Forgiveness Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. Micah 7:18. {FLB 129.1} [FLB 129.2] God's forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He sets us free from condemnation. It is not only forgiveness for sin but reclaiming from sin. It is the outflow of redeeming love that transforms the heart. David had the true conception of forgiveness when he prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10. {FLB 129.2} [FLB 129.3] If you take even one step toward Him in repentance, He will hasten to enfold you in His arms of infinite love. His ear is open to the cry of the contrite soul. The very first reaching out of the heart after God is known to Him. Never a prayer is offered, however faltering, never a tear is shed, however secret, never a sincere desire after God is cherished, however feeble, but the Spirit of God goes forth to meet it. Even before the prayer is uttered or the yearning of the heart made known, grace from Christ goes forth to meet the grace that is working upon the human soul. {FLB 129.3} [FLB 129.4] Your heavenly Father will take from you the garments defiled by sin. In the beautiful parabolic prophecy of Zechariah, the high priest Joshua, standing clothed in filthy garments before the angel of the Lord, represents the sinner. And the word is spoken by the Lord, "Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. . . . So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments." Zechariah 3:4, 5. Even so God will clothe you with "the garments of salvation," and cover you with "the robe of righteousness." Isaiah 61:10. . . . {FLB 129.4} [FLB 129.5] "If thou wilt walk in my ways," He declares, "I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by" (Zechariah 3:7)--even among the holy angels that surround His throne. 130 {FLB 129.5} [FLB 130.1] The Sons and Daughters of God But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. John 1:12. {FLB 130.1} [FLB 130.2] It is through faith in Jesus Christ that the truth is accepted in the heart, and the human agent is purified and cleansed. . . . He has an abiding principle in the soul, that enables him to overcome temptation. "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not." 1 John 3:6. God has power to keep the soul that is in Christ who is under temptation. . . . {FLB 130.2} [FLB 130.3] A mere profession of godliness is worthless. It is he that abideth in Christ that is a Christian. . . . Unless the mind of God becomes the mind of men, every effort to purify himself will be useless; for it is impossible to elevate man except through a knowledge of God. {FLB 130.3} [FLB 130.4] The question you need to put to yourselves is, "Am I a Christian?" To be a Christian is to be far more than many understand. It means more than simply having your name upon the church records. It means to be joined to Christ. It means to have simple faith, unwavering reliance upon God. It means to have childlike confidence in your heavenly Father through the name and merit of His dear Son. Do you love to keep the commandments of God, because the commandments of God are God's precepts, the transcript of His character, and can no more be altered than can the character of God? Do you respect and love the law of Jehovah? {FLB 130.4} [FLB 130.5] As sons and daughters of God, Christians should strive to reach the high ideal set before them in the gospel. They should be content with nothing less than perfection. {FLB 130.5} [FLB 130.6] To those who receive Him He gives power to become the sons of God, that at last God may receive them as His, to dwell with Him throughout eternity. If during this life they are loyal to God, they will at last "see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads." Revelation 22:4. And what is the happiness of heaven but to see God? What greater joy could come to the sinner saved by the grace of Christ than to look upon the face of God and know Him as Father? 131 {FLB 130.6} [FLB 131.1] Forgiven as We Forgive For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Matthew 7:2. {FLB 131.1} [FLB 131.2] We can receive forgiveness from God only as we forgive others. It is the love of God that draws us unto Him, and that love cannot touch our hearts without creating love for our brethren. {FLB 131.2} [FLB 131.3] After completing the Lord's Prayer, Jesus added: "If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6:14, 15. He who is unforgiving cuts off the very channel through which alone he can receive mercy from God. We should not think that unless those who have injured us confess the wrong we are justified in withholding from them our forgiveness. It is their part, no doubt, to humble their hearts by repentance and confession; but we are to have a spirit of compassion toward those who have trespassed against us, whether or not they confess their faults. {FLB 131.3} [FLB 131.4] Nothing can justify an unforgiving spirit. He who is unmerciful toward others shows that he himself is not a partaker of God's pardoning grace. In God's forgiveness the heart of the erring one is drawn close to the great heart of Infinite Love. The tide of divine compassion flows into the sinner's soul, and from him to the souls of others. . . . {FLB 131.4} [FLB 131.5] We are not forgiven because we forgive, but as we forgive. The ground of all forgiveness is found in the unmerited love of God, but by our attitude toward others we show whether we have made that love our own. Wherefore Christ says, "With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged." {FLB 131.5} [FLB 131.6] Let Christ, the divine Life dwell in you and through you reveal the heaven-born love that will inspire hope in the hopeless and bring heaven's peace to the sin-stricken heart. As we come to God, this is the condition which meets us at the threshold, that, receiving mercy from Him, we yield ourselves to reveal His grace to others. 132 {FLB 131.6} [FLB 132.1] Restitution Is Required If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. Ezekiel 33:15. {FLB 132.1} [FLB 132.2] No repentance is genuine that does not work reformation. . . . {FLB 132.2} [FLB 132.3] The Christian in his business life is to represent to the world the manner in which our Lord would conduct business enterprises. In every transaction he is to make it manifest that God is his teacher. "Holiness unto the Lord" is to be written upon daybooks and ledgers, on deeds, receipts, and bills of exchange. Those who profess to be followers of Christ, and who deal in an unrighteous manner, are bearing false witness against the character of a holy, just, and merciful God. . . . If we have injured others through any unjust business transaction, if we have overreached in trade, or defrauded any man, even though it be within the pale of the law, we should confess our wrong, and make restitution as far as lies in our power. It is right for us to restore not only that which we have taken, but all that it would have accumulated if put to a right and wise use during the time it has been in our possession. {FLB 132.3} [FLB 132.4] If we have in any manner defrauded or injured our brother, we should make restitution. If we have unwittingly borne false witness, if we have misstated his words, if we have injured his influence in any way, we should go to the ones with whom we have conversed about him, and take back all our injurious misstatements. {FLB 132.4} [FLB 132.5] It will not be long before probation will close. If you do not now serve the Lord with fidelity, how will you meet the record of your unfaithful dealing? . . . If you have refused to deal honestly with God, I beseech you to think of your deficiency, and if possible to make restitution. If this cannot be done, in humble penitence pray that God for Christ's sake will pardon your great debt. Begin now to act like Christians. Make no excuse for failing to give the Lord His own. Now, . . . while it is not yet too late for wrongs to be righted, while it is called today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts. 133 {FLB 132.5} [FLB 133.1] Come Just as You Are Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. Jeremiah 13:23. {FLB 133.1} [FLB 133.2] God does not regard all sins as of equal magnitude; there are degrees of guilt in His estimation, as well as in that of man; but however trifling this or that wrong act may seem in the eyes of men, no sin is small in the sight of God. Man's judgment is partial, imperfect; but God estimates all things as they really are. The drunkard is despised, and is told that his sin will exclude him from heaven; while pride, selfishness, and covetousness too often go unrebuked. But these are sins that are especially offensive to God; for they are contrary to the benevolence of His character, to that unselfish love which is the very atmosphere of the unfallen universe. He who falls into some of the grosser sins may feel a sense of his shame and poverty and his need of the grace of Christ; but pride feels no need, and so it closes the heart against Christ, and the infinite blessings He came to give. . . . {FLB 133.2} [FLB 133.3] If you see your sinfulness, do not wait to make yourself better. How many there are who think they are not good enough to come to Christ. Do you expect to become better through your own efforts? . . . There is help for us only in God. We must not wait for stronger persuasions, for better opportunities, or for holier tempers. We can do nothing for ourselves. We must come to Christ just as we are. {FLB 133.3} [FLB 133.4] Yield yourself to Christ without delay; He alone, by the power of His grace, can redeem you from ruin. He alone can bring your moral and mental powers into a state of health. Your heart may be warm with the love of God; your understanding, clear and mature; your conscience, illuminated, quick, and pure; your will, upright and sanctified, subject to the control of the Spirit of God. You can make yourself what you choose. If you will now face rightabout, cease to do evil and learn to do well, then you will be happy indeed; you will be successful in the battles of life, and rise to glory and honor in the better life than this. 134 {FLB 133.4} [FLB 134.1] A Personal Pardon Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1. {FLB 134.1} [FLB 134.2] We should remember that all make mistakes; even men and women who have had years of experience sometimes err; but God does not cast them off because of their errors; to every erring son and daughter of Adam He gives the privilege of another trial. {FLB 134.2} [FLB 134.3] Jesus loves to have us come to Him just as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent. We may come with all our weakness, our folly, our sinfulness, and fall at His feet in penitence. It is His glory to encircle us in the arms of His love, and to bind up our wounds, to cleanse us from all impurity. {FLB 134.3} [FLB 134.4] Here is where thousands fail: they do not believe that Jesus pardons them personally, individually. They do not take God at His word. It is the privilege of all who comply with the conditions to know for themselves that pardon is freely extended for every sin. Put away the suspicion that God's promises are not meant for you. They are for every repentant transgressor. Strength and grace have been provided through Christ to be brought by ministering angels to every believing soul. None are so sinful that they cannot find strength, purity, and righteousness in Jesus, who died for them. He is waiting to strip them of their garments stained and polluted with sin, and to put upon them the white robes of righteousness; He bids them live and not die. . . . {FLB 134.4} [FLB 134.5] Can you believe that when the poor sinner longs to return, longs to forsake his sins, the Lord sternly withholds him from coming to His feet in repentance? Away with such thoughts! Nothing can hurt your own soul more than to entertain such a conception of our heavenly Father. . . . Come with your whole heart to Jesus, and you may claim His blessing. {FLB 134.5} [FLB 134.6] He who through His own atonement provided for man an infinite fund of moral power will not fail to employ this power in their behalf. 135 {FLB 134.6} [FLB 135.1] Union With Christ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. John 15:4. {FLB 135.1} [FLB 135.2] Every individual, by his own act, either puts Christ from him by refusing to cherish His spirit and follow His example, or he enters into a personal union with Christ by self-renunciation, faith, and obedience. We must, each for himself, choose Christ, because He has first chosen us. This union with Christ is to be formed by those who are naturally at enmity with Him. It is a relation of utter dependence, to be entered into by a proud heart. This is close work, and many who profess to be followers of Christ know nothing of it. They nominally accept the Saviour, but not as the sole ruler of their hearts. {FLB 135.2} [FLB 135.3] The evil tendencies of mankind are hard to overcome. The battles are tedious. Every soul in the strife knows how severe, how bitter, are these contests. Everything about growth in grace is difficult, because the standard and maxims of the world are constantly interposed between the soul and God's holy standard. The Lord would have us elevated, ennobled, purified, by carrying out the principles underlying His great moral standard, which will test every character in the great day of final reckoning. {FLB 135.3} [FLB 135.4] We must gain the victory over self, crucify the affections and lusts; and then begins the union of the soul with Christ.... After this union is formed, it can be preserved only by continual, earnest, painstaking effort. . . . {FLB 135.4} [FLB 135.5] Every Christian must stand on guard continually, watching every avenue of the soul where Satan might find access. He must pray for divine help and at the same time resolutely resist every inclination to sin. By courage, by faith, by persevering toil, he can conquer. But let him remember that to gain the victory Christ must abide in him and he in Christ. . . . It is only by personal union with Christ, by communion with Him daily, hourly, that we can bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit. 136 {FLB 135.5} [FLB 136.1] Help for the Poor in Spirit Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their's is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3. {FLB 136.1} [FLB 136.2] All who have a sense of their deep soul poverty, who feel that they have nothing good in themselves, may find righteousness and strength by looking unto Jesus. {FLB 136.2} [FLB 136.3] "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:17. Man must be emptied of self before he can be, in the fullest sense, a believer in Jesus. When self is renounced, then the Lord can make man a new creature. {FLB 136.3} [FLB 136.4] When man has sinned against a holy and merciful God, he can pursue no course so noble as to repent sincerely, and confess his errors in tears and bitterness of soul. This God requires of him; He accepts nothing less than a broken heart and a contrite spirit. {FLB 136.4} [FLB 136.5] The proud heart strives to earn salvation; but both our title to heaven and our fitness for it are found in the righteousness of Christ. The Lord can do nothing toward the recovery of man until, convinced of his own weakness, and stripped of all self-sufficiency, he yields himself to the control of God. Then he can receive the gift that God is waiting to bestow. From the soul that feels his need, nothing is withheld. He has unrestricted access to Him in whom all fullness dwells. {FLB 136.5} [FLB 136.6] The only reason why we may not have remission of sins that are past is that we are not willing to humble our proud hearts and comply with the conditions. {FLB 136.6} [FLB 136.7] God is very pitiful, for He understands our weaknesses and our temptations; and when we come to Him with broken hearts and contrite spirits. He accepts our repentance, and promises that, as we take hold of His strength to make peace with Him, we shall make peace with Him. Oh, what gratitude, what joy, should we feel that God is merciful! {FLB 136.7} [FLB 136.8] The offering most sweet and acceptable in God's sight is a heart made humble by self-denial, by lifting the cross and following Jesus. 137 {FLB 136.8} [FLB 137.1] A Change of Heart Needed Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3. {FLB 137.1} [FLB 137.2] Nicodemus held a high position of trust in the Jewish nation. . . . With others, he had been stirred by the teaching of Jesus. . . .The lessons that had fallen from the Saviour's lips had greatly impressed him, and he desired to learn more of these wonderful truths. . . . {FLB 137.2} [FLB 137.3] Nicodemus had come to the Lord thinking to enter into a discussion with Him, but Jesus laid bare the foundation principles of truth. He said to Nicodemus, It is not theoretical knowledge you need so much as spiritual regeneration. You need not to have your curiosity satisfied, but to have a new heart. You must receive a new life from above before you can appreciate heavenly things. {FLB 137.3} [FLB 137.4] The change of heart represented by the new birth can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. . . . Pride and self-love resist the Spirit of God; every natural inclination of the soul opposes the change from self-importance and pride to the meekness and lowliness of Christ. But if we would travel in the pathway to eternal life, we must not listen to the whispering of self. In humility and contrition we must beseech our heavenly Father, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10. As we receive divine light, and cooperate with the heavenly intelligences, we are "born again," freed from the defilement of sin by the power of Christ. {FLB 137.4} [FLB 137.5] The mighty power of the Holy Spirit works an entire transformation in the character of the human agent, making him a new creature in Christ Jesus. . . . The words and actions express the love of the Saviour. There is no striving for the highest place. Self is renounced. The name of Jesus is written on all that is said and done. {FLB 137.5} [FLB 137.6] Is not this, the renewal of man, the greatest miracle that can be performed? What cannot the human agent do who by faith takes hold of the divine power? 138 {FLB 137.6} [FLB 138.1] Blessings on the Humble Man And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:2, 3. {FLB 138.1} [FLB 138.2] The helpless sinner must cling to Christ as his only hope. If he lets go his hold for a moment, he imperils his own soul and the souls of others. Only in the exercise of living faith are we safe. But the commission of any known sin, the neglect of known duties, at home or abroad, will destroy faith, and disconnect the soul from God. {FLB 138.2} [FLB 138.3] Nothing is more offensive to God than a self-sufficient spirit. In the life of Peter is a sad lesson which should be a warning to all the professed followers of Christ. The Saviour had faithfully warned him of the approaching danger, but, self-confident and presumptuous, he asserted his constant fidelity and zeal, and declared himself willing to follow his Master to prison and to death. The test came for Peter when the storm burst upon the disciples by the humiliation of their Leader. Mournful are the words traced by the pen of inspiration: "Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled." Matthew 26:56. And the ardent, zealous, self-confident Peter repeatedly denied his Lord. He afterward bitterly repented; but this example should admonish all to beware of self-confidence and self-righteousness. {FLB 138.3} [FLB 138.4] The men who humble themselves even as a little child are the men who will be taught by God. The Lord is not dependent on any man's talents; for He is the Source of all perfect gifts. The very humblest man, if he loves and fears God, is the possessor of heavenly gifts. The Lord can use such a man, because he does not strive to work himself according to his own standard. He works with fear and trembling lest he will spoil the pattern. His life is an expression of the life of Christ. {FLB 138.4} [FLB 138.5] We must constantly cherish meekness and humility, if we would possess the spirit of Christ. 139 {FLB 138.5} [FLB 139.1] A New Life Altogether That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24. {FLB 139.1} [FLB 139.2] Conversion is a work that most do not appreciate. It is not a small matter to transform an earthly, sin-loving mind and bring it to understand the unspeakable love of Christ, the charms of His grace, and the excellency of God, so that the soul shall be imbued with divine love and captivated with the heavenly mysteries. When he understands these things, his former life appears disgusting and hateful. He hates sin, and, breaking his heart before God, he embraces Christ as the life and joy of the soul. He renounces his former pleasures. He has a new mind, new affections, new interest, new will; his sorrows, and desires, and love are all new. . . . Heaven, which once possessed no charms, is now viewed in its riches and glory; and he contemplates it as his future home, where he shall see, love, and praise the One who hath redeemed him by His precious blood. The works of holiness, which appeared wearisome, are now his delight. The Word of God, which was dull and uninteresting, is now chosen as his study, the man of his counsel. It is as a letter written to him from God, bearing the inscription of the Eternal. His thoughts, his words, and his deeds are brought to this rule and tested. He trembles at the commands and threatenings which it contains, while he firmly grasps its promises and strengthens his soul by appropriating them to himself. {FLB 139.2} [FLB 139.3] When the transforming grace of Christ is upon the heart, a righteous indignation will take possession of the soul because the sinner has so long neglected the great salvation that God has provided for him. He will then surrender himself, body, soul, and spirit, to God and will withdraw from companionship with Satan, through the grace given him of God. {FLB 139.3} [FLB 139.4] All need to understand the process of conversion. The fruit is seen in the changed life. 140 {FLB 139.4} [FLB 140.1] Holiness of Life Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14. {FLB 140.1} [FLB 140.2] No one who claims holiness is really holy. Those who are registered as holy in the books of heaven are not aware of the fact, and are the last ones to boast of their own goodness. {FLB 140.2} [FLB 140.3] It is not a conclusive evidence that a man is a Christian because he manifests spiritual ecstasy under extraordinary circumstances. Holiness is not rapture: it is an entire surrender of the will to God; it is living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God; it is doing the will of our heavenly Father; it is trusting God in trial, in darkness as well as in the light; it is walking by faith and not by sight; it is relying on God with unquestioning confidence, and resting in His love. {FLB 140.3} [FLB 140.4] No one can be omnipotent, but all can cleanse themselves from filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. God requires every soul to be pure and holy. We have hereditary tendencies to wrong. This is a part of self that no one need carry about. It is a weakness of humanity to pet selfishness, because it is a natural trait of character. But unless all selfishness is put away, unless self is crucified, we can never be holy as God is holy. There is in humanity a tendency to suspicious imagining, which circumstances quicken into lively growth. If this trait is indulged, it spoils the character and ruins the soul. {FLB 140.4} [FLB 140.5] God requires moral perfection in all. Those who have been given light and opportunities should, as God's stewards, aim for perfection, and never, never lower the standard of righteousness to accommodate inherited and cultivated tendencies to wrong. Christ took upon Him our human nature, and lived our life, to show us that we may be like Him. . . . We ought to be holy even as God is holy; and when we comprehend the full significance of this statement, and set our heart to do the work of God, to be holy as He is holy, we shall approach the standard set for each individual in Christ Jesus. 141 {FLB 140.5} [FLB 141.1] Strengthened by the Spirit That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. Ephesians 3:16. {FLB 141.1} [FLB 141.2] Jesus says, "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 11:24. There is a condition to this promise--that we pray according to the will of God. But it is the will of God to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life. So we may ask for these blessings, and believe that we receive them, and thank God that we have received them. It is our privilege to go to Jesus and be cleansed, and to stand before the law without shame or remorse. . . . {FLB 141.2} [FLB 141.3] Through this simple act of believing God, the Holy Spirit has begotten a new life in your heart. You are as a child born into the family of God, and He loves you as He loves His Son. {FLB 141.3} [FLB 141.4] Now that you have given yourself to Jesus, do not draw back, do not take yourself away from Him, but day by day say, "I am Christ's; I have given myself to Him;" and ask Him to give you His Spirit, and keep you by His grace. As it is by giving yourself to God, and believing Him, that you become His child, so you are to live in Him. The apostle says, "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." Colossians 2:3. {FLB 141.4} [FLB 141.5] Some seem to feel that they must be on probation, and must prove to the Lord that they are reformed, before they can claim His blessing. But they may claim the blessing of God even now. They must have His grace, the Spirit of Christ, to help their infirmities, or they cannot resist evil. {FLB 141.5} [FLB 141.6] The Spirit furnishes the strength that sustains striving, wrestling souls in every emergency, amidst the hatred of the world, and the realization of their own failures and mistakes. In sorrow and affliction, when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we feel helpless and alone--these are the times when, in answer to the prayer of faith, the Holy Spirit brings comfort to the heart. 142 {FLB 141.6} [FLB 142.1] Amazing Transformation of Character As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. Psalm 17:15. {FLB 142.1} [FLB 142.2] Jesus came to restore in man the image of his Maker. None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. {FLB 142.2} [FLB 142.3] The Lord Jesus is making experiments on human hearts through the exhibition of His mercy and abundant grace. He is effecting transformations so amazing that Satan, with all his triumphant boasting, with all his confederacy of evil united against God and the laws of His government, stands viewing them as a fortress impregnable to his sophistries and delusions. They are to him an incomprehensible mystery. The angels of God, seraphim and cherubim, the powers commissioned to cooperate with human agencies, look on with astonishment and joy, that fallen men, once children of wrath, are through the training of Christ developing characters after the divine similitude, to be sons and daughters of God, to act an important part in the occupations and pleasures of heaven. {FLB 142.3} [FLB 142.4] They were purified in the furnace of affliction. For Jesus' sake they endured opposition, hatred, calumny. They followed Him through conflicts sore; they endured self-denial and experienced bitter disappointments. By their own painful experience they learned the evil of sin, its power, its guilt, its woe; and they look upon it with abhorrence. A sense of the infinite sacrifice made for its cure, humbles them in their own sight, and fills their hearts with gratitude and praise which those who have never fallen cannot appreciate. They love much, because they have been forgiven much. Having been partakers of Christ's sufferings, they are fitted to be partakers with Him of His glory. {FLB 142.4} [FLB 142.5] In their untainted purity and spotless perfection, Christ looks upon His people as the reward of all His suffering, His humiliation, and His love, and the supplement of His glory--Christ, the great center from which radiates all glory. 143 {FLB 142.5} [FLB 143.1] Our Lord's Example Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4. {FLB 143.1} [FLB 143.2] Jesus did not receive baptism as a confession of guilt on His own account. He identified Himself with sinners, taking the steps that we are to take, and doing the work that we must do. His life of suffering and patient endurance after His baptism was also an example to us. {FLB 143.2} [FLB 143.3] Christ as the head of humanity was to take the same steps that we are required to take. Although sinless, He was our example in fulfilling all the requirements for the redemption of the sinful race. He bore the sins of the whole world. His baptism was to embrace the whole sinful world who by repentance and faith would be pardoned. "After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men." Titus 3:4-8. Man was brought again into favor with God by the washing of regeneration. The washing was the burial with Christ in the water in the likeness of His death, representing that all who repent of the transgression of the law of God receive purification, cleansing, through the work of the Holy Spirit. Baptism represents true conversion by the renewing of the Holy Spirit. {FLB 143.3} [FLB 143.4] Those who have been buried with Christ in baptism, and been raised in the likeness of His resurrection, have pledged themselves to live in newness of life. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." Colossians 3:1, 2. 144 {FLB 143.4} [FLB 144.1] "This Is My Beloved Son" And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:16, 17. {FLB 144.1} [FLB 144.2] As Jesus asked for baptism, John drew back, exclaiming, "I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" With firm yet gentle authority, Jesus answered, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." Matthew 3:14, 15. And John, yielding, led the Saviour down into the Jordan, and buried Him beneath the water. "And straightway coming up out of the water," Jesus "saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him. Mark 1:10. . . . The solemnity of the divine Presence rested upon the assembly. The people stood silently gazing upon Christ. His form was bathed in the light that ever surrounds the throne of God. His upturned face was glorified as they had never before seen the face of man. From the open heavens a voice was heard saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17. . . . {FLB 144.2} [FLB 144.3] The word that was spoken to Jesus at the Jordan . . . embraces humanity. God spoke to Jesus as our representative. With all our sins and weaknesses, we are not cast aside as worthless. "He hath made us accepted in the beloved." Ephesians 1:6. The glory that rested upon Christ is a pledge of the love of God for us.... His love has encircled man, and reached the highest heaven. The light which fell from the open portals upon the head of our Saviour will fall upon us as we pray for help to resist temptation. The voice which spoke to Jesus says to every believing soul, This is My beloved child, in whom I am well pleased.... {FLB 144.3} [FLB 144.4] Our Redeemer has opened the way so that the most sinful, the most needy, the most oppressed and despised, may find access to the Father. All may have a home in the mansions which Jesus has gone to prepare. 145 {FLB 144.4} [FLB 145.1] Born of Water and the Spirit Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. John 3:5. {FLB 145.1} [FLB 145.2] Christ here referred to water baptism and the renewing of the heart by the Spirit of God. {FLB 145.2} [FLB 145.3] Repentance, faith, and baptism are the requisite steps in conversion. . . . As Christians submit to the solemn rite of baptism, He registers the vow that they make to be true to Him. This vow is their oath of allegiance. {FLB 145.3} [FLB 145.4] Christ has made baptism the sign of entrance to His spiritual kingdom. He has made this a positive condition with which all must comply who wish to be acknowledged as under the authority of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Before man can find a home in the church, before passing the threshold of God's spiritual kingdom, he is to receive the impress of the divine name, "The Lord our Righteousness." Jeremiah 23:6.... Those who are baptized in the threefold name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, at the very entrance of their Christian life declare publicly that they have forsaken the service of Satan and have become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. They have obeyed the command: "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, ... and touch not the unclean thing." And to them is fulfilled the promise: "I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters." 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18. {FLB 145.4} [FLB 145.5] Henceforth the believer is to bear in mind that he is dedicated to God, to Christ, and to the Holy Spirit. He is to make all worldly considerations secondary to this new relation. . . . {FLB 145.5} [FLB 145.6] The obligations in the spiritual agreement entered into at baptism are mutual. As human beings act their part with whole-hearted obedience, they have a right to pray, "Let it be known, Lord, that Thou art God in Israel." The fact that you have been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is an assurance that if you will claim their help, these powers will help you in every emergency. 146 {FLB 145.6} [FLB 146.1] Baptized Into His Death and Resurrection Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Romans 6:3. {FLB 146.1} [FLB 146.2] Those who have taken part in the solemn rite of baptism have pledged themselves to seek for those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God; pledged themselves to labor earnestly for the salvation of sinners. God asks those who take His name, How are you using the powers that have been redeemed by the death of My Son? Are you doing all in your power to rise to a greater height in spiritual understanding? Are you adjusting your interest and actions in harmony with the momentous claims of eternity? {FLB 146.2} [FLB 146.3] Baptism is a most solemn renunciation of the world. Self is by profession dead to a life of sin. The waters cover the candidate, and in the presence of the whole heavenly universe the mutual pledge is made. In the name of the Father, and Son, and the Holy Spirit, man is laid in his watery grave, buried with Christ in baptism, and raised from the water to live the new life of loyalty to God. The three great powers in heaven are witnesses; they are invisible but present. {FLB 146.3} [FLB 146.4] We have died to the world.... We have been buried in the likeness of Christ's death and raised in the likeness of His resurrection, and we are to live a new life. Our life is to be bound up with the life of Christ. {FLB 146.4} [FLB 146.5] In the first chapter of Second Peter is presented the progressive work in the Christian life. The whole chapter is a lesson of deep importance. If man, in acquiring the Christian graces, works on the plan of addition, God has pledged Himself to work in his behalf upon the plan of multiplication. "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord." 2 Peter 1:2. The work is laid out before every soul that has acknowledged his faith in Jesus Christ by baptism. {FLB 146.5} [FLB 146.6] If we are true to our vow, there is opened to us a door of communication with heaven--a door that no human hand or satanic agency can close. 147 {FLB 146.6} [FLB 147.1] Walking in His Steps If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1. {FLB 147.1} [FLB 147.2] All who enter upon the new life should understand, prior to their baptism, that the Lord requires the undivided affections. . . .The practicing of the truth is essential. The bearing of fruit testifies to the character of the tree.... There is need of a thorough conversion to the truth. {FLB 147.2} [FLB 147.3] There are children ... who have been taught from their youth to observe the Sabbath. Some of these are very good children, faithful to duty as far as temporal matters are concerned; but they feel no deep conviction of sin and no need of repentance from sin.... As there are no outbreaking sins in their own lives, they flatter themselves they are about right. To these youth I am authorized to say: Repent ye and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.... You are required to repent, believe, and be baptized. Christ was wholly righteous; yet He, the Saviour of the world, gave man an example by Himself taking the steps which He requires the sinner to take to become a child of God, and heir of heaven. {FLB 147.3} [FLB 147.4] If Christ, the spotless and pure Redeemer of man, condescended to take the steps necessary for the sinner to take in conversion, why should any, with the light of truth shining upon their pathway, hesitate to submit their hearts to God, and in humility confess that they are sinners, and show their faith in the atonement of Christ by words and actions, identifying themselves with those who profess to be His followers? {FLB 147.4} [FLB 147.5] All who study the life of Christ and practice His teachings will become like Christ. Their influence will be like His. They will reveal soundness of character. As they walk in the humble path of obedience, doing the will of God, they exert an influence that tells for the advancement of the cause of God and the healthful purity of His work. 148 {FLB 147.5} [FLB 148.1] When Rebaptism Is Appropriate And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Acts 22:16. {FLB 148.1} [FLB 148.2] There are many at the present day who have unwittingly violated one of the precepts of God's law. When the understanding is enlightened, and the claims of the fourth commandment are urged upon the conscience, they see themselves sinners in the sight of God. "Sin is the transgression of the law" and he that shall "offend in one point, he is guilty of all." 1 John 3:4; James 2:10. {FLB 148.2} [FLB 148.3] The honest seeker after truth will not plead ignorance of the law as an excuse for transgression. Light was within his reach. God's Word is plain, and Christ has bidden him search the Scriptures. He reveres God's law as holy, just, and good, and he repents of his transgression. By faith he pleads the atoning blood of Christ, and grasps the promise of pardon. His former baptism does not satisfy him now. He has seen himself a sinner, condemned by the law of God. He has experienced anew a death to sin, and he desires again to be buried with Christ by baptism, that he may rise to walk in newness of life.... {FLB 148.3} [FLB 148.4] This is a subject which each individual must conscientiously take his position upon in the fear of God.... The duty of urging belongs to no one but God; give God a chance to work with His Holy Spirit upon the minds, so that the individual will be perfectly convinced and satisfied in regard to this advanced step.... {FLB 148.4} [FLB 148.5] It ［rebaptism］ is a matter to be treated as a great privilege and blessing, and all who are rebaptized, if they have the right ideas upon this subject, will thus consider it. {FLB 148.5} [FLB 148.6] It is the privilege and the duty of every Christian to have a rich and abundant experience in the things of God. "I am the light of the world," said Jesus. "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12. . . . Every step of faith and obedience brings the soul into closer connection with the Light of the world, in whom there "is no darkness at all." 149 {FLB 148.6} [FLB 149.1] Our Lord's Command Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 28:19. {FLB 149.1} [FLB 149.2] Thus Christ gave His disciples their commission. He made full provision for the prosecution of the work, and took upon Himself the responsibility for its success. So long as they obeyed His word, and worked in connection with Him, they could not fail. Go to all nations, He bade them. Go to the farthest part of the habitable globe. . . . Labor in faith ..., for the time will never come when I will forsake you. {FLB 149.2} [FLB 149.3] The Saviour's commission to the disciples included all the believers. It includes all believers in Christ to the end of time. It is a fatal mistake to suppose that the work of saving souls depends alone on the ordained minister. All to whom the heavenly inspiration has come are put in trust with the gospel. All who receive the life of Christ are ordained to work for the salvation of their fellow men. For this work the church was established, and all who take upon themselves its sacred vows are thereby pledged to be co-workers with Christ. {FLB 149.3} [FLB 149.4] We are to be consecrated channels, through which the heavenly life is to flow to others. The Holy Spirit is to animate and pervade the whole church, purifying and cementing hearts. Those who have been buried with Christ in baptism are to rise to newness of life, giving a living representation of the life of Christ. . . . You are dedicated to the work of making known the gospel of salvation. Heaven's perfection is to be your power. {FLB 149.4} [FLB 149.5] The Duke of Wellington was once present where a party of Christian men were discussing the possibility of success in missionary effort among the heathen. They appealed to the duke to say whether in his judgment such efforts were likely to prove a success commensurate to the cost. The old soldier replied: "Gentlemen, what are your marching orders? Success is not the question for you to discuss. If I read your orders aright, they run thus, 'Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.' Gentlemen, obey your marching orders." 150 {FLB 149.5} [FLB 150.1] Changed by Beholding But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18. {FLB 150.1} [FLB 150.2] As the mind dwells upon Christ, the character is molded after the divine similitude. The thoughts are pervaded with a sense of His goodness, His love. We contemplate His character, and thus He is in all our thoughts. His love encloses us. If we gaze even a moment upon the sun in its meridian glory, when we turn away our eyes, the image of the sun will appear in everything upon which we look. Thus it is when we behold Jesus; everything we look upon reflects His image, the Sun of Righteousness. We cannot see anything else, or talk of anything else. His image is imprinted upon the eye of the soul, and affects every portion of our daily life, softening and subduing our whole nature. By beholding, we are conformed to the divine similitude, even the likeness of Christ. To all with whom we associate we reflect the bright and cheerful beams of His righteousness. We have become transformed in character; for heart, soul, mind, are irradiated by the reflection of Him who loved us, and gave Himself for us.... {FLB 150.2} [FLB 150.3] Jesus Christ is everything to us--the first, the last, the best in everything. Jesus Christ, His Spirit, His character, colors everything; it is the warp and the woof, the very texture of our entire being. The words of Christ are spirit and life. We cannot, then, center our thoughts upon self; it is no more we that live, but Christ that liveth in us, and He is the hope of glory. Self is dead, but Christ is a living Saviour. {FLB 150.3} [FLB 150.4] If we keep our minds stayed upon Christ, He will come unto us "as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." Hosea 6:3. As the Sun of Righteousness, He will arise upon us "with healing in his wings." Malachi 4:2. We shall "grow as the lily." We shall "revive as the corn, and grow as the vine." Hosea 14:5, 7. By constantly relying upon Christ as our personal Saviour, we shall grow up into Him in all things who is our head. 151 {FLB 150.4} [FLB 151.1] Taking Up Our Cross And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23. {FLB 151.1} [FLB 151.2] The foundation of the plan of salvation was laid in sacrifice. Jesus left the royal courts and became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich. All who share this salvation, purchased for them at such an infinite sacrifice by the Son of God, will follow the example of the true Pattern. Christ was the chief Cornerstone, and we must build upon this Foundation. Each must have a spirit of self-denial and self-sacrifice. The life of Christ upon earth was unselfish; it was marked with humiliation and sacrifice. And shall men, partakers of the great salvation which Jesus came from heaven to bring them, refuse to follow their Lord and to share in His self-denial and sacrifice? ... Is the servant greater than his Lord? ... {FLB 151.2} [FLB 151.3] "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24. I lead the way in the path of self-denial. I require nothing of you, My followers, but that of which I, your Lord, give you an example in My own life. {FLB 151.3} [FLB 151.4] Self-denial and the cross lie directly in the pathway of every follower of Christ. The cross is that which crosses the natural affections and the will. {FLB 151.4} [FLB 151.5] Jesus is our pattern. If He would lay aside His humiliation and sufferings, and cry, "If any man will come after Me, let him please himself, and enjoy the world, and he shall be My disciple," the multitude would believe and follow Him. But Jesus will come to us in no other character than that of the meek, crucified One. If we would be with Him in heaven, we must be like Him on earth. {FLB 151.5} [FLB 151.6] Let us follow the Saviour in His simplicity and self-denial. Let us lift up the Man of Calvary by word and by holy living. {FLB 151.6} [FLB 151.7] And to all who lift it and bear it after Christ, the cross is a pledge of the crown of immortality that they will receive. 152 {FLB 151.7} [FLB 152.1] Developing Good Habits I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. Psalm 119:101. {FLB 152.1} [FLB 152.2] We are nearing the end of time, and we want now, not to meet the world's tastes and practices, but to meet the mind of God; to see what saith the Scriptures, and then to walk according to the light which God has given us. {FLB 152.2} [FLB 152.3] The youth are forming habits which will, in nine cases out of ten, decide their future. The influence of the company they keep, the associations they form, and the principles they adopt will be carried with them through life. {FLB 152.3} [FLB 152.4] We shall be individually, for time and eternity, what our habits make us. The lives of those who form right habits, and are faithful in the performance of every duty, will be as shining lights, shedding bright beams upon the pathway of others. {FLB 152.4} [FLB 152.5] There is no need of being spiritual dwarfs if the mind is continually exercised in spiritual things. But merely praying for this, and about this, will not meet the necessities of the case. You must habituate the mind to concentration upon spiritual things. Exercise will bring strength. Many professed Christians are in a fair way to lose both worlds. To be half a Christian and half a worldly man makes you about one-hundredth part a Christian and all the rest worldly. {FLB 152.5} [FLB 152.6] The mind must be educated and disciplined to love purity. A love for spiritual things should be encouraged; yea, must be encouraged, if you would grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. . . . The will must be exercised in the right direction. I will be a whole-hearted Christian. I will know the length and breadth, the height and depth, of perfect love. Listen to the words of Jesus: "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6. Ample provisions are made by Christ to satisfy the soul that hungers and thirst for righteousness. 153 {FLB 152.6} [FLB 153.1] Unashamed of Jesus For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16. {FLB 153.1} [FLB 153.2] Many of the young have not the spirit of Jesus. The love of God is not in their hearts, therefore all the natural besetments hold the victory instead of the Spirit of God and salvation. {FLB 153.2} [FLB 153.3] Those who really possess the religion of Jesus will not be ashamed nor afraid to bear the cross before those who have more experience than they. They will, if they earnestly long to be right, desire all the help they can get from older Christians. Gladly will they be helped by them; hearts that are warmed by love to God will not be hindered by trifles in the Christian course. They will talk out what the Spirit of God works in. They will sing it out, pray it out. It is the lack of religion, lack of holy living, that makes the young backward. Their life condemns them. They know they do not live as Christians should, therefore they have not confidence toward God, or before the church. {FLB 153.3} [FLB 153.4] We should speak of the mercy and loving-kindness of God, of the matchless depths of the Saviour's love. Our words should be words of praise and thanksgiving. If the mind and heart are full of the love of God, this will be revealed in the conversation. It will not be a difficult matter to impart that which enters into our spiritual life. {FLB 153.4} [FLB 153.5] Never be ashamed of your faith; never be found on the side of the enemy. "Ye are the light of the world." Matthew 5:14. Your faith is to be revealed as precious truth, truth which all should have and all must have if they are saved.... We should fight the good fight of faith, and be found "stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:58. {FLB 153.5} [FLB 153.6] The unstudied, unconscious influence of a holy life is the most convincing sermon that can be given in favor of Christianity. Argument, even when unanswerable, may provoke only opposition; but a godly example has a power that it is impossible wholly to resist. 154 {FLB 153.6} [FLB 154.1] The Right Exercise of the Will For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13. {FLB 154.1} [FLB 154.2] God's promise is, "Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13. {FLB 154.2} [FLB 154.3] The whole heart must be yielded to God, or the change can never be wrought in us by which we are to be restored to His likeness. {FLB 154.3} [FLB 154.4] Pure religion has to do with the will. The will is the governing power in the nature of man, bringing all the other faculties under its sway. The will is not the taste or the inclination, but it is the deciding power which works in the children of men unto obedience to God or unto disobedience. {FLB 154.4} [FLB 154.5] The Saviour says, "Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33. Whatever shall draw away the heart from God must be given up. Mammon is the idol of many. The love of money, the desire for wealth, is the golden chain that binds them to Satan. Reputation and worldly honor are worshiped by another class. The life of selfish ease and freedom from responsibility is the idol of others. But these slavish bands must be broken. We cannot be half the Lord's and half the world's. We are not God's children unless we are such entirely. . . . {FLB 154.5} [FLB 154.6] Desires for goodness and holiness are right as far as they go; but if you stop here, they will avail nothing. Many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians. They do not come to the point of yielding the will to God. They do not now choose to be Christians. {FLB 154.6} [FLB 154.7] The Lord does not propose to save us in companies. Individually we are to make our choice. One by one we are to appropriate the grace of God to the soul, and one cannot decide for another what course he shall take. {FLB 154.7} [FLB 154.8] A pure and noble life, a life of victory over appetite and lust, is possible to everyone who will unite his weak, wavering human will to the omnipotent, unwavering will of God. 155 {FLB 154.8} [FLB 155.1] The Sowing Time of Life Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Galatians 6:7. {FLB 155.1} [FLB 155.2] In the laws of God in nature, effect follows cause with unerring certainty. The reaping will testify as to what the sowing has been. . . . {FLB 155.2} [FLB 155.3] Every seed sown produces a harvest of its kind. So it is in human life. We all need to sow the seeds of compassion, sympathy, and love; for we shall reap what we sow. Every characteristic of selfishness, self-love, self-esteem, every act of self-indulgence, will bring forth a like harvest. He who lives for self is sowing to the flesh, and of the flesh he will reap corruption. {FLB 155.3} [FLB 155.4] God destroys no man. Everyone who is destroyed will have destroyed himself. Everyone who stifles the admonitions of conscience is sowing the seeds of unbelief, and these will produce a sure harvest. By rejecting the first warning from God, Pharaoh of old sowed the seeds of obstinacy, and he reaped obstinacy. {FLB 155.4} [FLB 155.5] Each actor in history stands in his lot and place; for God's great work after His own plan will be carried out by men who have prepared themselves to fill positions for good or evil. In opposition to righteousness, men become instruments of unrighteousness. But they are not forced to take this course of action. They need not become instruments of unrighteousness, any more than Cain needed to. {FLB 155.5} [FLB 155.6] Men act out their own free will, either in accordance with a character placed under the molding of God or a character placed under the harsh rule of Satan. {FLB 155.6} [FLB 155.7] Every act, every word, is a seed that will bear fruit. Every deed of thoughtful kindness, of obedience, or of self-denial, will reproduce itself in others, and through them in still others. So every act of envy, malice, or dissension is a seed that will spring up in a "root of bitterness" (Hebrews 12:15), whereby many shall be defiled. {FLB 155.7} [FLB 155.8] Dear young friends, that which you sow, you will also reap. Now is the sowing time for you. What will the harvest be? 156 {FLB 155.8} [FLB 156.1] Don't Get Discouraged! Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9. {FLB 156.1} [FLB 156.2] After the passing of the time in 1844, a number of brethren and sisters were assembled in a meeting. All were very sad, for the disappointment had been sore. Presently a man came in, crying, "Courage in the Lord, brethren; courage in the Lord!" This he repeated again and again, till every face was aglow, and every voice lifted in praise to God. {FLB 156.2} [FLB 156.3] Today I say to every worker for the Master, "Courage in the Lord!" ... {FLB 156.3} [FLB 156.4] Some look always at the objectionable and discouraging features, and therefore discouragement overtakes them. They forget that the heavenly universe is waiting to make them agencies of blessing to the world; and that the Lord Jesus is a never-failing storehouse from which human beings may draw strength and courage. There is no need for despondency and apprehension. The time will never come when the shadow of Satan will not be cast athwart our pathway. Thus the enemy seeks to hide the light shining from the Sun of Righteousness. But our faith should pierce this shadow. {FLB 156.4} [FLB 156.5] Hope and courage are essential to perfect service for God. These are the fruit of faith. Despondency is sinful and unreasonable. God is able and willing "more abundantly" to bestow upon His servants the strength they need for test and trial. . . . {FLB 156.5} [FLB 156.6] For the disheartened there is a sure remedy--faith, prayer, work. Faith and activity will impart assurance and satisfaction that will increase day by day.... In the darkest days, when appearances seem most forbidding, fear not. Have faith in God. {FLB 156.6} [FLB 156.7] Christ did not fail, neither was He discouraged, and His followers are to manifest a faith of the same enduring nature. . . . They are to despair of nothing, and to hope for everything. With the golden chain of His matchless love Christ has bound them to the throne of God. 157 {FLB 156.7} [FLB 157.1] A Life Insurance Policy for You Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. 2 Peter 1:10. {FLB 157.1} [FLB 157.2] In the council of heaven, provision was made that men, though transgressors, should not perish in their disobedience, but, through faith in Christ as their substitute and surety, might become the elect of God, predestinated unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will. God wills that all men should be saved; for ample provision has been made, in giving His only-begotten Son to pay man's ransom. Those who perish will perish because they refuse to be adopted as children of God through Christ Jesus.... {FLB 157.2} [FLB 157.3] There is no such thing in the Word of God as unconditional election--once in grace, always in grace. In the second chapter of Second Peter the subject is made plain and distinct. After a history of some who followed an evil course, the explanation is given: "Which have forsaken the right way, ... following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness." 2 Peter 2:15. . . . Here is a class of whom the apostle warns, "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them." 2 Peter 2:21.... {FLB 157.3} [FLB 157.4] There is truth to be received if souls are saved. The keeping of the commandments of God is life eternal to the receiver. But the Scriptures make it plain that those who once knew the way of life and rejoiced in the truth are in danger of falling through apostasy, and being lost. Therefore there is need of a decided, daily conversion to God. {FLB 157.4} [FLB 157.5] All who seek to sustain the doctrine of election, once in grace, always in grace, do this against a plain, "Thus saith the Lord." {FLB 157.5} [FLB 157.6] It depends upon your course of action as to whether or not you will secure the benefits bestowed upon those who, as the elect of God, receive an eternal life-insurance policy. {FLB 157.6} [FLB 158.1] Chap. 6 - Here And Hereafter Time a Precious Talent So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalm 90:12. {FLB 158.1} [FLB 158.2] Our time belongs to God. Every moment is His, and we are under the most solemn obligation to improve it to His glory. Of no talent He has given will He require a more strict account than of our time. {FLB 158.2} [FLB 158.3] The value of time is beyond computation. Christ regarded every moment as precious, and it is thus that we should regard it. Life is too short to be trifled away. We have but a few days of probation in which to prepare for eternity. We have no time to waste, no time to devote to selfish pleasure, no time for the indulgence of sin. It is now that we are to form characters for the future, immortal life. It is now that we are to prepare for the searching judgment. {FLB 158.3} [FLB 158.4] The human family have scarcely begun to live when they begin to die. . . . The man who appreciates time as his working day will fit himself for a mansion and for a life that is immortal. It is well that he was born. We are admonished to redeem the time. But time squandered can never be recovered. We cannot call back even one moment. The only way in which we can redeem our time is by making the most of that which remains, by being co-workers with God in His great plan of redemption. . . . {FLB 158.4} [FLB 158.5] Every moment is freighted with eternal consequences. We are to stand as minute men, ready for service at a moment's notice. The opportunity that is now ours to speak to some needy soul the word of life may never offer again. God may say to that one, "This night thy soul shall be required of thee," and through our neglect he may not be ready. (Luke 12:20.) In the great judgment day, how shall we render our account to God? 159 {FLB 158.5} [FLB 159.1] A Cure for Idleness Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord. Romans 12:11. {FLB 159.1} [FLB 159.2] The life of Christ from His earliest years was a life of earnest activity. He lived not to please Himself. He was the Son of the infinite God, yet He worked at the carpenter's trade with His father Joseph. His trade was significant. He had come into the world as the character builder, and as such all His work was perfect. Into all His secular labor He brought the same perfection as into the characters He was transforming by His divine power. He is our pattern. {FLB 159.2} [FLB 159.3] It is the duty of every Christian to acquire habits of order, thoroughness, and dispatch. There is no excuse for slow bungling at work of any character. When one is always at work and the work is never done, it is because mind and heart are not put into the labor. ... The exercise of the will power will make the hands move deftly. {FLB 159.3} [FLB 159.4] The Bible gives no indorsement to idleness. It is the greatest curse that afflicts our world. Every man and woman who is truly converted will be a diligent worker. {FLB 159.4} [FLB 159.5] Upon the right improvement of our time depends our success in acquiring knowledge and mental culture. The cultivation of the intellect need not be prevented by poverty, humble origin, or unfavorable surroundings. Only let the moments be treasured. A few moments here and a few there, that might be frittered away in aimless talk; the morning hours so often wasted in bed; the time spent in traveling on trams or railway cars, or waiting at the station; the moments of waiting for meals, waiting for those who are tardy in keeping an appointment--if a book were kept at hand, and these fragments of time were improved in study, reading, or careful thought, what might not be accomplished. A resolute purpose, persistent industry, and careful economy of time, will enable men to acquire knowledge and mental discipline which will qualify them for almost any position of influence and usefulness. 160 {FLB 159.5} [FLB 160.1] The True Value of Money Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. Proverbs 3:9, 10. {FLB 160.1} [FLB 160.2] This scripture teaches that God, as the giver of all our benefits, has a claim upon them all; that His claim should be our first consideration; and that a special blessing will attend all who honor this claim. {FLB 160.2} [FLB 160.3] Herein is set forth a principle that is seen in all God's dealings with men. The Lord placed our first parents in the Garden of Eden. He surrounded them with everything that could minister to their happiness, and He bade them acknowledge Him as the possessor of all things. In the Garden He caused to grow every tree that was pleasant to the eye or good for food; but among them He made one reserve. Of all else, Adam and Eve might freely eat; but of this one tree God said, "Thou shalt not eat of it." Here was the test of their gratitude and loyalty to God. {FLB 160.3} [FLB 160.4] So the Lord has imparted to us heaven's richest treasure in giving us Jesus. With Him He has given us all things richly to enjoy. {FLB 160.4} [FLB 160.5] God . . . entrusts men with means. He gives them power to get wealth. . . . {FLB 160.5} [FLB 160.6] Our money has not been given us that we might honor and glorify ourselves. As faithful stewards we are to use it for the honor and glory of God. Some think that only a portion of their means is the Lord's. When they have set apart a portion for religious and charitable purposes, they regard the remainder as their own, to be used as they see fit. But in this they mistake. All we possess is the Lord's, and we are accountable to Him for the use we make of it. In the use of every penny, it will be seen whether we love God supremely and our neighbor as ourselves. Money has great value, because it can do great good. In the hands of God's children it is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, and clothing for the naked. . . . But money is of no more value than sand, only as it is put to use in providing for the necessities of life, in blessing others, and advancing the cause of Christ. 161 {FLB 160.6} [FLB 161.1] An Aroused Conscience Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. 1 Corinthians 15:34. {FLB 161.1} [FLB 161.2] A decided advancement in spirituality, piety, charity, and activity, has been made . . . in the ----- church. Discourses were preached on the sin of robbing God in tithes and offerings. . . . {FLB 161.2} [FLB 161.3] Many confessed that they had not paid tithes for years; and we know that God cannot bless those who are robbing Him, and that the church must suffer in consequence of the sin of its individual members. . . . {FLB 161.3} [FLB 161.4] One brother said that for two years he had not paid his tithes, and he was in despair; but as he confessed his sin, he began to gather hope. "What shall I do?" he asked. {FLB 161.4} [FLB 161.5] I said, "Give your note to the treasurer of the church; that will be businesslike." {FLB 161.5} [FLB 161.6] He thought that was a rather strange request; but he sat down, and began to write, "For value received, I promise to pay--" He looked up, as if to say, Is that the proper form in which to write out a note to the Lord? {FLB 161.6} [FLB 161.7] "Yes," he continued, "for value received. Have I not been receiving the blessings of God day after day? Have not the angels guarded me? Has not the Lord blessed me with all spiritual and temporal blessings? For value received, I promise to pay the sum of $571.50 to the church treasurer." After doing all he could do on his part, he was a happy man. In a few days he took up his note, and paid his tithe into the treasury. He had also made a Christmas donation of $125. {FLB 161.7} [FLB 161.8] Another brother gave a note for $1,000, expecting to meet it in a few weeks; and another gave a note for $300. . . . {FLB 161.8} [FLB 161.9] If you have robbed the Lord, make restitution. As far as possible, make the past right, and then ask the Saviour to pardon you. Will you not return to the Lord His own, before this year, with its burden of record, has passed into eternity? 162 {FLB 161.9} [FLB 162.1] A Living Benevolence I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35. {FLB 162.1} [FLB 162.2] We should regard ourselves as stewards of the Lord's property and God as the supreme proprietor, to whom we are to render His own when He shall require it. . . . {FLB 162.2} [FLB 162.3] The servants of God should be making their wills every day in good works and liberal offerings to God. {FLB 162.3} [FLB 162.4] Dying legacies are a miserable substitute for living benevolence. {FLB 162.4} [FLB 162.5] Hoarded wealth is not merely useless, it is a curse. In this life it is a snare to the soul, drawing the affections away from the heavenly treasure. In the great day of God its witness to unused talents and neglected opportunities will condemn its possessor. . . . He who realizes that his money is a talent from God will use it economically, and will feel it a duty to save that he may give. {FLB 162.5} [FLB 162.6] It is utter folly to defer to make a preparation for the future life until nearly the last hour of the present life. It is also a great mistake to defer to answer the claims of God for liberality to His cause until the time comes when you are to shift your stewardship upon others. Those to whom you entrust your talents of means may not do as well with them as you have done. How dare rich men run so great risks! Those who wait till death before they make a disposition of their property, surrender it to death rather than to God. In so doing many are acting directly contrary to the plan of God plainly stated in His Word. If they would do good they must seize the present golden moments and labor with all their might, as if fearful that they may lose the favorable opportunity. . . . {FLB 162.6} [FLB 162.7] We must all be rich in good works in this life if we would secure the future, immortal life. When the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, every man will be rewarded according to his works. 163 {FLB 162.7} [FLB 163.1] Faithful in Little Things And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. Luke 19:17. {FLB 163.1} [FLB 163.2] Talents used are talents multiplied. Success is not the result of chance or of destiny; it is the outworking of God's own providence, the reward of faith and discretion, of virtue and persevering effort. The Lord desires us to use every gift we have; and if we do this, we shall have greater gifts to use. He does not supernaturally endow us with the qualifications we lack; but while we use that which we have, He will work with us to increase and strengthen every faculty. . . . {FLB 163.2} [FLB 163.3] Through faith in the power of God, it is wonderful how strong a weak man may become, how decided his efforts, how prolific of great results. He who begins with a little knowledge, in a humble way, and tells what he knows, while seeking diligently for further knowledge, will find the whole heavenly treasure awaiting his demand. The more he seeks to impart light, the more light he will receive. . . . {FLB 163.3} [FLB 163.4] The man ［in the parable］ who received the one talent "went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money." {FLB 163.4} [FLB 163.5] It was the one with the smallest gift who left his talent unimproved. In this is given a warning to all who feel that the smallness of their endowments excuses them from service for Christ. If they could do some great thing, how gladly would they undertake it; but because they can serve only in little things, they think themselves justified in doing nothing. In this they err. The Lord in His distribution of gifts is testing character. The man who neglected to improve his talent proved himself an unfaithful servant. Had he received five talents, he would have buried them as he buried the one. . . . {FLB 163.5} [FLB 163.6] However small your talent, God has a place for it. That one talent, wisely used, will accomplish its appointed work. By faithfulness in little duties, we are to work on the plan of addition, and God will work for us on the plan of multiplication. These littles will become the most precious influence in His work. 164 {FLB 163.6} [FLB 164.1] Source of All Life For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. Psalm 36:9. {FLB 164.1} [FLB 164.2] All created beings live by the will and power of God. They are dependent recipients of the life of God. From the highest seraph to the humblest animate being, all are replenished from the Source of life. {FLB 164.2} [FLB 164.3] The youth need to understand the deep truth underlying the Bible statement that with God "is the fountain of life." Not only is He the originator of all, but He is the life of everything that lives. It is His life that we receive in the sunshine, in the pure, sweet air, in the food which builds up our bodies and sustains our strength. It is by His life that we exist, hour by hour, moment by moment. Except as perverted by sin, all His gifts tend to life, to health and joy. {FLB 164.3} [FLB 164.4] A mysterious life pervades all nature--a life that sustains the unnumbered worlds throughout immensity, that lives in the insect atom which floats in the summer breeze, that wings the flight of the swallow and feeds the young ravens which cry, that brings the bud to blossom and the flower to fruit. {FLB 164.4} [FLB 164.5] The same power that upholds nature, is working also in man. . . . The laws that govern the heart's action, regulating the flow of the current of life to the body, are the laws of the mighty Intelligence that has the jurisdiction of the soul. From Him all life proceeds. Only in harmony with Him can be found its true sphere of action. For all the objects of His creation the condition is the same--a life sustained by receiving the life of God, a life exercised in harmony with the Creator's will. To transgress His law, physical, mental, or moral, is to place one's self out of harmony with the universe. . . . {FLB 164.5} [FLB 164.6] To him who learns thus to interpret its teachings, all nature becomes illuminated; the world is a lesson book, life a school. The unity of man with nature and with God, the universal dominion of law, the results of transgression, cannot fail of impressing the mind and molding the character. 165 {FLB 164.6} [FLB 165.1] He Cares for Us Every Minute Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3. {FLB 165.1} [FLB 165.2] The work of creation cannot be explained by science. What science can explain the mystery of life? {FLB 165.2} [FLB 165.3] Life is a gift of God. {FLB 165.3} [FLB 165.4] The natural life is preserved moment by moment by divine power; yet it is not sustained by a direct miracle, but through the use of blessings placed within our reach. {FLB 165.4} [FLB 165.5] The Saviour in His miracles revealed the power that is continually at work in man's behalf, to sustain and to heal him. Through the agencies of nature, God is working, day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment, to keep us alive, to build up and restore us. When any part of the body sustains injury, a healing process is at once begun; nature's agencies are set at work to restore soundness. But the power working through these agencies is the power of God. All life-giving power is from Him. When one recovers from disease, it is God who restores him. Sickness, suffering, and death are work of an antagonistic power. Satan is the destroyer; God is the restorer. {FLB 165.5} [FLB 165.6] A great lesson is learned when we understand our relation to God, and His relation to us. {FLB 165.6} [FLB 165.7] We have an individuality and an identity that is our own. No one can submerge his identity in that of any other. All must act for themselves, according to the dictates of their own conscience. As regards our responsibility and influence, we are amenable to God as deriving our life from Him. This we do not obtain from humanity, but from God only. We are His by creation and by redemption. Our very bodies are not our own, to treat as we please, to cripple by habits that lead to decay, making it impossible to render to God perfect service. Our lives and all our faculties belong to Him. He is caring for us every moment; He keeps the living machinery in action; if we were left to run it for one moment, we should die. We are absolutely dependent upon God. 166 {FLB 165.7} [FLB 166.1] The Great Object of Life I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14. {FLB 166.1} [FLB 166.2] When Adam came from the Creator's hand, he bore, in his physical, mental, and spiritual nature, a likeness to his Maker. "God created man in his own image" (Genesis 1:27), and it was His purpose that the longer man lived the more fully he should reveal this image--the more fully reflect the glory of the Creator. All his faculties were capable of development; their capacity and vigor were continually to increase. Vast was the scope offered for their exercise, glorious the field opened to their research. The mysteries of the visible universe--the "wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge" (Job 37:16)--invited man's study. Face-to-face, heart-to-heart communion with his Maker was his high privilege. Had he remained loyal to God, all this would have been his forever. Throughout eternal ages he would have continued to gain new treasures of knowledge, to discover fresh springs of happiness, and to obtain clearer and yet clearer conceptions of the wisdom, the power, and the love of God. More and more fully would he have . . . reflected the Creator's glory. {FLB 166.2} [FLB 166.3] But by disobedience this was forfeited. Through sin the divine likeness was marred, and well-nigh obliterated. Man's physical powers were weakened, his mental capacity was lessened, his spiritual vision dimmed. He had become subject to death. Yet the race was not left without hope. By infinite love and mercy the plan of salvation had been devised, and a life of probation was granted. To restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might be realized--this was to be the work of redemption. This is the object of education, the great object of life. {FLB 166.3} [FLB 166.4] To honor Christ, to become like Him, to work for Him, is . . . life's highest ambition and its greatest joy. 167 {FLB 166.4} [FLB 167.1] One Lease of Life Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. Ecclesiastes 12:1. {FLB 167.1} [FLB 167.2] Life is mysterious and sacred. It is the manifestation of God Himself, the source of all life. Precious are its opportunities, and earnestly should they be improved. Once lost, they are gone forever. {FLB 167.2} [FLB 167.3] Before us God places eternity, with its solemn realities, and gives us a grasp on immortal, imperishable themes. He presents valuable, ennobling truth, that we may advance in a safe and sure path, in pursuit of an object worthy of the earnest engagement of all our capabilities. {FLB 167.3} [FLB 167.4] God looks into the tiny seed that He Himself has formed, and sees wrapped within it the beautiful flower, the shrub, or the lofty, widespreading tree. So does He see the possibilities in every human being. We are here for a purpose. God has given us His plan for our life, and He desires us to reach the highest standard of development. {FLB 167.4} [FLB 167.5] He desires that we shall constantly be growing in holiness, in happiness, in usefulness. All have capabilities which they must be taught to regard as sacred endowments, to appreciate as the Lord's gifts, and rightly to employ. He desires the youth to cultivate every power of their being, and to bring every faculty into active exercise. He desires them to enjoy all that is useful and precious in this life, to be good and to do good, laying up a heavenly treasure for the future life. {FLB 167.5} [FLB 167.6] It should be their ambition to excel in all things that are unselfish, high, and noble. Let them look to Christ as the pattern after which they are to be fashioned. The holy ambition that He revealed in His life they are to cherish--an ambition to make the world better for their having lived in it. This is the work to which they are called. {FLB 167.6} [FLB 167.7] Only one lease of life is granted us; and the inquiry with everyone should be, How can I invest my life so that it will yield the greatest profit? How can I do most for the glory of God and the benefit of my fellow men? 168 {FLB 167.7} [FLB 168.1] Behind the Scenes of Life And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16. {FLB 168.1} [FLB 168.2] In the annals of human history the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as dependent on the will and prowess of man. The shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by his power, ambition, or caprice. But in the Word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, behind, above, and through all the play and counterplay of human interests and power and passions, the agencies of the all-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will. . . . {FLB 168.2} [FLB 168.3] Amidst the strife and tumult of nations, He that sitteth above the cherubim still guides the affairs of the earth. . . . To every nation and to every individual . . . God has assigned a place in His great plan. . . . Men and nations are being measured by the plummet in the hand of Him who makes no mistake. All are by their own choice deciding their destiny, and God is overruling all for the accomplishment of His purposes. {FLB 168.3} [FLB 168.4] The history which the great I AM has marked out in His Word, uniting link after link in the prophetic chain, from eternity in the past to eternity in the future, tells us where we are today in the procession of the ages, and what may be expected in the time to come. {FLB 168.4} [FLB 168.5] All that prophecy has foretold as coming to pass, until the present time, has been traced on the pages of history, and we may be assured that all which is yet to come will be fulfilled in its order. . . . {FLB 168.5} [FLB 168.6] We need to study the working out of God's purpose in the history of nations and in the revelation of things to come, that we may estimate at their true value things seen and things unseen; that we may learn what is the true aim of life; that, viewing the things of time in the light of eternity, we may put them to their truest and noblest use. 169 {FLB 168.6} [FLB 169.1] Live While You Have a Chance Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. Ecclesiastes 9:10. {FLB 169.1} [FLB 169.2] It is a solemn thing to die, but a far more solemn thing to live. Every thought and word and deed of our lives will meet us again. What we make of ourselves in probationary time, that we must remain to all eternity. Death brings dissolution to the body, but makes no change in the character. The coming of Christ does not change our characters; it only fixes them forever beyond all change. . . . {FLB 169.2} [FLB 169.3] I appeal to the members of the church to be Christians, to be Christlike. Jesus was a worker, not for Himself, but for others. . . . If you are Christians you will imitate His example. . . . {FLB 169.3} [FLB 169.4] Awake, I beseech you, from the sleep of death. It is too late to devote the strength of brain, bone, and muscle to self-serving. Let not the last day find you destitute of heavenly treasure. Seek to push the triumphs of the cross, seek to enlighten souls, labor for the salvation of your fellow beings, and your work will abide the trying test of fire. {FLB 169.4} [FLB 169.5] Let us remember that while the work we have to do may not be our choice, it is to be accepted as God's choice for us. Whether pleasing or unpleasing, we are to do the duty that lies nearest. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." {FLB 169.5} [FLB 169.6] If the Lord desires us to bear a message to Nineveh, it will not be as pleasing to Him for us to go to Joppa or to Capernaum. He has reasons for sending us to the place toward which our feet have been directed. At that very place there may be someone in need of the help we can give. {FLB 169.6} [FLB 169.7] Whatever the line of work in which we engage, the Word of God teaches us to be "not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord." Romans 12:11. . . . "Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." Colossians 3:24. 170 {FLB 169.7} [FLB 170.1] Seeking the Heavenly Treasure Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2. {FLB 170.1} [FLB 170.2] The Lord reveals man's relative estimate of time and eternity, of earth and heaven. He has admonished us: "If riches increase, set not your heart upon them." Psalm 62:10. They have a value when used for the good of others and the glory of God; but no earthly treasure is to be your portion, your god, or your savior. {FLB 170.2} [FLB 170.3] God tests men, some in one way, and some in another. He tests some by bestowing upon them His rich bounties, and others by withholding His favors. He proves the rich to see if they will love God, the Giver, and their neighbor as themselves. When man makes a right use of these bounties, God is pleased; He can then trust him with greater responsibilities. {FLB 170.3} [FLB 170.4] There is within the worldly man a craving for something that he does not have. He has, from force of habit, bent every thought, every purpose, in the direction of making provision for the future, and as he grows older, he becomes more eager than ever to acquire all that it is possible to gain. . . . {FLB 170.4} [FLB 170.5] All this energy, this perseverance, this determination, this industry after earthly power, is the result of the perversion of his powers to a wrong object. Every faculty might have been cultivated to the highest possible elevation by exercise, for the heavenly, immortal life, and for the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The customs and practices of the worldly man in his perseverance and his energies, and in availing himself of every opportunity to add to his store, should be a lesson to those who claim to be children of God, seeking for glory, honor, and immortality. The children of the world are wiser in their generation than the children of the light, and herein is seen their wisdom. Their object is for earthly gain, and to this end they direct all their energies. O that this zeal would characterize the toiler for heavenly riches! 171 {FLB 170.5} [FLB 171.1] The Arrow of Death O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! Deuteronomy 32:29. {FLB 171.1} [FLB 171.2] The Lord "doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men." Lamentations 3:33. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." Psalm 103:13, 14. He knows our heart, for He reads every secret of the soul. . . . He knows the end from the beginning. Many will be laid away to sleep before the fiery ordeal of the time of trouble shall come upon our world. . . . {FLB 171.2} [FLB 171.3] If Jesus, the world's Redeemer, prayed, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me," and added, "nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Matthew 26:39), how very appropriate it is for finite mortals to make the same surrender to the wisdom and will of God. {FLB 171.3} [FLB 171.4] We have but a brief lifetime here, and we know not how soon the arrow of death may strike our hearts. We know not how soon we may be called to give up the world and all its interests. Eternity stretches before us. The curtain is about to be lifted. But a few short years, and for everyone now numbered with the living the mandate will go forth: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: . . . and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Revelation 22:11. {FLB 171.4} [FLB 171.5] Are we prepared? Have we become acquainted with God, the Governor of heaven, the Lawgiver, and with Jesus Christ whom He sent into the world as His representative? When our lifework is ended, shall we be able to say, as did Christ our example: {FLB 171.5} [FLB 171.6] "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. . . . I have manifested thy name"? John 17:4-6. {FLB 171.6} [FLB 171.7] The angels of God are seeking to attract us from ourselves and from earthly things. Let them not labor in vain. 172 {FLB 171.7} [FLB 172.1] Light in the Shadows But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. Lamentations 3:32, 33. {FLB 172.1} [FLB 172.2] When my eldest son was sixteen years old, he was stricken down in sickness. ［MRS. WHITE'S PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH SORROW IS PRESENTED HERE FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF ALL WHO MUST SUFFER THE LOSS OF DEAR ONES.-- COMPILERS.］ His case was considered critical, and he called us to his bedside, and said, "Father, Mother, it will be hard for you to part with your eldest son. If the Lord sees fit to spare my life, for your sake I will be pleased. If it is for my good and His name's glory for my life to close now, I will say, It is well with my soul. Father, go by yourself, and Mother, go by yourself; and pray. Then you will receive an answer according to the will of my Saviour, whom you love and I love." He was afraid that if we should bow together, our sympathies would strengthen, and we would ask for that which it would not be best for the Lord to grant. . . . We received no evidence that our son would recover. He died, putting his full trust in Jesus our Saviour. His death was a great blow to us, but it was a victory even in death; for his life was hid with Christ in God. {FLB 172.2} [FLB 172.3] Before the death of my eldest boy, my babe was sick unto death. We prayed, and thought that the Lord would spare us our darling; but we closed his eyes in death, and laid him away to rest in Jesus, until the Life-giver shall come to awaken His precious loved ones to a glorious immortality. {FLB 172.3} [FLB 172.4] Then my husband, the faithful servant of Jesus Christ, who had stood by my side for thirty-six years, was taken from me, and I was left to labor alone. He sleeps in Jesus. I have no tears to shed over his grave. But how I miss him! . . . {FLB 172.4} [FLB 172.5] The Lord has often instructed me that many little ones are to be laid away before the time of trouble. We shall see our children again. We shall meet them and know them in the heavenly courts. Put your trust in the Lord, and be not afraid. 173 {FLB 172.5} [FLB 173.1] Our Blessed Dead And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. Revelation 14:13. {FLB 173.1} [FLB 173.2] I hardly know what to say to you. ［WORDS TO A HUSBAND AND CHILDREN ON THE LOSS OF A WIFE AND MOTHER.］ The news of your wife's death was to me overwhelming. I could hardly believe it and can hardly believe it now. God gave me a view last Sabbath night which I will write. . . . {FLB 173.2} [FLB 173.3] I saw that she was sealed and would come up at the voice of God and stand upon the earth, and would be with the 144,000. I saw we need not mourn for her; she would rest in the time of trouble, and all that we could mourn for was our loss in being deprived of her company. I saw her death would result in good. {FLB 173.3} [FLB 173.4] I warn F and the rest of the children to prepare to meet Jesus, and then they will meet their mother again, never more to be parted. O children, will you heed her faithful warning that she gave you while she was with you, and let not all her prayers that she has offered up to God for you be as water spilt upon the ground? Get ready to meet Jesus, and all will be well. Give your hearts to God and do not rest a day unless you know that you love Jesus. Dear Brother, we have prayed to God to gird you up and strengthen you to sustain your loss. God will be with you and uphold you. Only have faith. . . . {FLB 173.4} [FLB 173.5] Sorrow not as those who have no hope. The grave can hold her but a little while. Hope thou in God and cheer up, dear brother, and you will meet her in a little while. We will not cease to pray for the blessings of God to rest upon your family and you. God will be your sun and your shield. He will stand by you in this your deep affliction and trial. Endure the trial well and you will receive a crown of glory with your companion at the appearing of Jesus. Hold fast truth, and you with her will be crowned with glory, honor, immortality, and eternal life. 174 {FLB 173.5} [FLB 174.1] Man a Mere Mortal Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker? Job 4:17. {FLB 174.1} [FLB 174.2] Man is only mortal, and while he feels himself too wise to accept Jesus, he will remain only mortal. {FLB 174.2} [FLB 174.3] Physical life is . . . not eternal or immortal; for God, the Life-giver, takes it again. Man has no control over his life. {FLB 174.3} [FLB 174.4] The Word of God nowhere teaches that the soul of man is immortal. Immortality is an attribute of God only. {FLB 174.4} [FLB 174.5] Upon the fundamental error of natural immortality rests the doctrine of consciousness in death--a doctrine, like eternal torment, opposed to the teachings of the Scriptures, to the dictates of reason, and to our feelings of humanity. . . . What say the Scriptures concerning these things? David declares that man is not conscious in death. "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." Psalm 146:4. . . . {FLB 174.5} [FLB 174.6] When, in answer to his prayer, Hezekiah's life was prolonged fifteen years, the grateful king rendered to God a tribute of praise for His great mercy. In this song he tells the reason why he thus rejoices: "The grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day." Isaiah 38:18, 19. Popular theology represents the righteous dead as in heaven, entered into bliss, and praising God with an immortal tongue; but Hezekiah could see no such glorious prospect in death. . . . {FLB 174.6} [FLB 174.7] Peter, on the day of Pentecost, declared that the patriarch David "is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day." "For David is not ascended into the heavens." Acts 2:29, 34. The fact that David remains in the grave until the resurrection, proves that the righteous do not go to heaven at death. It is only through the resurrection, and by virtue of the fact that Christ has risen, that David can at last sit at the right hand of God. 175 {FLB 174.7} [FLB 175.1] Man's State in Death For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6. {FLB 175.1} [FLB 175.2] The theory of the immortality of the soul was one of those false doctrines that Rome, borrowing from paganism, incorporated into the religion of Christendom. Martin Luther classed it with the "monstrous fables that form part of the Roman dunghill of decretals." Commenting on the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes, that the dead know not anything, the Reformer says: " . . . Solomon judgeth that the dead are asleep, and feel nothing at all. For the dead lie there, accounting neither days nor years, but when they are awakened, they shall seem to have slept scarce one minute." {FLB 175.2} [FLB 175.3] The martyr Tyndale, referring to the state of the dead, declared: "I confess openly, that I am not persuaded that they be already in the full glory that Christ is in, or the elect angels of God are in. Neither is it any article of my faith; for if it were so, I see not but then the preaching of the resurrection of the flesh were a thing in vain." {FLB 175.3} [FLB 175.4] According to the popular belief, the redeemed in heaven are acquainted with all that takes place on the earth, and especially with the lives of the friends whom they have left behind. But how could it be a source of happiness to the dead to know the troubles of the living, . . . to see them enduring all the sorrows, disappointments, and anguish of life? . . . And how utterly revolting is the belief that as soon as the breath leaves the body, the soul of the impenitent is consigned to the flames of hell! To what depths of anguish must those be plunged who see their friends passing to the grave unprepared, to enter upon an eternity of woe and sin! {FLB 175.4} [FLB 175.5] Christ represents death as a sleep to His believing children. Their life is hid with Christ in God, and until the last trump shall sound those who die will sleep in Him. 176 {FLB 175.5} [FLB 176.1] A Goodness in God's Justice And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28. {FLB 176.1} [FLB 176.2] How repugnant to every emotion of love and mercy, and even to our sense of justice, is the doctrine that the wicked dead are tormented with fire and brimstone in an eternally burning hell; that for the sins of a brief earthly life they are to suffer torture as long as God shall live. . . . {FLB 176.2} [FLB 176.3] Where, in the pages of God's Word, is such teaching to be found? Will the redeemed in heaven be lost to all emotions of pity and compassion, and even to feelings of common humanity? Are these to be exchanged for the indifference of the stoic, or the cruelty of the savage? No, no; such is not the teaching of the Book of God. . . . {FLB 176.3} [FLB 176.4] The theory of eternal torment is one of the false doctrines that constitute the wine of the abominations of Babylon. {FLB 176.4} [FLB 176.5] When we consider in what false colors Satan has painted the character of God, can we wonder that our merciful Creator is feared,. . . even hated? {FLB 176.5} [FLB 176.6] The principles of kindness, mercy, and love, taught and exemplified by our Saviour, are a transcript of the will and character of God. . . . God executes justice upon the wicked, for the good of the universe, and even for the good of those upon whom His judgments are visited. . . . {FLB 176.6} [FLB 176.7] Those who have chosen Satan as their leader, and have been controlled by his power, are not prepared to enter the presence of God. . . . {FLB 176.7} [FLB 176.8] Could they endure the glory of God and the Lamb? No, no; years of probation were granted them, that they might form characters for heaven; but they have never trained the mind to love purity; they have never learned the language of heaven, and now it is too late. {FLB 176.8} [FLB 176.9] To sin, wherever found, "our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:29. In all who submit to His power the Spirit of God will consume sin. But if men cling to sin, they become identified with it. Then the glory of God, which destroys sin, must destroy them. 177 {FLB 176.9} [FLB 177.1] The Portion of the Wicked Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezekiel 18:4. {FLB 177.1} [FLB 177.2] While life is the inheritance of the righteous, death is the portion of the wicked. {FLB 177.2} [FLB 177.3] The soul that sinneth it shall die an everlasting death--a death that will last forever, from which there will be no hope of a resurrection; and then the wrath of God will be appeased. {FLB 177.3} [FLB 177.4] It was a marvel to me that Satan could succeed so well in making men believe that the words of God, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die," mean that the soul that sinneth it shall not die, but live eternally in misery. Said the angel, "Life is life, whether it is in pain or happiness. Death is without pain, without joy, without hatred. {FLB 177.4} [FLB 177.5] Christ endured an agonizing death under the most humiliating circumstances that we might have life. He gave up His precious life that He might vanquish death. But He rose from the tomb, and the myriads of angels who came to behold Him take up the life He had laid down heard His words of triumphant joy as He stood above Joseph's rent sepulcher proclaiming: "I am the resurrection, and the life." John 11:25. {FLB 177.5} [FLB 177.6] The question, "If a man die, shall he live again?" has been answered. By bearing the penalty of sin, by going down into the grave, Christ has brightened the tomb for all who die in faith. God in human form has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. In dying, Christ secured eternal life for all who believe in Him. In dying, He condemned the originator of sin and disloyalty to suffer the penalty of sin--eternal death. {FLB 177.6} [FLB 177.7] The possessor and giver of eternal life, Christ was the only one who could conquer death. He is our Redeemer. {FLB 177.7} [FLB 177.8] Christ is life itself. He who passed through death to destroy him that had the power of death is the Source of all vitality. There is balm in Gilead, and a Physician there. 178 {FLB 177.8} [FLB 178.1] Natural Immortality A Lie The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. Proverbs 21:6. {FLB 178.1} [FLB 178.2] The great original lie which he ［Satan］ told to Eve in Eden, "Ye shall not surely die," was the first sermon ever preached on the immortality of the soul. That sermon was crowned with success, and terrible results followed. He has brought minds to receive that sermon as truth, and ministers preach it, sing it, and pray it. {FLB 178.2} [FLB 178.3] After the Fall, Satan bade his angels make a special effort to inculcate the belief in man's natural immortality; and having induced the people to receive this error, they were to lead them on to conclude that the sinner would live in eternal misery. Now the prince of darkness, working through his agents, represents God as a revengeful tyrant, declaring that He plunges into hell all those who do not please Him, and causes them ever to feel His wrath. . . . {FLB 178.3} [FLB 178.4] A large class to whom the doctrine of eternal torment is revolting, are driven to the opposite error. They see that the Scriptures represent God as a being of love and compassion, and they cannot believe that He will consign His creatures to the fires of an eternally burning hell. But holding that the soul is naturally immortal, they see no alternative but to conclude that all mankind will finally be saved. Many regard the threatenings of the Bible as designed merely to frighten men into obedience, and not to be literally fulfilled. Thus the sinner can live in selfish pleasure, disregarding the requirements of God, and yet expect to be finally received into His favor. . . . {FLB 178.4} [FLB 178.5] God has given to men a declaration of His character, and of His method of dealing with sin. . . . "All the wicked will he destroy." Psalm 145:20. . . . Yet all the manifestations of retributive justice will be perfectly consistent with the character of God as a merciful, long-suffering, benevolent being. . . . {FLB 178.5} [FLB 178.6] And all who have a just conception of these qualities will love Him because they are drawn toward Him in admiration of His attributes. 179 {FLB 178.6} [FLB 179.1] Now is God's Time For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2. {FLB 179.1} [FLB 179.2] God has ordained laws for the government, not only of living beings, but of all the operations of nature. Everything is under fixed laws, which cannot be disregarded. . . . {FLB 179.2} [FLB 179.3] Like the angels, the dwellers in Eden had been placed upon probation; their happy estate could be retained only on condition of fidelity to the Creator's law. They could obey and live, or disobey and perish. God had made them the recipients of rich blessings; but should they disregard His will, He who spared not the angels that sinned, could not spare them; transgression would forfeit His gifts, and bring upon them misery and ruin. {FLB 179.3} [FLB 179.4] Adam and Eve transgressed the law of God. This made it necessary for them to be driven from Eden and be separated from the tree of life, to eat of which after their transgression would perpetuate sin. . . . {FLB 179.4} [FLB 179.5] Death entered the world because of transgression. But Christ gave His life that man should have another trial. He did not die on the cross to abolish the law of God, but to secure for man a second probation. He did not die to make sin an immortal attribute; He died to secure the right to destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. {FLB 179.5} [FLB 179.6] It is impossible for men to secure the salvation of the soul after death. . . .This life is the only time given to man in which to prepare for eternity. {FLB 179.6} [FLB 179.7] Probation is granted to all, that all may form characters for eternal life. An opportunity will be given to all to decide for life or death. . . . {FLB 179.7} [FLB 179.8] The probation of those who choose to live a life of sin, and neglect the great salvation offered, closes when Christ's ministration ceases just previous to His appearing in the clouds of heaven. {FLB 179.8} [FLB 179.9] Now is the hour of probation. Now is the day of salvation. Now, now, is God's time. 180 {FLB 179.9} [FLB 180.1] Christ the First Fruits If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 1 Corinthians 15:19, 20. {FLB 180.1} [FLB 180.2] Christ arose from the dead as the first fruits of those that slept. He was the antitype of the wave sheaf, and His resurrection took place on the very day when the wave sheaf was to be presented before the Lord. For more than a thousand years this symbolic ceremony had been performed. From the harvest fields the first heads of ripened grain were gathered, and when the people went up to Jerusalem to the Passover, the sheaf of first fruits was waved as a thank offering before the Lord. Not until this was presented could the sickle be put to the grain, and it be gathered into sheaves. The sheaf dedicated to God represented the harvest. So Christ the first fruits represented the great spiritual harvest to be gathered for the kingdom of God. His resurrection is the type and pledge of the resurrection of all the righteous dead. {FLB 180.2} [FLB 180.3] The resurrection of Jesus was a sample of the final resurrection of all who sleep in Him. The risen body of the Saviour, His deportment, the accents of His speech, were all familiar to His followers. In like manner will those who sleep in Jesus rise again. We shall know our friends even as the disciples knew Jesus. Though they may have been deformed, diseased, or disfigured in this mortal life, yet in their resurrected and glorified body their individual identity will be perfectly preserved, and we shall recognize, in the face radiant with the light shining from the face of Jesus, the lineaments of those we love. {FLB 180.3} [FLB 180.4] At His second coming all the precious dead shall hear His voice, and shall come forth to glorious, immortal life. The same power that raised Christ from the dead will raise His church, and glorify it with Him, above all principalities, above all powers, above every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in the world to come. {FLB 180.4} [FLB 180.5] He will receive us with honor. To us will be given a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 181 {FLB 180.5} [FLB 181.1] Death Swallowed Up in Victory For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 2 Corinthians 5:4. {FLB 181.1} [FLB 181.2] The Life-giver is coming to break the fetters of the tomb. He is to bring forth the captives and proclaim, "I am the resurrection and the life." {FLB 181.2} [FLB 181.3] Nowhere in the Sacred Scriptures is found the statement that the righteous go to their reward or the wicked to their punishment at death. The patriarchs and prophets have left no such assurance. Christ and His apostles have given no hint of it. The Bible clearly teaches that the dead do not go immediately to heaven. They are represented as sleeping until the resurrection. In the very day when the silver cord is loosed and the golden bowl broken, man's thoughts perish. They that go down to the grave are in silence. They know no more of anything that is done under the sun. Blessed rest for the weary righteous! Time, be it long or short, is but a moment to them. They sleep; they are awakened by the trump of God to a glorious immortality. "For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. . . . So when . . . this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." 1 Corinthians 15:52-54. As they are called forth from their deep slumber, they begin to think just where they ceased. The last sensation was the pang of death, the last thought that they were falling beneath the power of the grave. When they arise from the tomb, their first glad thought will be echoed in the triumphal shout, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 1 Corinthians 15:55. {FLB 181.3} [FLB 181.4] The pangs of death were the last things they felt. . . . When they awake the pain is all gone. . . . The gates of the city of God swing back upon their hinges, . . . and the ransomed of God walk in through the cherubims and seraphims. Christ bids them welcome and puts upon them His benediction. "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: . . . enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Matthew 25:21. 182 {FLB 181.4} [FLB 182.1] A Special Resurrection And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2. {FLB 182.1} [FLB 182.2] It is at midnight that God manifests His power for the deliverance of His people. The sun appears, shining in its strength. Signs and wonders follow in quick succession. The wicked look with terror and amazement upon the scene, while the righteous behold with solemn joy the tokens of their deliverance. Everything in nature seems turned out of its course. The streams cease to flow. Dark, heavy clouds come up, and clash against each other. In the midst of the angry heavens is one clear space of indescribable glory, whence comes the voice of God like the sound of many waters, saying, "It is done." Revelation 16:17. . . . {FLB 182.2} [FLB 182.3] That voice shakes the heavens and the earth. There is a mighty earthquake, "such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great." Revelation 16:18. . . . The whole earth heaves and swells like the waves of the sea. Its surface is breaking up. Its very foundations seem to be giving way. . . . {FLB 182.3} [FLB 182.4] Graves are opened, and "many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth . . . awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." Daniel 12:2. All who have died in the faith of the third angel's message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God's covenant of peace with those who have kept His law. {FLB 182.4} [FLB 182.5] Those who had died in faith under the third angel's message, keeping the Sabbath, came forth from their dusty beds. {FLB 182.5} [FLB 182.6] "They also which pierced him" (Revelation 1:7), those that mocked and derided Christ's dying agonies, and the most violent opposers of His truth and His people, are raised to behold Him in His glory, and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient. . . . {FLB 182.6} [FLB 182.7] The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the day and hour of Jesus' coming, and delivering the everlasting covenant to His people. ... And when the blessing is pronounced on those who have honored God by keeping His Sabbath holy, there is a mighty shout of victory. 183 {FLB 182.7} [FLB 183.1] The Resurrection to Immortality For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 1 Thessalonians 4:14. {FLB 183.1} [FLB 183.2] To the believer, Christ is the resurrection and the life. In our Saviour the life that was lost through sin is restored; for He has life in Himself to quicken whom He will. He is invested with the right to give immortality. The life that He laid down in humanity, He takes up again, and gives to humanity. {FLB 183.2} [FLB 183.3] When Christ comes to gather to Himself those who have been faithful, the last trump will sound, and the whole earth, from the summits of the loftiest mountains to the lowest recesses of the deepest mines, will hear. The righteous dead will hear the sound of the last trump, and will come forth from their graves. {FLB 183.3} [FLB 183.4] All come forth from their graves the same in stature as when they entered the tomb. Adam, who stands among the risen throng, is of lofty height and majestic form, in stature but little below the Son of God. He presents a marked contrast to the people of later generations; in this one respect is shown the great degeneracy of the race. But all arise with the freshness and vigor of eternal youth. . . . The mortal, corruptible form, devoid of comeliness, once polluted with sin, becomes perfect, beautiful, and immortal. . . . Restored to the tree of life in the long-lost Eden, the redeemed will "grow up" to the full stature of the race in its primeval glory. . . . {FLB 183.4} [FLB 183.5] The living righteous are changed "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." 1 Corinthians 15:52. At the voice of God they were glorified; now they are made immortal, and with the risen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air. . . . Little children are borne by holy angels to their mothers' arms. Friends long separated by death are united, nevermore to part, and with songs of gladness ascend together to the city of God. {FLB 183.5} [FLB 183.6] All the precious dead, from righteous Abel to the last saint that dies, shall awake to glorious, immortal life. 184 {FLB 183.6} [FLB 184.1] The Resurrection to Damnation For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37:9. {FLB 184.1} [FLB 184.2] At the close of the thousand years the second resurrection will take place. Then the wicked will be raised from the dead, and appear before God. . . . Thus the revelator, after describing the resurrection of the righteous, says, "The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." Revelation 20:5. {FLB 184.2} [FLB 184.3] At the first resurrection all came forth in immortal bloom; but at the second the marks of the curse are visible on all. The kings and noblemen of the earth, the mean and low, the learned and unlearned, come forth together. All behold the Son of man; and those very men who despised and mocked Him, who put the crown of thorns upon His sacred brow, and smote Him with the reed, behold Him in all His kingly majesty. Those who spit upon Him in the hour of His trial now turn from His piercing gaze and from the glory of His countenance. Those who drove the nails through His hands and feet now look upon the marks of His crucifixion. Those who thrust the spear into His side behold the marks of their cruelty on His body. And they know that He is the very one whom they crucified and derided in His expiring agony. And then there arises one long protracted wail of agony, as they flee to hide from the presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords. {FLB 184.3} [FLB 184.4] All are seeking to hide in the rocks, to shield themselves from the terrible glory of Him whom they once despised. And, overwhelmed and pained with His majesty and exceeding glory, they with one accord raise their voices, and with terrible distinctness exclaim, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Psalm 118:26. {FLB 184.4} [FLB 184.5] Fire will come down from God out of heaven and devour them ［the wicked］--burn them up root and branch. Satan is the root, and his children are the branches. {FLB 184.5} [FLB 184.6] The destiny of the wicked is fixed by their own choice. Their exclusion from heaven is voluntary with themselves, and just and merciful on the part of God. 185 {FLB 184.6} [FLB 185.1] The Life-giver Is Coming If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Job 14:14. {FLB 185.1} [FLB 185.2] The Life-giver will call up His purchased possession in the first resurrection, and until that triumphant hour, when the last trump shall sound and the vast army shall come forth to eternal victory, every sleeping saint will be kept in safety and will be guarded as a precious jewel, who is known to God by name. By the power of the Saviour that dwelt in them while living and because they were partakers of the divine nature, they are brought forth from the dead. {FLB 185.2} [FLB 185.3] Our fondest hopes are often blighted here. Our loved ones are torn from us by death. We close their eyes and habit them for the tomb, and lay them away from our sight. But hope bears our spirits up. We are not parted forever, but shall meet the loved ones who sleep in Jesus. They shall come again from the land of the enemy. The Life-giver is coming. Myriads of holy angels escort Him on His way. He bursts the bands of death, breaks the fetters of the tomb, the precious captives come forth in health and immortal beauty. {FLB 185.3} [FLB 185.4] Our personal identity is preserved in the resurrection, though not the same particles of matter or material substance as went into the grave. . . . In the resurrection every man will have his own character. God in His own time will call forth the dead, giving again the breath of life, and bidding the dry bones live. {FLB 185.4} [FLB 185.5] There will be a relinking of the family chain. When we look upon our dead, we may think of the morning when the trump of God shall sound, when "the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 1 Corinthians 15:52. {FLB 185.5} [FLB 185.6] The last lingering traces of the curse of sin will be removed, and Christ's faithful ones will appear in "the beauty of the Lord our God," in mind and soul and body reflecting the perfect image of their Lord. {FLB 185.6} [FLB 185.7] Are we ready so that if we shall fall asleep, we can do so with hope in Jesus Christ? 186 {FLB 185.7} [FLB 186.1] Sorrow With Hope But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13. {FLB 186.1} [FLB 186.2] To the afflicted ones I would say, be of good comfort in the hope of the resurrection morning. The waters of which you have been drinking are as bitter to your taste as were the waters of Marah to the children of Israel in the wilderness, but Jesus can make them so sweet with His love. . . . {FLB 186.2} [FLB 186.3] God has provided a balm for every wound. There is a balm in Gilead, there is a Physician there. Will you not now as never before study the Scriptures? Seek the Lord for wisdom in every emergency. In every trial plead with Jesus to show you a way out of your troubles, then your eyes will be opened to behold the remedy and to apply to your case the healing promises that have been recorded in His Word. In this way the enemy will find no place to lead you into mourning and unbelief, but instead you will have faith and hope and courage in the Lord. The Holy Spirit will give you clear discernment that you may see and appropriate every blessing that will act as an antidote to grief, as a branch of healing to every draught of bitterness that is placed to your lips. Every draught of bitterness will be mingled with the love of Jesus, and in place of complaining of the bitterness, you will realize that Jesus' love and grace are so mingled with sorrow that it has been turned into subdued, holy, sanctified joy. {FLB 186.3} [FLB 186.4] When Henry White, our eldest son, lay dying, he said, "A bed of pain is a precious place when we have the presence of Jesus." When we are obliged to drink of the bitter waters, turn away from the bitter to the precious and the bright. In trial grace can give the human soul assurance, and when we stand at the deathbed and see how the Christian can bear suffering and go through the valley of death, we gather strength . . . and we fail not, neither are we discouraged in leading souls to Jesus. 187 {FLB 186.4} [FLB 187.1] When Eternal Life Begins And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 1 John 5:11, 12. {FLB 187.1} [FLB 187.2] Jesus declared, "I am the resurrection, and the life." In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived. "He that hath the Son hath life." The divinity of Christ is the believer's assurance of eternal life. "He that believeth in me," said Jesus, "though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." John 11:25, 26. {FLB 187.2} [FLB 187.3] To the believer, death is but a small matter. Christ speaks of it as if it were of little moment. "If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death," "he shall never taste of death." John 8:51, 52. To the Christian, death is but a sleep, a moment of silence and darkness. The life is hid with Christ in God, and "when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:4. {FLB 187.3} [FLB 187.4] He who Himself was soon to die upon the cross stood . . . a conqueror of the grave, and asserted His right and power to give eternal life. {FLB 187.4} [FLB 187.5] "I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:40. Christ became one flesh with us, in order that we might become one spirit with Him. It is by virtue of this union that we are to come forth from the grave-- not merely as a manifestation of the power of Christ, but because, through faith, His life has become ours. Those who see Christ in His true character, and receive Him into the heart, have everlasting life. It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received into the heart by faith, is the beginning of the life eternal. {FLB 187.5} [FLB 187.6] Jesus is . . . crying, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." "Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John 7:37; Revelation 22:17; John 4:14. {FLB 187.6} [FLB 188.1] Chap. 7 - The Sanctuary Of God The Lord Is in This Place And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. Genesis 28:16, 17. {FLB 188.1} [FLB 188.2] True reverence for God is inspired by a sense of His infinite greatness and a realization of His presence. With this sense of the Unseen, every heart should be deeply impressed. The hour and place of prayer are sacred, because God is there. And as reverence is manifested in attitude and demeanor, the feeling that inspires it will be deepened. "Holy and reverend is his name," the psalmist declares (Psalm 111:9). Angels, when they speak that name, veil their faces. With what reverence, then, should we, who are fallen and sinful, take it upon our lips! Well would it be for old and young to ponder those words of Scripture that show how the place marked by God's special presence should be regarded. "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet," He commanded Moses at the burning bush, "for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." Exodus 3:5. {FLB 188.2} [FLB 188.3] God is high and holy; and to the humble, believing soul, His house on earth, the place where His people meet for worship, is as the gate of heaven. The song of praise, the words spoken by Christ's ministers, are God's appointed agencies to prepare a people for the church above, for that loftier worship into which there can enter nothing that is impure. . . . God sees every irreverent thought or action, and it is registered in the books of heaven. . . . Nothing is hid from His all-searching eye. If you have formed in any degree the habit of inattention and indifference in the house of God, exercise the powers you have to correct it. . . . Practice reverence until it becomes a part of yourself. 189 {FLB 188.3} [FLB 189.1] Keep Silence Before Him The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. Habakkuk 2:20. {FLB 189.1} [FLB 189.2] From the sacredness which was attached to the earthly sanctuary, Christians may learn how they should regard the place where the Lord meets with His people. There has been a great change, not for the better, but for the worse, in the habits and customs of the people in reference to religious worship. The precious, the sacred, things which connect us with God are fast losing their hold upon our minds and hearts, and are being brought down to the level of common things. The reverence which the people had anciently for the sanctuary where they met with God in sacred service has largely passed away. Nevertheless, God Himself gave the order of His service, exalting it high above everything of a temporal nature. {FLB 189.2} [FLB 189.3] The house is the sanctuary for the family, and the closet or the grove the most retired place for individual worship; but the church is the sanctuary for the congregation. {FLB 189.3} [FLB 189.4] In the name of Jesus we may come before Him with confidence, but we must not approach Him with the boldness of presumption, as though He were on a level with ourselves. There are those who address the great and all-powerful and holy God, who dwelleth in light unapproachable, as they would address an equal, or even an inferior. There are those who conduct themselves in His house as they would not presume to do in the audience-chamber of an earthly ruler. These should remember that they are in His sight whom seraphim adore. {FLB 189.4} [FLB 189.5] Those who assemble to worship Him should put away every evil thing. Unless they worship Him in spirit and truth and in the beauty of holiness, their coming together will be of no avail. {FLB 189.5} [FLB 189.6] It is your privilege, dear young friends, to glorify God upon the earth. In order to do this, you must direct your minds away from things that are superficial, frivolous, and unimportant, to those that are of eternal worth. 190 {FLB 189.6} [FLB 190.1] Purging From Sin Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Isaiah 6:5. {FLB 190.1} [FLB 190.2] As the prophet Isaiah beheld the glory of the Lord, he was amazed, and, overwhelmed with a sense of his own weakness and unworthiness, he cried, "Woe is me! . . ." {FLB 190.2} [FLB 190.3] Isaiah had denounced the sin of others; but now he sees himself exposed to the same condemnation he had pronounced upon them. He had been satisfied with a cold, lifeless ceremony in his worship of God. He had not known this until the vision was given him of the Lord. How little now appeared his wisdom and talents as he looked upon the sacredness and majesty of the sanctuary. . . . His view of himself might be expressed in the language of the apostle Paul, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Romans 7:24. . . . {FLB 190.3} [FLB 190.4] "Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." Isaiah 6:6, 7. {FLB 190.4} [FLB 190.5] The vision given to Isaiah represents the condition of God's people in the last days. They are privileged to see by faith the work that is going forward in the heavenly sanctuary. . . . As they look by faith into the holy of holies, and see the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, they perceive that they are a people of unclean lips--a people whose lips have often spoken vanity, and whose talents have not been sanctified and employed to the glory of God. Well may they despair as they contrast their own weakness and unworthiness with the purity and loveliness of the glorious character of Christ. But if they, like Isaiah, will receive the impression the Lord designs shall be made upon the heart, if they will humble their souls before God, there is hope for them. The bow of promise is above the throne, and the work done for Isaiah will be performed in them. 191 {FLB 190.5} [FLB 191.1] The Spirit in the Soul Temple Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16. {FLB 191.1} [FLB 191.2] From eternal ages it was God's purpose that every created being, from the bright and holy seraph to man, should be a temple for the indwelling of the Creator. Because of sin, humanity ceased to be a temple for God. Darkened and defiled by evil, the heart of man no longer revealed the glory of the Divine One. But by the incarnation of the Son of God, the purpose of Heaven is fulfilled. God dwells in humanity, and through saving grace the heart of man becomes again His temple. {FLB 191.2} [FLB 191.3] God designed that the temple at Jerusalem should be a continual witness to the high destiny open to every soul. But the Jews had not understood the significance of the building they regarded with so much pride. They did not yield themselves as holy temples for the Divine Spirit. The courts of the temple at Jerusalem, filled with the tumult of unholy traffic, represented all too truly the temple of the heart. . . . In cleansing the temple from the world's buyers and sellers, Jesus announced His mission to cleanse the heart from the defilement of sin-- from . . . the selfish lusts, the evil habits, that corrupt the soul. . . . {FLB 191.3} [FLB 191.4] No man can of himself cast out the evil throng that have taken possession of the heart. Only Christ can cleanse the soul temple. But He will not force an entrance. He comes not into the heart as to the temple of old; but He says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him." Revelation 3:20. He will come, not for one day merely; for He says, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; . . . and they shall be my people." 2 Corinthians 6:16. . . . His presence will cleanse and sanctify the soul, so that it may be a holy temple unto the Lord, and "an habitation of God through the Spirit." Ephesians 2:22. {FLB 191.4} [FLB 191.5] The Lord is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who serve Him than parents are to give good gifts to their children. 192 {FLB 191.5} [FLB 192.1] The Purpose of the Sanctuary And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. Exodus 25:8. {FLB 192.1} [FLB 192.2] "I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God," "and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory" (Exodus 29:45, 43), was the assurance given to Moses. {FLB 192.2} [FLB 192.3] In the building of the sanctuary as a dwelling place for God, Moses was directed to make all things according to the pattern of things in the heavens. God called him into the mount, and revealed to him the heavenly things, and in their similitude the tabernacle, with all that pertained to it, was fashioned. {FLB 192.3} [FLB 192.4] So to Israel, whom He desired to make His dwelling place, He revealed His glorious ideal of character. The pattern was shown them in the mount when the law was given from Sinai. . . . {FLB 192.4} [FLB 192.5] But this ideal they were, in themselves, powerless to attain. The revelation at Sinai could only impress them with their need and helplessness. Another lesson the tabernacle, through its service of sacrifice, was to teach--the lesson of pardon of sin, and power through the Saviour for obedience unto life. {FLB 192.5} [FLB 192.6] Through Christ was to be fulfilled the purpose of which the tabernacle was a symbol--that glorious building, its walls of glistening gold reflecting in rainbow hues the curtains inwrought with cherubim, the fragrance of ever-burning incense pervading all, the priests robed in spotless white, and in the deep mystery of the inner place, above the mercy seat, between the figures of the bowed, worshiping angels, the glory of the Holiest. In all, God desired His people to read His purpose for the human soul. It was the same purpose long afterward set forth by the apostle Paul, speaking by the Holy Spirit: {FLB 192.6} [FLB 192.7] "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17. 193 {FLB 192.7} [FLB 193.1] A Temple Built by Sacrifice Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. Exodus 25:2. {FLB 193.1} [FLB 193.2] God Himself gave to Moses the plan of that structure ［the sanctuary］, with particular directions as to its size and form, the materials to be employed, and every article of furniture which it was to contain. The holy places made with hands were to be "figures of the true" (Hebrews 9:24), "patterns of things in the heavens" (Hebrews 9:23)-- a miniature representation of the heavenly temple where Christ, our great high priest, after offering His life as a sacrifice, was to minister in the sinner's behalf. . . . {FLB 193.2} [FLB 193.3] For the building of the sanctuary, great and expensive preparations were necessary; a large amount of the most precious and costly material was required; yet the Lord accepted only freewill offerings. "Of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering," was the divine command repeated by Moses to the congregation. Devotion to God and a spirit of sacrifice were the first requisites in preparing a dwelling place for the Most High. {FLB 193.3} [FLB 193.4] All the people responded with one accord. "They came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets . . . : and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the Lord." Exodus 35:21, 22. . . . {FLB 193.4} [FLB 193.5] The people, old and young--men, women, and children--continued to bring their offerings, until those in charge of the work found that they had enough, and even more than could be used. . . . {FLB 193.5} [FLB 193.6] All who love the worship of God, and prize the blessing of His sacred presence, will manifest the same spirit of sacrifice in preparing a house where He may meet with them. {FLB 193.6} [FLB 193.7] If there was ever a time when sacrifices should be made, it is now. 194 {FLB 193.7} [FLB 194.1] Strength and Beauty in His Sanctuary Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Psalm 96:6. {FLB 194.1} [FLB 194.2] From the creation and fall of man to the present time, there has been a continual unfolding of the plan of God for the redemption, through Christ, of the fallen race. The tabernacle and temple of God on earth were patterned after the original in heaven. Around the sanctuary and its solemn services mystically gathered the grand truths which were to be developed through succeeding generations. {FLB 194.2} [FLB 194.3] There has been no time when God has granted greater evidences of His grandeur and exalted majesty than while He was the acknowledged governor of Israel. The manifestations of an invisible King were grand and unspeakably awful. A scepter was swayed, but it was held by no human hand. The sacred ark, covered by the mercy seat, and containing the holy law of God, was symbolical of Jehovah Himself. It was the power of the Israelites to conquer in battle. Before it idols were thrown down, and for rashly looking into it thousands perished. Never in our world has the Lord given such open manifestations of His supremacy as when He alone was the acknowledged king of Israel. {FLB 194.3} [FLB 194.4] The law of God, enshrined within the ark, was the great rule of righteousness and judgment. That law pronounced death upon the transgressor; but above the law was the mercy seat, upon which the presence of God was revealed, and from which, by virtue of the atonement, pardon was granted to the repentant sinner. Thus in the work of Christ for our redemption, symbolized by the sanctuary service, "mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Psalm 85:10. {FLB 194.4} [FLB 194.5] While we rejoice today that our Saviour has come, that the sacrifices of the former dispensation have given place to the perfect offering for sin, we are not excusable in showing contempt for that period. 195 {FLB 194.5} [FLB 195.1] Redeemer, Priest, and King For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. Hebrews 7:26. {FLB 195.1} [FLB 195.2] By divine direction the tribe of Levi was set apart for the service of the sanctuary. In the earliest times every man was the priest of his own household. In the days of Abraham, the priesthood was regarded as the birthright of the eldest son. Now, instead of the first-born of all Israel, the Lord accepted the tribe of Levi for the work of the sanctuary. . . . The priesthood, however, was restricted to the family of Aaron. Aaron and his sons alone were permitted to minister before the Lord; the rest of the tribe were entrusted with the charge of the tabernacle. . . . {FLB 195.2} [FLB 195.3] In accordance with their office, a special dress was appointed for the priests. "Thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty" (Exodus 28:2), was the divine direction to Moses. . . . Everything connected with the apparel and deportment of the priests was to be such as to impress the beholder with a sense of the holiness of God, the sacredness of His worship, and the purity required of those who came into His presence. Not only the sanctuary itself, but the ministration of the priests, was to "serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things." Hebrews 8:5. {FLB 195.3} [FLB 195.4] The people were taught each day, by means of types and shadows, the great truths relative to the advent of Christ as Redeemer, Priest, and King; and once each year their minds were carried forward to the closing events of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, the final purification of the universe from sin and sinners. The sacrifices and offerings of the Mosaic ritual were ever pointing toward a better service, even a heavenly. {FLB 195.4} [FLB 195.5] The merits of His ［Jesus'］ sacrifice are sufficient to present to the Father in our behalf. {FLB 195.5} [FLB 195.6] We are to have free access to the atoning blood of Christ. This we must regard as the most precious privilege, the greatest blessing, ever granted to sinful man. 196 {FLB 195.6} [FLB 196.1] A Daily Consecration to God I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1. {FLB 196.1} [FLB 196.2] The ministration of the sanctuary consisted of two divisions, a daily and a yearly service. The daily service was performed at the altar of burnt offering in the court of the tabernacle, and in the holy place; while the yearly service was in the most holy. . . . {FLB 196.2} [FLB 196.3] The daily service consisted of the morning and evening burnt offering, the offering of sweet incense on the golden altar, and the special offerings for individual sins. And there were also offerings for sabbaths, new moons, and special feasts. {FLB 196.3} [FLB 196.4] Every morning and evening a lamb of a year old was burned upon the altar, with its appropriate meat offering, thus symbolizing the daily consecration of the nation to Jehovah, and their constant dependence upon the atoning blood of Christ. God expressly directed that every offering presented for the service of the sanctuary should be "without blemish.". . . Only an offering "without blemish" could be a symbol of His perfect purity who was to offer Himself as "a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 1:19. The apostle Paul points to these sacrifices as an illustration of what the followers of Christ are to become. He says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." . . . {FLB 196.4} [FLB 196.5] The hours appointed for the morning and the evening sacrifice were regarded as sacred, and they came to be observed as the set time for worship throughout the Jewish nation. . . . In this custom, Christians have an example for morning and evening prayer. While God condemns a mere round of ceremonies, without the spirit of worship, He looks with great pleasure upon those who love Him, bowing morning and evening to seek pardon for sins committed, and to present their requests for needed blessings. 197 {FLB 196.5} [FLB 197.1] The Incense of Righteousness And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. Ephesians 5:2. {FLB 197.1} [FLB 197.2] The showbread was kept ever before the Lord as a perpetual offering. . . . It was called showbread, or "bread of the presence," because it was ever before the face of the Lord. It was an acknowledgment of man's dependence upon God for both temporal and spiritual food, and that it is received only through the mediation of Christ. . . . Both the manna and the showbread pointed to Christ, the living bread, who is ever in the presence of God for us. {FLB 197.2} [FLB 197.3] In the offering of incense the priest was brought more directly into the presence of God than in any other act of the daily ministration. As the inner veil of the sanctuary did not extend to the top of the building, the glory of God, which was manifested above the mercy seat, was partially visible from the first apartment. When the priest offered incense before the Lord, he looked toward the ark; and as the cloud of incense arose, the divine glory descended upon the mercy seat and filled the most holy place, and often so filled both apartments that the priest was obliged to retire to the door of the tabernacle. As in that typical service the priest looked by faith to the mercy seat which he could not see, so the people of God are now to direct their prayers to Christ, their great high priest, who, unseen by human vision, is pleading in their behalf in the sanctuary above. {FLB 197.3} [FLB 197.4] The incense, ascending with the prayers of Israel, represents the merits and intercession of Christ, His perfect righteousness, which through faith is imputed to His people, and which can alone make the worship of sinful beings acceptable to God. Before the veil of the most holy place, was an altar of perpetual intercession, before the holy, an altar of continual atonement. By blood and by incense, God was to be approached--symbols pointing to the great Mediator, through whom sinners may approach Jehovah, and through whom alone mercy and salvation can be granted to the repentant, believing soul. 198 {FLB 197.4} [FLB 198.1] Christ Died for the Individual This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 1 Timothy 1:15. {FLB 198.1} [FLB 198.2] The most important part of the daily ministration was the service performed in behalf of individuals. The repentant sinner brought his offering to the door of the tabernacle, and placing his hand upon the victim's head, confessed his sins, thus in figure transferring them from himself to the innocent sacrifice. By his own hand the animal was then slain, and the blood was carried by the priest into the holy place and sprinkled before the veil, behind which was the ark containing the law that the sinner had transgressed. By this ceremony the sin was, through the blood, transferred in figure to the sanctuary. In some cases the blood was not taken into the holy place; but the flesh was then to be eaten by the priest. . . . Both ceremonies alike symbolized the transfer of the sin from the penitent to the sanctuary. {FLB 198.2} [FLB 198.3] Such was the work that went on day by day throughout the year. The sins of Israel being thus transferred to the sanctuary, the holy places were defiled, and a special work became necessary for the removal of the sins. God commanded that an atonement be made for each of the sacred apartments, as for the altar, to "cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel." Leviticus 16:19. {FLB 198.3} [FLB 198.4] Once a year, on the great Day of Atonement, the priest entered the most holy place for the cleansing of the sanctuary. The work there performed, completed the yearly round of ministration. . . . {FLB 198.4} [FLB 198.5] The earthly sanctuary was built . . . according to the pattern shown . . . in the mount. It was "a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices"; its two holy places were "patterns of things in the heavens"; Christ, our great high priest, is "a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." Hebrews 9:9, 23; 8:2. {FLB 198.5} [FLB 198.6] He appears in the presence of God, . . . ready to accept the repentance and to answer the prayers of His people. 199 {FLB 198.6} [FLB 199.1] The Voluntary Sacrifice of Jesus Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. Psalm 40:7, 8. {FLB 199.1} [FLB 199.2] The children of Israel were anciently commanded to make an offering for the entire congregation to purify them from ceremonial defilement. This sacrifice was a red heifer and represented the more perfect offering that should redeem from the pollution of sin. This was an occasional sacrifice for the purification of all those who had necessarily or accidentally touched the dead. All who came in contact with death in any way were considered ceremonially unclean. This was to forcibly impress the minds of the Hebrews with the fact that death came in consequence of sin and therefore is a representative of sin. The one heifer, the one ark, the one brazen serpent, impressively point to the one great offering, the sacrifice of Christ. {FLB 199.2} [FLB 199.3] This heifer was to be red, which was a symbol of blood. It must be without spot or blemish, and one that had never borne a yoke. Here, again, Christ was typified. The Son of God came voluntarily to accomplish the work of atonement. There was no obligatory yoke upon Him, for He was independent and above all law. The angels, as God's intelligent messengers, were under the yoke of obligation; no personal sacrifice of theirs could atone for the guilt of fallen man. Christ alone was free from the claims of the law to undertake the redemption of the sinful race. . . . {FLB 199.3} [FLB 199.4] Jesus might have remained at His Father's right hand, wearing His kingly crown and royal robes. But He chose to exchange all the riches, honor, and glory of heaven for the poverty of humanity, and His station of high command for the horrors of Gethsemane and the humiliation and agony of Calvary. . . . {FLB 199.4} [FLB 199.5] The wounded hands, the pierced side, the marred feet, plead eloquently for fallen man, whose redemption is purchased at such an infinite cost. Oh, matchless condescension! Neither time nor events can lessen the efficacy of the atoning sacrifice. 200 {FLB 199.5} [FLB 200.1] The Blood Applied Continually For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, . . . purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9:13, 14. {FLB 200.1} [FLB 200.2] The sacrificial ［red］ heifer was conducted without the camp and slain in the most imposing manner. Thus Christ suffered without the gates of Jerusalem, for Calvary was outside the city walls. This was to show that Christ did not die for the Hebrews alone, but for all mankind. He proclaims to a fallen world that He has come to be their Redeemer and urges them to accept the salvation He offers them. The heifer having been slain in a most solemn manner, the priest, clothed in pure white garments, took the blood in his hands as it issued from the body of the victim and cast it toward the temple seven times. . . . {FLB 200.2} [FLB 200.3] The body of the heifer was burned to ashes, which signified a whole and ample sacrifice. The ashes were then gathered up by a person uncontaminated by contact with the dead and placed in a vessel containing water from a running stream. This clean and pure person then took a cedar stick with scarlet cloth and a bunch of hyssop, and sprinkled the contents of the vessel upon the tent and the people assembled. This ceremony was repeated several times . . . and was done as a purification from sin. {FLB 200.3} [FLB 200.4] Thus Christ, in His own spotless righteousness, after shedding His precious blood, enters into the holy place to cleanse the sanctuary. And there the crimson current is brought into the service of reconciling God to man. Some may look upon this slaying of the heifer as a meaningless ceremony, but it was done by the command of God and bears a deep significance that has not lost its application to the present time. . . . {FLB 200.4} [FLB 200.5] The blood of Christ is efficacious, but it needs to be applied continually. . . . {FLB 200.5} [FLB 200.6] If it was necessary in ancient times for the unclean to be purified by the blood of sprinkling, how essential for those living in the perils of the last days, and exposed to the temptations of Satan, to have the blood of Christ applied to their hearts daily. 201 {FLB 200.6} [FLB 201.1] Into the Holy Place Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Hebrews 9:12. {FLB 201.1} [FLB 201.2] In the spring of A.D. 31, Christ, the true Sacrifice, was offered on Calvary. {FLB 201.2} [FLB 201.3] When Christ on the cross cried out, "It is finished," the veil of the temple was rent in twain. This veil was significant to the Jewish nation. It was of most costly material, of purple and gold, and was of great length and breadth. At the moment when Christ breathed His last, there were witnesses in the temple who beheld the strong, heavy material rent by unseen hands from top to bottom. This act signified to the heavenly universe, and to a world corrupted by sin, that a new and living way had been opened to the fallen race, that all sacrificial offerings terminated in the one great offering of the Son of God. {FLB 201.3} [FLB 201.4] Type . . . met antitype in the death of God's Son. . . . The way into the holiest is laid open. A new and living way is prepared for all. No longer need sinful, sorrowing humanity await the coming of the high priest. Henceforth the Saviour was to officiate as priest and advocate in the heaven of heavens. . . . There is now an end to all sacrifices and offerings for sin. The Son of God is come according to His word, "Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God." "By his own blood" He entereth "in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Hebrews 10:7; 9:12. {FLB 201.4} [FLB 201.5] The Holy Spirit which descended on the day of Pentecost carried the minds of the disciples from the earthly sanctuary to the heavenly, where Jesus had entered by His own blood, to shed upon His disciples the benefits of His atonement. {FLB 201.5} [FLB 201.6] The eyes of men were turned to the true sacrifice for the sins of the world. The earthly priesthood ceased; but we look to Jesus, the minister of the new covenant. {FLB 201.6} [FLB 201.7] The Elder Brother of our race is by the eternal throne. 202 {FLB 201.7} [FLB 202.1] The Very Center of His Work Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. Hebrews 8:1, 2. {FLB 202.1} [FLB 202.2] The question, What is the sanctuary? is clearly answered in the Scriptures. The term "sanctuary," as used in the Bible, refers, first, to the tabernacle built by Moses, as a pattern of heavenly things; and, secondly, to the "true tabernacle" in heaven, to which the earthly sanctuary pointed. At the death of Christ the typical service ended. The "true tabernacle" in heaven is the sanctuary of the new covenant. {FLB 202.2} [FLB 202.3] The holy places of the sanctuary in heaven are represented by the two apartments in the sanctuary on earth. As in vision the apostle John was granted a view of the temple of God in heaven, he beheld there "seven lamps of fire burning before the throne." Revelation 4:5. He saw an angel "having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne." Revelation 8:3. Here the prophet was permitted to behold the first apartment of the sanctuary in heaven; and he saw there the "seven lamps of fire" and the "golden altar," represented by the golden candlestick and the altar of incense in the sanctuary on earth. Again, "the temple of God was opened" (Revelation 11:19), and he looked within the inner veil, upon the holy of holies. Here he beheld "the ark of his testament," represented by the sacred chest constructed by Moses to contain the law of God. . . . {FLB 202.3} [FLB 202.4] Moses made the earthly sanctuary after a pattern which was shown him. Paul teaches that that pattern was the true sanctuary which is in heaven. And John testifies that he saw it in heaven. {FLB 202.4} [FLB 202.5] The sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ's work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth. {FLB 202.5} [FLB 202.6] When Christ ascended to heaven, He ascended as our Advocate. We always have a Friend at court. 203 {FLB 202.6} [FLB 203.1] Appears in Heaven for Us For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Hebrews 9:24. {FLB 203.1} [FLB 203.2] The subject of the sanctuary . . . should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. . . . {FLB 203.2} [FLB 203.3] The intercession of Christ in man's behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. By His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven. We must by faith enter within the veil, "whither the forerunner is for us entered." Hebrews 6:20. There the light from the cross of Calvary is reflected. There we may gain a clearer insight into the mysteries of redemption. The salvation of man is accomplished at an infinite expense to heaven; the sacrifice made is equal to the broadest demands of the broken law of God. Jesus has opened the way to the Father's throne, and through His mediation the sincere desire of all who come to Him in faith may be presented before God. {FLB 203.3} [FLB 203.4] "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Proverbs 28:13. If those who hide and excuse their faults could see how Satan exults over them, how he taunts Christ and holy angels with their course, they would make haste to confess their sins and to put them away. Through defects in the character, Satan works to gain control of the whole mind, and he knows that if these defects are cherished, he will succeed. Therefore he is constantly seeking to deceive the followers of Christ with his fatal sophistry that it is impossible for them to overcome. But Jesus pleads in their behalf His wounded hands, His bruised body; and He declares to all who would follow Him, "My grace is sufficient for thee." 2 Corinthians 12:9. . . . Let none, then, regard their defects as incurable. God will give faith and grace to overcome them. 204 {FLB 203.4} [FLB 204.1] Uttermost Salvation for His Children But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:24, 25. {FLB 204.1} [FLB 204.2] Every provision has been made for our infirmities, every encouragement offered us to come to Christ. {FLB 204.2} [FLB 204.3] Christ offered up His broken body to purchase back God's heritage, to give man another trial. . . . By His spotless life, His obedience, His death on the cross of Calvary, Christ interceded for the lost race. And now, not as a mere petitioner does the Captain of our salvation intercede for us, but as a Conqueror claiming His victory. His offering is complete, and as our Intercessor He executes His self-appointed work, holding before God the censer containing His own spotless merits and the prayers, confessions, and thanksgiving of His people. Perfumed with the fragrance of His righteousness, these ascend to God as a sweet savor. The offering is wholly acceptable, and pardon covers all transgression. {FLB 204.3} [FLB 204.4] Christ has pledged Himself to be our substitute and surety, and He neglects no one. He who could not see human beings exposed to eternal ruin without pouring out His soul unto death in their behalf, will look with pity and compassion upon every soul who realizes that he cannot save himself. {FLB 204.4} [FLB 204.5] He will look upon no trembling suppliant without raising him up. He who through His own atonement provided for man an infinite fund of moral power, will not fail to employ this power in our behalf. We may take our sins and sorrows to His feet; for He loves us. His every look and word invites our confidence. He will shape and mold our characters according to His own will. {FLB 204.5} [FLB 204.6] In the whole satanic force there is not power to overcome one soul who in simple trust casts himself on Christ. "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength." Isaiah 40:29. 205 {FLB 204.6} [FLB 205.1] The True Mediator For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5. {FLB 205.1} [FLB 205.2] In the mediatorial work of Christ, the love of God was revealed in its perfection to men and angels. {FLB 205.2} [FLB 205.3] He stands to mediate for you. He is the great High Priest who is pleading in your behalf; and you are to come and present your case to the Father through Jesus Christ. Thus you can find access to God; and though you sin, your case is not hopeless. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2:1. {FLB 205.3} [FLB 205.4] Christ is your Redeemer; He will take no advantage of your humiliating confessions. If you have sin of a private character, confess it to Christ, who is the only mediator between God and man. {FLB 205.4} [FLB 205.5] He presents us to the Father clothed in the white raiment of His own character. He pleads before God in our behalf, saying: I have taken the sinner's place. Look not upon this wayward child, but look on Me. Does Satan plead loudly against our souls, . . . claiming us as his prey, the blood of Christ pleads with greater power. {FLB 205.5} [FLB 205.6] The work of Christ in the sanctuary above, presenting His own blood each moment before the mercy seat, as He makes intercession for us, should have its full impression upon the heart, that we may realize the worth of each moment. Jesus ever liveth to make intercession for us; but one moment carelessly spent can never be recovered. {FLB 205.6} [FLB 205.7] Think of Jesus. He is in His holy place, not in a state of solitude, but surrounded by ten thousand times ten thousand of heavenly angels who wait to do His bidding. And He bids them go and work for the weakest saint who puts his trust in God. High and low, rich and poor, have the same help provided. {FLB 205.7} [FLB 205.8] Consider this great fact that Christ ceases not to engage in His solemn work in the heavenly sanctuary, and if you wear Christ's yoke, if you lift Christ's burden, you will be engaged in a work of like character with that of your living Head. 206 {FLB 205.8} [FLB 206.1] The Heavenly Things Purified And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Hebrews 9:22, 23. {FLB 206.1} [FLB 206.2] What is the cleansing of the sanctuary? That there was such a service in connection with the earthly sanctuary, is stated in the Old Testament Scriptures. But can there be anything in heaven to be cleansed? In Hebrews 9 the cleansing of both the earthly and the heavenly sanctuary is plainly taught. . . . {FLB 206.2} [FLB 206.3] The cleansing, both in the typical and in the real service, must be accomplished with blood: in the former, with the blood of animals; in the latter, with the blood of Christ. {FLB 206.3} [FLB 206.4] The cleansing was not a removal of physical impurities, for it was to be accomplished with blood, and therefore must be a cleansing from sin. {FLB 206.4} [FLB 206.5] But how could there be sin connected with the sanctuary, either in heaven or upon the earth? {FLB 206.5} [FLB 206.6] As the sins of the people were anciently transferred, in figure, to the earthly sanctuary by the blood of the sin offering, so our sins are, in fact, transferred to the heavenly sanctuary by the blood of Christ. And as the typical cleansing of the earthly was accomplished by the removal of the sins by which it had been polluted, so the actual cleansing of the heavenly is to be accomplished by the removal, or blotting out, of the sins which are there recorded. This necessitates an examination of the books of record to determine who, through repentance of sin and faith in Christ, are entitled to the benefits of His atonement. {FLB 206.6} [FLB 206.7] Then ［in the great day of final award］ by virtue of the atoning blood of Christ, the sins of all the truly penitent will be blotted from the books of heaven. {FLB 206.7} [FLB 206.8] He ［Christ］ asks for His people not only pardon and justification, full and complete, but a share in His glory and a seat upon His throne. 207 {FLB 206.8} [FLB 207.1] Christ Before the Ancient of Days I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. Daniel 7:13. {FLB 207.1} [FLB 207.2] After His ascension, our Saviour began His work as our high priest. Says Paul, "Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." Hebrews 9:24. . . . {FLB 207.2} [FLB 207.3] For eighteen centuries this work of ministration continued in the first apartment of the sanctuary. The blood of Christ, pleaded in behalf of penitent believers, secured their pardon and acceptance with the Father, yet their sins still remained upon the books of record. As in the typical service there was a work of atonement at the close of the year, so before Christ's work for the redemption of men is completed, there is a work of atonement for the removal of sin from the sanctuary. This is the service which began when the 2300 days ended. At that time . . . our High Priest entered the most holy, to perform the last division of His solemn work--to cleanse the sanctuary. . . . {FLB 207.3} [FLB 207.4] The coming of Christ as our high priest to the most holy place, for the cleansing of the sanctuary, brought to view in Daniel 8:14; the coming of the Son of man to the Ancient of days, as presented in Daniel 7:13; and the coming of the Lord to His temple, foretold by Malachi, are descriptions of the same event; and this is also represented by the coming of the bridegroom to the marriage, described by Christ in the parable of the ten virgins, of Matthew 25. {FLB 207.4} [FLB 207.5] The cleansing of the sanctuary . . . involves a work of investigation --a work of judgment. This work must be performed prior to the coming of Christ to redeem His people; for when He comes, His reward is with Him to give to every man according to his works. {FLB 207.5} [FLB 207.6] In the day of final reckoning, position, rank, or wealth will not alter by a hair's breadth the case of any one. By the all-seeing God, men will be judged by what they are in purity, in nobility, in love for Christ. 208 {FLB 207.6} [FLB 208.1] The Signal to Begin And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. Daniel 8:14. {FLB 208.1} [FLB 208.2] We should be earnest students of prophecy; we should not rest until we become intelligent in regard to the subject of the sanctuary, which is brought out in the visions of Daniel and John. This subject sheds great light on our present position and work, and gives us unmistakable proof that God has led us in our past experience. It explains our disappointment in 1844, showing us that the sanctuary to be cleansed was not the earth, as we had supposed, but that Christ then entered into the most holy apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, and is there performing the closing work of His priestly office, in fulfillment of the words of the angel to the prophet Daniel. {FLB 208.2} [FLB 208.3] The 2300 days had been found to begin when the commandment of Artaxerxes for the restoration and building of Jerusalem went into effect, in the autumn of 457 B.C. Taking this as the starting point, there was perfect harmony in the application of all the events foretold in the explanation of that period in Daniel 9:25-27. . . . The seventy weeks, or 490 years, were to pertain especially to the Jews. At the expiration of this period, the nation sealed its rejection of Christ by the persecution of His disciples, and the apostles turned to the Gentiles, A.D. 34. The first 490 years of the 2300 having then ended, 1810 years would remain. From A.D. 34, 1810 years extend to 1844. "Then," said the angel, "shall the sanctuary be cleansed." {FLB 208.3} [FLB 208.4] Our faith in reference to the messages of the first, second, and third angels was correct. The great waymarks we have passed are immovable. Although the hosts of hell may try to tear them from their foundation, and triumph in the thought that they have succeeded, yet they do not succeed. These pillars of truth stand firm as the eternal hills, unmoved by all the efforts of men combined with those of Satan and his host. We can learn much, and should be constantly searching the Scriptures to see if these things are so. 209 {FLB 208.4} [FLB 209.1] Our Eyes Fixed on Christ O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. 2 Chronicles 20:12. {FLB 209.1} [FLB 209.2] "I beheld," says the prophet Daniel, "till thrones were placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit. . . . Thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened." Daniel 7:9, 10, R.V. {FLB 209.2} [FLB 209.3] Thus was presented to the prophet's vision the great and solemn day when the characters and the lives of men should pass in review before the Judge of all the earth, and to every man should be rendered "according to his works." The Ancient of days is God the Father. . . . It is He, the source of all being, and the fountain of all law, that is to preside in the judgment. And holy angels, as ministers and witnesses, in number "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands" (Revelation 5:11), attend this great tribunal. {FLB 209.3} [FLB 209.4] "And, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him." Daniel 7:13. . . . The coming of Christ here described is not His second coming to the earth. He comes to the Ancient of days in heaven to receive dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, which will be given Him at the close of His work as a mediator. It is this coming, and not His second advent to the earth, that was foretold in prophecy to take place at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844. Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies, and there appears in the presence of God . . . to perform the work of investigative judgment, and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits. {FLB 209.4} [FLB 209.5] God's people are now to have their eyes fixed on the heavenly sanctuary, where . . . our great High Priest . . . is interceding for His people. {FLB 209.5} [FLB 209.6] Soon we shall be weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, and over against our names will be recorded the judgment rendered. 210 {FLB 209.6} [FLB 210.1] Judged From the Records For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Ecclesiastes 12:14. {FLB 210.1} [FLB 210.2] In the great day of final atonement and investigative judgment, the only cases considered are those of the professed people of God. The judgment of the wicked is a distinct and separate work, and takes place at a later period. . . . The books of record in heaven, in which the names and the deeds of men are registered, are to determine the decisions of the judgment. . . . {FLB 210.2} [FLB 210.3] The book of life contains the names of all who have ever entered the service of God. Jesus bade His disciples, "Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:20. Paul speaks of his faithful fellow workers, "Whose names are in the book of life." Philippians 4:3. . . . {FLB 210.3} [FLB 210.4] "A book of remembrance" is written before God, in which are recorded the good deeds of "them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name." Malachi 3:16. Their words of faith, their acts of love, are registered in heaven. . . . {FLB 210.4} [FLB 210.5] There is a record also of the sins of men. . . . The secret purposes and motives appear in the unerring register. {FLB 210.5} [FLB 210.6] Every man's work passes in review before God. . . . Opposite each name in the books of heaven is entered, with terrible exactness, every wrong word, every selfish act, every unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin, with every artful dissembling. Heaven-sent warnings or reproofs neglected, wasted moments, unimproved opportunities, the influence exerted for good or for evil, with its far-reaching results, all are chronicled by the recording angel. {FLB 210.6} [FLB 210.7] If your name is registered in the Lamb's book of life, then all will be well with you. Be ready and anxious to confess your faults and forsake them, that your mistakes and sins may go beforehand to judgment and be blotted out. 211 {FLB 210.7} [FLB 211.1] Each Life Passes in Review Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Ecclesiastes 11:9. {FLB 211.1} [FLB 211.2] At the time appointed for the judgment--the close of the 2300 days, in 1844--began the work of investigation and blotting out of sins. All who have ever taken upon themselves the name of Christ must pass its searching scrutiny. Both the living and the dead are to be judged "out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Revelation 20:12. {FLB 211.2} [FLB 211.3] Said the Judge: "All will be justified by their faith and judged by their works." {FLB 211.3} [FLB 211.4] Sins that have not been repented of and forsaken will not be pardoned, and blotted out of the books of record, but will stand to witness against the sinner in the day of God. . . . {FLB 211.4} [FLB 211.5] There is earnest warfare before all who would subdue the evil tendencies that strive for the mastery. The work of preparation is an individual work. We are not saved in groups. The purity and devotion of one will not offset the want of these qualities in another. Though all nations are to pass in judgment before God, yet He will examine the case of each individual with as close and searching scrutiny as if there were not another being upon the earth. Every one must be tested, and found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. {FLB 211.5} [FLB 211.6] The judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. For many years this work has been in progress. Soon--none know how soon--it will pass to the cases of the living. In the awful presence of God our lives are to come up in review. At this time above all others it behooves every soul to heed the Saviour's admonition, "Watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." Mark 13:33. "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." Revelation 3:3. 212 {FLB 211.6} [FLB 212.1] The Blotting Out of Sins He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. Revelation 3:5. {FLB 212.1} [FLB 212.2] As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God's remembrance. . . . {FLB 212.2} [FLB 212.3] All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life. . . . {FLB 212.3} [FLB 212.4] The divine Intercessor presents the plea that all who have overcome through faith in His blood be forgiven their transgressions, that they be restored to their Eden home, and crowned as joint heirs with Himself to the "first dominion." . . . {FLB 212.4} [FLB 212.5] While Jesus is pleading for the subjects of His grace, Satan accuses them before God as transgressors. . . . {FLB 212.5} [FLB 212.6] Jesus does not excuse their sins, but shows their penitence and faith, and, claiming for them forgiveness, He lifts His wounded hands before the Father and the holy angels, saying, "I know them by name." . . . Their names stand enrolled in the book of life, and concerning them it is written, "They shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy." Revelation 3:4. {FLB 212.6} [FLB 212.7] Christians may daily cultivate faith by contemplating the One who has undertaken their cause, their "merciful and faithful high priest." 213 {FLB 212.7} [FLB 213.1] A Prior Judgment Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. 1 Timothy 5:24. {FLB 213.1} [FLB 213.2] The work of the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. Since the dead are to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is impossible that the sins of men should be blotted out until after the judgment at which their cases are to be investigated. . . . When the investigative judgment closes, Christ will come, and His reward will be with Him to give to every man as his work shall be. {FLB 213.2} [FLB 213.3] All are to be judged according to the things written in the books, and to be rewarded as their works have been. This judgment does not take place at death. {FLB 213.3} [FLB 213.4] In the typical service the high priest, having made the atonement for Israel, came forth and blessed the congregation. So Christ, at the close of His work as mediator, will appear, "without sin unto salvation," to bless His waiting people with eternal life. As the priest, in removing the sins from the sanctuary, confessed them upon the head of the scapegoat, so Christ will place all these sins upon Satan, the originator and instigator of sin. The scapegoat, bearing the sins of Israel, was sent away "unto a land not inhabited;" so Satan, bearing the guilt of all the sins which he has caused God's people to commit, will be for a thousand years confined to the earth, which will then be desolate, without inhabitant, and he will at last suffer the full penalty of sin in the fires that shall destroy all the wicked. {FLB 213.4} [FLB 213.5] A few, yes, only a few, of the vast number who people the earth will be saved unto life eternal, while the masses who have not perfected their souls in obeying the truth will be appointed to the second death. {FLB 213.5} [FLB 213.6] While the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God's people upon earth. 214 {FLB 213.6} [FLB 214.1] Time Is Running Out! Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:16. {FLB 214.1} [FLB 214.2] On the morning of October 23, 1879, about two o'clock, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me, and I beheld scenes in the coming judgment. . . . The great day of the execution of God's judgment seemed to have come. Ten thousand times ten thousand were assembled before a large throne, upon which was seated a person of majestic appearance. Several books were before Him, and upon the covers of each was written in letters of gold, which seemed like a burning flame of fire: "Ledger of Heaven." One of these books, containing the names of those who claim to believe the truth, was then opened. . . . As these persons were named, one by one, and their good deeds mentioned, their countenances would light up with a holy joy. . . . {FLB 214.2} [FLB 214.3] Another book was opened, wherein were recorded the sins of those who profess the truth. Under the general heading of selfishness came every other sin. . . . As the Holy One upon the throne slowly turned the leaves of the ledger, and His eyes rested for a moment upon individuals, His glance seemed to burn into their very souls, and at the same moment every word and action of their lives passed before their minds as clearly as though traced before their vision in letters of fire. . . . {FLB 214.3} [FLB 214.4] One class were registered as cumberers of the ground. . . . This class had made self supreme, laboring only for selfish interests. . . . {FLB 214.4} [FLB 214.5] The question was then asked: "Why have you not washed your robes of character and made them white in the blood of the Lamb? . . . You would not be partaker of His sufferings, and you cannot now be partaker with Him of His glory." . . . The book then closed, and the mantle fell from the Person on the throne, revealing the terrible glory of the Son of God. {FLB 214.5} [FLB 214.6] The scene then passed away, and I found myself still upon the earth, inexpressibly grateful that the day of God had not yet come, and that precious probationary time is still granted us in which to prepare for eternity. 215 {FLB 214.6} [FLB 215.1] When Probation Closes He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. Revelation 22:11. {FLB 215.1} [FLB 215.2] God has not revealed to us the time when this message ［the third angel's］ will close, or when probation will have an end. . . . Letters have come to me asking me if I have any special light as to the time when probation will close; and I answer that I have only this message to bear, that it is now time to work while the day lasts, for the night cometh in which no man can work. {FLB 215.2} [FLB 215.3] When Jesus rises up in the most holy place, and lays off His mediatorial garments, and clothes Himself with the garments of vengeance in place of the priestly attire, the work for sinners will be done. . . . The probation of all closes when the pleading for sinners is ended and the garments of vengeance are put on. {FLB 215.3} [FLB 215.4] The case of every soul will have been decided, and there will be no atoning blood to cleanse from sin. . . . Then the restraining Spirit of God is withdrawn from the earth. {FLB 215.4} [FLB 215.5] In that fearful time the righteous must live in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor. The restraint which has been upon the wicked is removed, and Satan has entire control of the finally impenitent . . . . Satan will then plunge the inhabitants of the earth into one great, final trouble. As the angels of God cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be let loose. The whole world will be involved in ruin more terrible than that which came upon Jerusalem of old. {FLB 215.5} [FLB 215.6] We have no time to lose. We know not how soon our probation may close.... Christ is soon to come. {FLB 215.6} [FLB 215.7] When probation ends, it will come suddenly, unexpectedly--at a time when we are least expecting it. But we can have a clean record in heaven today, and know that God accepts us; and finally, if faithful, we shall be gathered into the kingdom of heaven. 216 {FLB 215.7} [FLB 216.1] The Saints Shall Judge the World Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. 1 Corinthians 4:5. {FLB 216.1} [FLB 216.2] During the thousand years between the first and the second resurrection, the judgment of the wicked takes place. The apostle Paul points to this judgment as an event that follows the Second Advent. "Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come. . . ." Daniel declares that when the Ancient of days came, "judgment was given to the saints of the most High." Daniel 7:22. {FLB 216.2} [FLB 216.3] At this time the righteous reign as kings and priests unto God. John in the Revelation says: "I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them." Revelation 20:4. . . . It is at this time that, as foretold by Paul, "the saints shall judge the world." 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3. In union with Christ they judge the wicked, comparing their acts with the statute book, the Bible, and deciding every case according to the deeds done in the body. Then the portion which the wicked must suffer is meted out, according to their works; and it is recorded against their names in the book of death. {FLB 216.3} [FLB 216.4] We shall not hear a charge against us on the ground of the outbreaking sins we have committed, but the charge will be made against us for the neglect of good and noble duties enjoined upon us by the God of love. The deficiencies of our characters will be held up to view. It will then be known that all who are so condemned had light and knowledge, were entrusted with their Lord's goods, and were found unfaithful to their trust. {FLB 216.4} [FLB 216.5] Satan also and evil angels are judged by Christ and His people. Says Paul, "Know ye not that we shall judge angels?" 1 Corinthians 6:3. {FLB 216.5} [FLB 216.6] When the Judge of all the earth shall demand of Satan, "Why hast thou rebelled against Me, and robbed Me of the subjects of My kingdom?" the originator of evil can render no excuse. Every mouth will be stopped, and all the hosts of rebellion will be speechless. 217 {FLB 216.6} [FLB 217.1] Schemes of Satan Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8. {FLB 217.1} [FLB 217.2] It is unsafe to trust to feelings or impressions; these are unreliable guides. God's law is the only correct standard of holiness. It is by this law that character is to be judged. If an inquirer after salvation were to ask, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" the modern teachers of sanctification would answer, "Only believe that Jesus saves you." But when Christ was asked this question He said, "What is written in the law? how readest thou?" And when the questioner replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, ... and thy neighbour as thyself," Jesus said, "Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live." Luke 10:26-28. {FLB 217.2} [FLB 217.3] No value is attached to a mere profession of faith in Christ; only the love which is shown by works is counted genuine. Yet it is love alone which in the sight of Heaven makes any act of value. . . . {FLB 217.3} [FLB 217.4] The hidden selfishness of men stands revealed in the books of heaven. . . . Sad is the record which angels bear to heaven. Intelligent beings, professed followers of Christ, are absorbed in the acquirement of worldly possessions or the enjoyment of earthly pleasures. Money, time, and strength are sacrificed for display and self-indulgence; but few are the moments devoted to prayer, to the searching of the Scriptures, to humiliation of soul and confession of sin. {FLB 217.4} [FLB 217.5] Satan invents unnumbered schemes to occupy our minds, that they may not dwell upon the very work with which we ought to be best acquainted. The archdeceiver hates the great truths that bring to view an atoning sacrifice and an all-powerful Mediator. He knows that with him everything depends on his diverting minds from Jesus and His truth. {FLB 217.5} [FLB 217.6] Those who would share the benefits of the Saviour's mediation should permit nothing to interfere with their duty to perfect holiness in the fear of God. 218 {FLB 217.6} [FLB 218.1] Established in the Present Truth Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. 2 Peter 1:12. {FLB 218.1} [FLB 218.2] We believe without a doubt that Christ is soon coming. This is not a fable to us; it is a reality. We have no doubt, neither have we had a doubt for years, that the doctrines we hold today are present truth, and that we are nearing the judgment. We are preparing to meet Him who, escorted by a retinue of holy angels, is to appear in the clouds of heaven to give the faithful and the just the finishing touch of immortality. When He comes He is not to cleanse us of our sins, to remove from us the defects in our characters, or to cure us of the infirmities of our tempers and dispositions. If wrought for us at all, this work will all be accomplished before that time. {FLB 218.2} [FLB 218.3] When the Lord comes, those who are holy will be holy still. Those who have preserved their bodies and spirits in holiness, in sanctification and honor, will then receive the finishing touch of immortality. But those who are unjust, unsanctified, and filthy will remain so forever. No work will then be done for them to remove their defects and give them holy characters. The Refiner does not then sit to pursue His refining process and remove their sins and their corruption. . . . It is now that this work is to be accomplished for us. {FLB 218.3} [FLB 218.4] God is now testing and proving His people. Character is being developed. Angels are weighing moral worth, and keeping a faithful record of all the acts of the children of men. . . . That God who reads the hearts of everyone, will bring to light hidden things of darkness where they are often least suspected, that stumbling blocks which have hindered the progress of truth may be removed. {FLB 218.4} [FLB 218.5] There will be no future probation in which to prepare for eternity. It is in this life that we are to put on the robe of Christ's righteousness. This is our only opportunity to form characters for the home which Christ has made ready for those who obey His commandments. {FLB 218.5} [FLB 219.1] Chap. 8 - Walking as Christ Walked Jesus Our Perfect Pattern He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 1 John 2:6. {FLB 219.1} [FLB 219.2] We have before us the highest, holiest example. In thought, word, and deed Jesus was sinless. Perfection marked all that He did. He points us to the path that He trod, saying, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24. {FLB 219.2} [FLB 219.3] Christ unites in His person the fullness and perfection of the Godhead and the fullness and perfection of sinless humanity. He met all the temptations by which Adam was assailed, and overcame these temptations because in His humanity He relied upon divine power. This subject demands far more contemplation than it receives. Christians strike too low. They are content with a superficial spiritual experience, and therefore they have only the glimmerings of light, when ... they might discern more clearly the wonderful perfection of Christ's humanity, which rises far above all human greatness, all human power. Christ's life is a revelation of what fallen human beings may become through union and fellowship with the divine nature. . . . {FLB 219.3} [FLB 219.4] Men and women frame many excuses for their proneness to sin. Sin is represented as a necessity, an evil that cannot be overcome. But sin is not a necessity. Christ lived in this world from infancy to manhood, and during that time He met and resisted all the temptations by which man is beset. He is a perfect pattern of childhood, of youth, of manhood. {FLB 219.4} [FLB 219.5] The life of Christ has shown what humanity can do by being partaker of the divine nature. All that Christ received from God we too may have. Then ask and receive. . . . Let your life be knit by hidden links to the life of Jesus. 220 {FLB 219.5} [FLB 220.1] Religion to be Supreme Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. Matthew 22:37, 38. {FLB 220.1} [FLB 220.2] The youth need to realize that they need a deep experience in the things of God. A mere surface work will be of no benefit to them. You need to bring the light of God's Word into your heart, that you may search it as with a lighted candle. {FLB 220.2} [FLB 220.3] Many profess to be on the Lord's side, but they are not; the weight of all their actions is on Satan's side. By what means shall we determine whose side we are on? Who has the heart? With whom are our thoughts? Upon whom do we love to converse? Who has our warmest affections and our best energies? If we are on the Lord's side, our thoughts are with Him, and our sweetest thoughts are of Him. We have no friendship with the world; we have consecrated all that we have and are to Him. We long to bear His image, breathe His spirit, do His will, and please Him in all things. {FLB 220.3} [FLB 220.4] Bible religion is not one influence among many others, but its influence is supreme, pervading and controlling every other influence. Bible religion is to exercise control over life and conduct. It is not to be like a dash of color, brushed here and there upon the canvas, but its influence is to pervade the whole life, as though the canvas were dipped into color until every thread of the fabric was dyed in a deep, fast, unfading hue. {FLB 220.4} [FLB 220.5] The religion of Christ is a firm fabric, composed of innumerable threads, woven together with tact and skill. Only by the wisdom that God gives can we weave this fabric. Trusting to ourselves, we draw into it threads of selfishness, and the pattern is spoiled. {FLB 220.5} [FLB 220.6] Let everyone inquire seriously, "Am I a genuine Christian? Am I bearing the true marks of a Christian? Am I doing my best to perfect a character after the divine model?" {FLB 220.6} [FLB 220.7] Pure religion is an imitation of Christ. 221 {FLB 220.7} [FLB 221.1] Separated from the World I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. John 17:15. {FLB 221.1} [FLB 221.2] Many professed Christians are well represented by the vine that is trailing upon the ground and entwining its tendrils about the roots and rubbish that lie in its path. To all such the message comes, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord." 2 Corinthians 6:17. ... Your tendrils must be severed from everything earthly. . . . It is impossible for you to unite with those who are corrupt, and still remain pure. {FLB 221.2} [FLB 221.3] O that the young might realize that they may be as precious plants in the Lord's garden. . . . Let the delicate tendrils of the affections twine about Jesus, to receive nourishment from Him; and instead of creeping upon the earth, turn the face toward the Sun of Righteousness, that you may catch divine rays of light. Day by day grow up into His likeness, and become a partaker of His divine nature, that you may at last be found perfect in the paradise of God.... {FLB 221.3} [FLB 221.4] Rivet the soul to the eternal Rock; for in Christ alone there will be safety. {FLB 221.4} [FLB 221.5] A union with Christ by living faith is enduring; every other union must perish.... But this union costs us something.... There must be a painful work of detachment, as well as a work of attachment. Pride, selfishness, vanity, worldliness--sin in all its forms--must be overcome, if we would enter into a union with Christ. The reason why many find the Christian life so deplorably hard, why they are so fickle, so variable, is, they try to attach themselves to Christ without detaching themselves from these cherished idols. {FLB 221.5} [FLB 221.6] Will we accept the condition laid down in His Word--separation from the world? . . . Our consecration to God must be a living principle, interwoven with the life, and leading to self-denial and self-sacrifice. It must underlie all our thoughts, and be the spring of every action. This will elevate us above the world, and separate us from its polluting influence. 222 {FLB 221.6} [FLB 222.1] Security Only in Right Thinking Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23. {FLB 222.1} [FLB 222.2] As a man "thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7. Many thoughts make up the unwritten history of a single day; and these thoughts have much to do with the formation of character. Our thoughts are to be strictly guarded; for one impure thought makes a deep impression on the soul. An evil thought leaves an evil impress on the mind. If the thoughts are pure and holy, the man is better for having cherished them. By them the spiritual pulse is quickened, and the power for doing good is increased. And as one drop of rain prepares the way for another in moistening the earth, so one good thought prepares the way for another. {FLB 222.2} [FLB 222.3] Wrong habits of thought, when once accepted, become a despotic power that fastens the mind as in a grasp of steel. {FLB 222.3} [FLB 222.4] The thoughts are not to be allowed to run riot. They must be restrained, brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Let them be placed upon holy things. Then, through the grace of Christ, they will be pure and true. We need a constant sense of the ennobling power of pure thoughts. The only security for any soul is right thinking. {FLB 222.4} [FLB 222.5] Our minds take the level of the things on which our thoughts dwell, and if we think upon earthly things, we shall fail to take the impress of that which is heavenly. We would be greatly benefited by contemplating the mercy, goodness, and love of God; but we sustain great loss by dwelling upon those things which are earthly and temporal. {FLB 222.5} [FLB 222.6] Although there may be a tainted, corrupted atmosphere around us, we need not breathe its miasma, but may live in the pure air of heaven. We may close every door to impure imaginings and unholy thoughts by lifting the soul into the presence of God through sincere prayer. Those whose hearts are open to receive the support and blessing of God will walk in a holier atmosphere than that of earth and will have constant communion with Heaven. 223 {FLB 222.6} [FLB 223.1] Transformed by Searching the Word As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. 1 Peter 2:2. {FLB 223.1} [FLB 223.2] No man, woman, or youth can attain to Christian perfection and neglect the study of the Word of God. By carefully and closely searching His Word we shall obey the injunction of Christ, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." John 5:39. This search enables the student to observe closely the divine Model. . . . The Pattern must be inspected often and closely in order to imitate it. As one becomes acquainted with the history of the Redeemer, he discovers in himself defects of character; his unlikeness to Christ is so great that he sees he cannot be a follower without a very great change in his life. Still he studies, with a desire to be like his great Exemplar; he catches the looks, the spirit, of his beloved Master; by beholding he becomes changed. {FLB 223.2} [FLB 223.3] All the philosophies of human nature have led to confusion and shame when God has not been recognized as all in all. But the precious faith inspired of God imparts strength and nobility of character. As His goodness, His mercy, and His love are dwelt upon, clearer and still clearer will be the perception of truth; higher, holier, the desire for purity of heart and clearness of thought. The soul dwelling in the pure atmosphere of holy thought is transformed by intercourse with God through the study of His Word. Truth is so large, so far-reaching, so deep, so broad, that self is lost sight of. The heart is softened and subdued into humility, kindness, and love. {FLB 223.3} [FLB 223.4] The Bible . . . trains the mind to grapple with the deepest problems and to pursue the broadest explorations. It exalts the intellect. It saves the soul. . . . Take it as your mirror. It will be a faithful monitor, detecting the faults and errors of your character. It will strengthen every good trait. {FLB 223.4} [FLB 223.5] That Word which reveals the guilt of sin, has a power upon the human heart to make man right and keep him so. 224 {FLB 223.5} [FLB 224.1] Watch and Pray Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Ephesians 6:18. {FLB 224.1} [FLB 224.2] Prayer and watching thereunto are necessary for advancement in the divine life. . . . Your only safety is to live like a watchman. Watch and pray always. Oh, what a preventive against yielding to temptation and falling into the snares of the world! {FLB 224.2} [FLB 224.3] "Take ye heed, watch and pray." Mark 13:13. . . . {FLB 224.3} [FLB 224.4] First, you are to watch. Watch, lest you should speak hastily, fretfully, and impatiently. Watch, lest pride should find a place in your heart. Watch, lest evil passions should overcome you, instead of your subduing them. Watch, lest . . . you . . . become light and trifling, and your influence savor of death, rather than life. {FLB 224.4} [FLB 224.5] Second, you are to pray. Jesus would not have enjoined this upon you, unless there was actual necessity for it. It is well known to Him that of yourself you cannot overcome the many temptations of the enemy, and the many snares laid for your feet. He has not left you alone to do this; but has provided a way that you can obtain help. Therefore He has bid you to pray. {FLB 224.5} [FLB 224.6] To pray aright is to ask God in faith for the very things you need. Go to your chamber, or in some retired place, and ask your Father for Jesus' sake to help you. There is power in that prayer that is sent up from a heart convinced of its own weakness, yet earnestly longing for that strength that comes of God. The earnest, fervent prayer will be heard and answered. . . . {FLB 224.6} [FLB 224.7] Faint not. Cast yourself at the feet of Jesus, who has been tempted, and knows how to help such as are tempted. . . . Plead your case before God, through Jesus, until your soul can with confidence rely upon Him for strength, and you feel that you are not left to do the work of overcoming alone. God will help you. Angels will watch over you. But before you can expect this help, you must do what you can on your part. Watch and pray. 225 {FLB 224.7} [FLB 225.1] Heart Communion With God Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14. {FLB 225.1} [FLB 225.2] An intensity such as never before was seen is taking possession of the world. In amusement, in moneymaking, in the contest for power, in the very struggle for existence, there is a terrible force that engrosses body and mind and soul. In the midst of this maddening rush, God is speaking. He bids us come apart and commune with Him. "Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10. {FLB 225.2} [FLB 225.3] Many, even in their seasons of devotion, fail of receiving the blessing of real communion with God. They are in too great haste. With hurried steps they press through the circle of Christ's loving presence, pausing perhaps a moment within the sacred precincts, but not waiting for counsel. They have no time to remain with the divine Teacher. With their burdens they return to their work. . . . {FLB 225.3} [FLB 225.4] Not a pause for a moment in His presence, but personal contact with Christ, to sit down in companionship with Him--this is our need. {FLB 225.4} [FLB 225.5] We may bring Him our little cares and perplexities as well as our greater troubles. Whatever arises to disturb or distress us, we should take it to the Lord in prayer. {FLB 225.5} [FLB 225.6] Calmly, yet fervently, the soul is to reach out after God; and sweet and abiding will be the influence emanating from Him who sees in secret, whose ear is open to the prayer arising from the heart. He who in simple faith holds communion with God will gather to himself divine rays of light to strengthen and sustain him in the conflict with Satan. {FLB 225.6} [FLB 225.7] If we keep the Lord ever before us, allowing our hearts to go out in thanksgiving and praise to Him, we shall have a continual freshness in our religious life. Our prayers will take the form of a conversation with God as we would talk with a friend. He will speak His mysteries to us personally. Often there will come to us a sweet, joyful sense of the presence of Jesus. . . . Prayer turns aside the attacks of Satan. 226 {FLB 225.7} [FLB 226.1] Fullness of Joy Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11. {FLB 226.1} [FLB 226.2] The religion of Jesus is joy, peace, and happiness. {FLB 226.2} [FLB 226.3] All Heaven is interested in the happiness of man. Our heavenly Father does not close the avenues of joy to any of His creatures. The divine requirements call upon us to shun those indulgences that would bring suffering and disappointment, that would close to us the door of happiness and heaven. . . . He ［the world's Redeemer］ requires us to perform only those duties that will lead our steps to heights of bliss to which the disobedient can never attain. The true, joyous life of the soul is to have Christ formed within, the hope of glory. {FLB 226.3} [FLB 226.4] Those who abide in Jesus will be happy, cheerful, and joyful in God. A subdued gentleness will mark the voice, reverence for spiritual and eternal things will be expressed in the actions, and music, joyful music, will echo from the lips, for it is wafted from the throne of God. This is the mystery of godliness, not easily explained, but nonetheless felt and enjoyed. {FLB 226.4} [FLB 226.5] Words cannot describe the peace and joy possessed by him who takes God at His word. Trials do not disturb him, slights do not vex him. Self is crucified. Day by day his duties may become more taxing, his temptations stronger, his trials more severe; but he does not falter; for he receives strength equal to his need. {FLB 226.5} [FLB 226.6] In those who possess it, the religion of Christ will reveal itself as a vitalizing, pervading principle, a living, working, spiritual energy. There will be manifest the freshness and power and joyousness of perpetual youth. The heart that receives the Word of God is not as a pool that evaporates, not like a broken cistern that loses its treasure. It is like the mountain stream fed by unfailing springs, whose cool, sparkling waters leap from rock to rock, refreshing the weary, the thirsty, the heavy laden. 227 {FLB 226.6} [FLB 227.1] God's Dwelling Place Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19. {FLB 227.1} [FLB 227.2] By a most beautiful and impressive figure, God's Word shows the regard He places upon our physical organism and the responsibility resting on us to preserve it in the best condition. . . . {FLB 227.2} [FLB 227.3] The body is a temple in which God desires to dwell,. . . . it must be kept pure, the abiding place of high and noble thoughts. {FLB 227.3} [FLB 227.4] The knowledge that man is to be a temple for God, a habitation for the revealing of His glory, should be the highest incentive to the care and development of our physical powers. Fearfully and wonderfully has the Creator wrought in the human frame, and He bids us make it our study, understand its needs, and act our part in preserving it from harm and defilement. {FLB 227.4} [FLB 227.5] Our first duty toward God and our fellow beings is that of self-development. Every faculty with which the Creator has endowed us, should be cultivated to the highest degree of perfection, that we may be able to do the greatest amount of good of which we are capable. Hence that time is spent to good account which is used in the establishment and preservation of physical and mental health. We cannot afford to dwarf or cripple any function of body or mind. As surely as we do this we must suffer the consequences. {FLB 227.5} [FLB 227.6] The desire of God for every human being is expressed in the words, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." 3 John 2. {FLB 227.6} [FLB 227.7] He it is who "forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies." Psalm 103:3, 4. . . . {FLB 227.7} [FLB 227.8] "Above all things," God desires us to "be in health"--health of body and of soul. And we are to be workers together with Him for the health of both soul and body. 228 {FLB 227.8} [FLB 228.1] Health the Reward of Right Habits My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments; for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Proverbs 3:1, 2. {FLB 228.1} [FLB 228.2] The laws of nature are the laws of God--as truly divine as are the precepts of the Decalogue. The laws that govern our physical organism, God has written upon every nerve, muscle, and fiber of the body. Every careless or willful violation of these laws is a sin against our Creator. {FLB 228.2} [FLB 228.3] There is an intimate relation between the mind and the body, and in order to reach a high standard of moral and intellectual attainment, the laws that control our physical being must be heeded. To secure a strong, well-balanced character, both the mental and the physical powers must be exercised and developed. What study can be more important for the young than that which treats of this wonderful organism that God has committed to us, and of the laws by which it may be preserved in health? {FLB 228.3} [FLB 228.4] Health may be earned by proper habits of life and may be made to yield interest and compound interest. But this capital, more precious than any bank deposit, may be sacrificed by intemperance in eating and drinking, or by leaving the organs to rust from inaction. Pet indulgences must be given up; laziness must be overcome. {FLB 228.4} [FLB 228.5] The health should be as sacredly guarded as the character. {FLB 228.5} [FLB 228.6] Our bodies are Christ's purchased possession, and we are not at liberty to do with them as we please. All who understand the laws of health should realize their obligation to obey these laws which God has established in their being. Obedience to the laws of health is to be made a matter of personal duty. We ourselves must suffer the results of violated law. We must individually answer to God for our habits and practices. Therefore the question with us is not, "What is the world's practice?" but, "How shall I as an individual treat the habitation that God has given me?" 229 {FLB 228.6} [FLB 229.1] Health in Obeying God's Law For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 1 Timothy 4:8. {FLB 229.1} [FLB 229.2] There is health in obedience to God's law. {FLB 229.2} [FLB 229.3] The wise man says that wisdom's "ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." Proverbs 3:17. Many cherish the impression that devotion to God is detrimental to health and to cheerful happiness in the social relations of life. But those who walk in the path of wisdom and holiness find that "godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." They are alive to the enjoyment of life's real pleasures, while they are not troubled with vain regrets over misspent hours, nor with gloom or horror of mind, as the worldling too often is when not diverted by some exciting amusement. . . . Godliness does not conflict with the laws of health, but is in harmony with them. Had men ever been obedient to the law of Ten Commandments, . . . the curse of disease that now floods the world would not be. {FLB 229.3} [FLB 229.4] The assurance of God's approval will promote physical health. It fortifies the soul against doubt, perplexity, and excessive grief, that so often sap the vital forces and induce nervous diseases. {FLB 229.4} [FLB 229.5] The consciousness of rightdoing is the best medicine for diseased bodies and minds. The special blessing of God resting upon the receiver is health and strength. {FLB 229.5} [FLB 229.6] A person whose mind is quiet and satisfied in God is in the pathway to health. To have a consciousness that the eyes of the Lord are upon us, and His ears open to hear our prayers, is a satisfaction indeed. To know that we have a never-failing Friend in whom we can confide all the secrets of the soul, is a privilege which words can never express. {FLB 229.6} [FLB 229.7] Courage, hope, faith, sympathy, love, promote health and prolong life. A contented mind, a cheerful spirit, is health to the body and strength to the soul. 230 {FLB 229.7} [FLB 230.1] Eating for Health and Happiness Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31. {FLB 230.1} [FLB 230.2] Here is a principle which lies at the foundation of every act, thought, and motive; the consecration of the entire being, both physical and mental, to the control of the Spirit of God. {FLB 230.2} [FLB 230.3] Even the natural act of eating or drinking, should be done . . . "to the glory of God." {FLB 230.3} [FLB 230.4] If the indulgence of appetite was so strong upon the race that, in order to break its power, the divine Son of God, in behalf of man, was required to fast nearly six weeks, what a work is before the Christian in order that he may overcome even as Christ overcame! The strength of the temptation to indulge perverted appetite can be measured only by the inexpressible anguish of Christ in that long fast in the wilderness. {FLB 230.4} [FLB 230.5] As our first parents lost Eden through the indulgence of appetite, our only hope of regaining Eden is through the firm denial of appetite. {FLB 230.5} [FLB 230.6] God has furnished man with abundant means for the gratification of an unperverted appetite. He has spread before him the products of the earth--a bountiful variety of food that is palatable to the taste and nutritious to the system. Of these our benevolent heavenly Father says we may freely eat. Fruits, grains, and vegetables, prepared in a simple way, free from spice and grease of all kinds, make, with milk or cream, the most healthful diet. They . . . give a power of endurance and vigor of intellect that are not produced by a stimulating diet. {FLB 230.6} [FLB 230.7] We do not mark out any precise line to be followed in diet; but we do say that in countries where there are fruits, grains, and nuts in abundance, flesh food is not the right food for God's people. . . . If meat eating was ever healthful, it is not safe now. {FLB 230.7} [FLB 230.8] Again and again I have been shown that God is trying to lead us back, step by step, to His original design--that man should subsist upon the natural products of the earth. 231 {FLB 230.8} [FLB 231.1] Abstaining from Harmful Indulgences Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. 1 Peter 2:11. {FLB 231.1} [FLB 231.2] The Word of God plainly warns us that unless we abstain from fleshly lusts, the physical nature will be brought into conflict with the spiritual nature. Lustful eating wars against health and peace. Thus a warfare is instituted between the higher and the lower attributes of the man. The lower propensities, strong and active, oppress the soul. The highest interests of the being are imperiled by the indulgence of appetites unsanctioned by Heaven. {FLB 231.2} [FLB 231.3] Health, character, and even life, are endangered by the use of stimulants, which excite the exhausted energies to unnatural, spasmodic effort. {FLB 231.3} [FLB 231.4] Condiments are injurious in their nature. Mustard, pepper, spices, pickles, and other things of a like character, irritate the stomach and make the blood feverish and impure. . . . {FLB 231.4} [FLB 231.5] Tea and coffee do not nourish the system. . . . The continued use of these nerve irritants is followed by headache, wakefulness, palpitation of the heart, indigestion, trembling, and many other evils; for they wear away the life forces. . . . {FLB 231.5} [FLB 231.6] Tobacco is a slow, insidious, but most malignant poison. In whatever form it is used, it tells upon the constitution; it is all the more dangerous because its effects are slow and at first hardly perceptible. . . . Its use excites a thirst for strong drink and in many cases lays the foundations for the liquor habit. {FLB 231.6} [FLB 231.7] In relation to tea, coffee, tobacco, and alcoholic drinks, the only safe course is to touch not, taste not, handle not. {FLB 231.7} [FLB 231.8] True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful, and to use judiciously that which is healthful. {FLB 231.8} [FLB 231.9] The Spirit of God cannot come to our help, and assist us in perfecting Christian characters, while we are indulging our appetites to the injury of health. 232 {FLB 231.9} [FLB 232.1] Blessing in Physical Activity And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Genesis 2:15. {FLB 232.1} [FLB 232.2] One of the first laws of the being is that of action. Every organ of the body has its appointed work, upon the development of which depends its strength. The normal action of all the organs gives vigor and life; inaction brings decay and death. {FLB 232.2} [FLB 232.3] To the dwellers in Eden was committed the care of the garden, "to dress it and to keep it." . . . God appointed labor as a blessing to man, to occupy his mind, to strengthen his body, and to develop his faculties. In mental and physical activity, Adam found one of the highest pleasures of his holy existence. {FLB 232.3} [FLB 232.4] A proportionate exercise of all the organs and faculties of the body is essential to the best work of each. When the brain is constantly taxed while the other organs of the living machinery are inactive, there is a loss of strength, physical and mental. {FLB 232.4} [FLB 232.5] Those whose habits are sedentary should, when the weather will permit, exercise in the open air every day, summer or winter. Walking is preferable to riding or driving, for it brings more of the muscles into exercise. The lungs are forced into healthy action, since it is impossible to walk briskly without inflating them. . . . {FLB 232.5} [FLB 232.6] Full, deep inspirations of pure air, which fill the lungs with oxygen, purify the blood. They impart to it a bright color and send it, a life-giving current, to every part of the body. A good respiration soothes the nerves; it stimulates the appetite and renders digestion more perfect; and it induces sound, refreshing sleep. {FLB 232.6} [FLB 232.7] Jesus was an earnest, constant worker. Never lived there among men another so weighted with responsibilities. . . . Yet His was a life of health. Physically as well as spiritually He was represented by the sacrificial lamb, "without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 1:19. In body as in soul He was an example of what God designed all humanity to be through obedience to His laws. 233 {FLB 232.7} [FLB 233.1] Come Apart and Rest And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. Mark 6:31. {FLB 233.1} [FLB 233.2] He ［Jesus］ did not urge upon His disciples the necessity of ceaseless toil. . . . "Come ye yourselves apart, . . . and rest a while," He says to those who are worn and weary. It is not wise to be always under the strain of work and excitement, . . . for in this way personal piety is neglected, and the powers of mind and soul and body are overtaxed. {FLB 233.2} [FLB 233.3] Care needs to be exercised in regard to the regulation of hours for sleeping and laboring. We must take periods of rest, periods of recreation, periods for contemplation. {FLB 233.3} [FLB 233.4] There are modes of recreation which are highly beneficial to both mind and body. . . . Recreation in the open air, the contemplation of the works of God in nature, will be of the highest benefit. {FLB 233.4} [FLB 233.5] It is for our health and happiness to go out of our houses, and spend as much of our time as possible in the open air. . . . We should invite our minds to be interested in all the glorious things God has provided for us with a liberal hand. And in reflecting upon these rich tokens of His love and care, we may forget infirmities, be cheerful, and make melody in our hearts unto the Lord. {FLB 233.5} [FLB 233.6] Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in divine power--these are the true remedies. . . . Nature, untrammeled, does her work wisely and well. Those who persevere in obedience to her laws will reap the reward in health of body and health of mind. {FLB 233.6} [FLB 233.7] He ［Jesus］ found recreation amidst the scenes of nature. . . . His hours of greatest happiness were found when He could turn aside from His labors to go into the fields, to meditate in the quiet valleys, to hold communion with God on the mountainside or amid the trees of the forest. {FLB 233.7} [FLB 233.8] We may . . . make our seasons of recreation what the name implies --seasons of true upbuilding for body and mind and soul. 234 {FLB 233.8} [FLB 234.1] Friendship of Christ's Friends I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. Psalm 119:63. {FLB 234.1} [FLB 234.2] It is natural to seek companionship. Everyone will find companions or make them. And just in proportion to the strength of the friendship, will be the amount of influence which friends will exert over one another for good or for evil. . . . {FLB 234.2} [FLB 234.3] Young persons who are thrown into one another's society may make their association a blessing or a curse. They may edify, bless, and strengthen one another, improving in deportment, in disposition, in knowledge; or, by permitting themselves to become careless and unfaithful, they may exert only a demoralizing influence. {FLB 234.3} [FLB 234.4] It is by leading the followers of Christ to associate with the ungodly and unite in their amusements, that Satan is most successful in alluring them into sin. . . . The followers of Christ are to separate themselves from sinners, choosing their society only when there is opportunity to do them good. We cannot be too decided in shunning the company of those who exert an influence to draw us away from God. While we pray, "Lead us not into temptation," we are to shun temptation, so far as possible. {FLB 234.4} [FLB 234.5] By the choice of evil companions many have been led step by step from the path of virtue into depths of disobedience and dissipation to which at one time they would have thought it impossible for them to sink. {FLB 234.5} [FLB 234.6] We may refuse to be corrupted, and place ourselves where evil association shall not corrupt our hearts. Individually the youth should seek for association with those who are toiling upward with unfaltering steps. {FLB 234.6} [FLB 234.7] Better than all the friendship of the world is the friendship of Christ's redeemed. {FLB 234.7} [FLB 234.8] The warmth of true friendship, the love that binds heart to heart, is a foretaste of the joys of heaven. 235 {FLB 234.8} [FLB 235.1] Your Influence Counts! This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. John 15:12. {FLB 235.1} [FLB 235.2] What quality is this love? . . . A love for the soul that would part with selfish gratifications and practice stern self-denial in order to elevate, ennoble, and sanctify those with whom we associate. "And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." John 17:19. Do you love those with whom you associate well enough to forgo your desire for amusement and self-pleasing that you will not place these souls in the path of temptation, that you will not beckon them to pursue a course of fun and frolic which leads to the extinguishment of serious thoughts in regard to the salvation of their souls? Do you cultivate personal piety, . . . that your youthful friends may follow where you lead the way, upward and forward to obedience to God? . . . What is the quality of your love? Is it of a character to make your associates more Christlike? Will it have a tendency to bring solid timbers into their character building? {FLB 235.2} [FLB 235.3] God enjoins upon all His followers to bear a living testimony in unmistakable language by their conduct, their dress and conversation, in all the pursuits of life, that the power of true godliness is profitable to all in this life and in the life to come. {FLB 235.3} [FLB 235.4] A cheap Christian character works more harm in the world than the character of a worldling, for professed Christians mislead others by professing to represent Him whose name they assume. {FLB 235.4} [FLB 235.5] God is love. Whoso dwelleth in God, dwelleth in love. All who have indeed become acquainted . . . with the love and tender compassion of our heavenly Father will impart light and joy wherever they may be. Their presence and influence will be to their associates as the fragrance of sweet flowers, because they are linked to God and heaven, and the purity and exalted loveliness of heaven are communicated through them to all that are brought within their influence. {FLB 235.5} [FLB 235.6] You can surround your souls with an atmosphere that will be like zephyrs from the heavenly Eden. 236 {FLB 235.6} [FLB 236.1] Words of Grace Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Colossians 4:6. {FLB 236.1} [FLB 236.2] How is it that many who profess the name of Christ utter so many vain, idle words? Satan watches to obtain an advantage over those who speak in a reckless manner. . . . When we utter meaningless and silly words we encourage others to indulge in the same kind of conversation. . . . The only words that should come from our lips should be pure, clean words. No one can tell how much sin is created by careless, foolish, unmeaning words. . . . Every word you speak is as a seed that will germinate and produce either good or bad fruit. {FLB 236.2} [FLB 236.3] When in the company of those who indulge in foolish talk, it is our duty to change the subject of conversation if possible. By the help of the grace of God we should quietly drop words or introduce a subject that will turn the conversation into a profitable channel. {FLB 236.3} [FLB 236.4] He ［God］ desires us to be cheerful, but not trifling. He says to each one of us, "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation." 1 Peter 1:15. God wants us to be happy. He desires to put a new song on our lips, even praise to our God. {FLB 236.4} [FLB 236.5] When you take the hand of a friend, let praise to God be on your lips and in your heart. This will attract his thoughts to Jesus. {FLB 236.5} [FLB 236.6] How pleased the Saviour would be to hear His followers talking of His precious lessons of instruction, and to know that they had a relish for holy things! . . . That which is in the heart will flow from the lips. It cannot be repressed. The things that God has prepared for those that love Him will be the theme of conversation. The love of Christ is in the soul as a well of water, springing up into everlasting life, sending forth living streams, that bring life and gladness wherever they flow. {FLB 236.6} [FLB 236.7] We lose much by not talking more of Jesus and of heaven, the saints' inheritance. The more we contemplate heavenly things, the more new delights we shall see, and the more will our hearts be brimful of thanks to our beneficent Creator. 237 {FLB 236.7} [FLB 237.1] Something Better! I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:8. {FLB 237.1} [FLB 237.2] Whatever Christ asks us to renounce, He offers in its stead something better. Often the youth cherish objects, pursuits, and pleasures that may not appear to be evil, but that fall short of the highest good. They divert the life from its noblest aim. {FLB 237.2} [FLB 237.3] Never let amusements, or the companionship of others, come between you and Jesus, your best Friend. . . . When natural inclination draws you in the direction of fulfilling some selfish desire, set the Lord before you as your counselor, and ask, "Will this please Jesus? Will this increase my love for my best Friend? Will this course grieve my dear Saviour? Will it separate me from His company? Will Jesus accompany me to the pleasure party, where all will be lightness and gaiety, where there will be nothing of a religious nature, nothing serious, no thought of the things of God?" {FLB 237.3} [FLB 237.4] Christians have many sources of happiness at their command, and they may tell with unerring accuracy what pleasures are lawful and right. They may enjoy such recreations as will not dissipate the mind or debase the soul, such as will not disappoint, and leave a sad after influence to destroy self-respect or bar the way to usefulness. If they can take Jesus with them, and maintain a prayerful spirit, they are perfectly safe. {FLB 237.4} [FLB 237.5] An enlightened, discriminating mind will find abundant means for entertainment and diversion, from sources not only innocent, but instructive. {FLB 237.5} [FLB 237.6] In all our seasons of recreation we may gather from the Divine Source of strength fresh courage and power, that we may the more successfully elevate our lives to purity, true goodness, and holiness. {FLB 237.6} [FLB 237.7] Those who really enjoy the love of God will have joy and peace. Religion was never designed to make one pleasureless. What can be productive of greater happiness than to enjoy the peace of Christ, the bright sunshine of His presence? 238 {FLB 237.7} [FLB 238.1] Closing the Door of Temptation Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15. {FLB 238.1} [FLB 238.2] Between the associations of the followers of Christ for Christian recreation, and worldly gatherings for pleasure and amusement, will exist a marked contrast. Instead of prayer and the mentioning of Christ and sacred things, will be heard from the lips of worldlings the silly laugh and the trifling conversation. The idea is to have a general high time. {FLB 238.2} [FLB 238.3] Worldly pleasures are infatuating; and for their momentary enjoyment many sacrifice the friendship of Heaven, with the peace, love, and joy that it affords. But these chosen objects of delight soon become disgusting, unsatisfying. {FLB 238.3} [FLB 238.4] Some of the most popular amusements, such as football and boxing, have become schools of brutality. . . . Other athletic games, though not so brutalizing, are scarcely less objectionable because of the excess to which they are carried. They stimulate the love of pleasure and excitement, thus fostering a distaste for useful labor, a disposition to shun practical duties and responsibilities. . . . Thus the door is opened to dissipation and lawlessness, with their terrible results. {FLB 238.4} [FLB 238.5] The true Christian will not desire to enter any place of amusement or engage in any diversion upon which he cannot ask the blessing of God. He will not be found at the theater, the billiard hall, or the bowling saloon. He will not unite with the gay waltzes or indulge in any other bewitching pleasure that will banish Christ from the mind. To those who plead for these diversions we answer, We cannot indulge in them in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. . . . No Christian would wish to meet death in such a place. No one would wish to be found there when Christ shall come. {FLB 238.5} [FLB 238.6] If we venture on Satan's ground we have no assurance of protection from his power. So far as in us lies, we should close every avenue by which the tempter may find access to us. 239 {FLB 238.6} [FLB 239.1] Deposits in the Bank of Heaven Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:27. {FLB 239.1} [FLB 239.2] The tender sympathies of our Saviour were aroused for fallen and suffering humanity. If you would be His followers, you must cultivate compassion and sympathy. . . . The widow, the orphan, the sick, and the dying will always need help. Here is an opportunity to proclaim the gospel--to hold up Jesus, the hope and consolation of all men. When the suffering body has been relieved, . . . the heart is opened, and you can pour in the heavenly balm. {FLB 239.2} [FLB 239.3] A company of believers may be poor, uneducated, and unknown; yet in Christ they may do a work in the home, the neighborhood, the church, and even in "the regions beyond," whose results will be as far-reaching as eternity. It is because this work is neglected that so many young disciples never advance beyond the mere alphabet of Christian experience. The light which was glowing in their own hearts when Jesus spoke to them, "Thy sins be forgiven thee," they might have kept alive by helping those in need. The restless energy that is so often a source of danger to the young might be directed into channels through which it would flow out in streams of blessing. {FLB 239.3} [FLB 239.4] The hours so often spent in amusement that refreshes neither body nor soul should be spent in . . . seeking to help someone who is in need. {FLB 239.4} [FLB 239.5] Every opportunity to help a brother in need, or to aid the cause of God in the spread of the truth, is a pearl that you can send beforehand, and deposit in the bank of heaven for safe-keeping. {FLB 239.5} [FLB 239.6] Love, courtesy, self-sacrifice--these are never lost. When God's chosen ones are changed from mortality to immortality, their words and deeds of goodness will be made manifest, and will be preserved through the eternal ages. . . . Through the merits of Christ's imputed righteousness, the fragrance of such words and deeds is forever preserved. 240 {FLB 239.6} [FLB 240.1] God and Caesar Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no? . . . And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's. Luke 20:22-25. {FLB 240.1} [FLB 240.2] Christ's reply was . . . a candid answer to the question. Holding in His hand the Roman coin, upon which were stamped the name and image of Caesar, He declared that since they were living under the protection of the Roman power, they should render to that power the support it claimed, so long as this did not conflict with a higher duty. But while peaceably subject to the laws of the land, they should at all times give their first allegiance to God. {FLB 240.2} [FLB 240.3] We are to recognize human government as an ordinance of divine appointment, and teach obedience to it as a sacred duty, within its legitimate sphere. But when its claims conflict with the claims of God, we must obey God rather than men. God's Word must be recognized as above all human legislation. A "Thus saith the Lord" is not to be set aside for a "Thus saith the church" or a "Thus saith the state." The crown of Christ is to be lifted above the diadems of earthly potentates. {FLB 240.3} [FLB 240.4] The wisdom and authority of the divine law are supreme. . . . The ten precepts of Jehovah are the foundation of all righteous and good laws. Those who love God's commandments will conform to every good law of the land. {FLB 240.4} [FLB 240.5] We are not required to defy authorities. . . . We are to go forward in Christ's name, advocating the truths committed to us. If we are forbidden by men to do this work, then we may say, as did the apostles, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Acts 4:19, 20. {FLB 240.5} [FLB 240.6] Our kingdom is not of this world. We are waiting for our Lord from heaven to come to earth to . . . set up His everlasting kingdom. 241 {FLB 240.6} [FLB 241.1] Christian Youth and their Books Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8. {FLB 241.1} [FLB 241.2] Those who would not fall a prey to Satan's devices, must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. {FLB 241.2} [FLB 241.3] Many of the popular publications of the day are filled with sensational stories that are educating the youth in wickedness and leading them in the path to perdition. Mere children in years are old in a knowledge of crime. They are incited to evil by the tales they read. . . . The seeds of lawlessness are sown broadcast. None need marvel that a harvest of crime is the result. {FLB 241.3} [FLB 241.4] The readers of fiction are indulging an evil that destroys spirituality, eclipsing the beauty of the sacred page. It creates an unhealthy excitement, fevers the imagination, unfits the mind for usefulness, weans the soul from prayer, and disqualifies it for any spiritual exercise. {FLB 241.4} [FLB 241.5] Suffer not yourselves to open the lids of a book that is questionable. There is a hellish fascination in the literature of Satan. It is the powerful battery by which he tears down a simple religious faith. Never feel that you are strong enough to read infidel books; for they contain a poison like that of asps. {FLB 241.5} [FLB 241.6] Young men and young women, read the literature that will give you true knowledge, and that will be a help to the entire family. Say firmly: "I will not spend precious moments in reading that which will be of no profit to me, and which only unfits me to be of service to others. . . . I will close my eyes to frivolous and sinful things." {FLB 241.6} [FLB 241.7] The oftener and more diligently you study the Bible, the more beautiful will it appear, and the less relish you will have for light reading. Bind this precious volume to your hearts. It will be to you a friend and guide. 242 {FLB 241.7} [FLB 242.1] Melody in the Heart Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Ephesians 5:19. {FLB 242.1} [FLB 242.2] The melody of praise is the atmosphere of heaven; and when heaven comes in touch with the earth, there is music and song. . . . {FLB 242.2} [FLB 242.3] Above the new-created earth, as it lay, fair and unblemished, under the smile of God, "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Job 38:7. So human hearts, in sympathy with heaven, have responded to God's goodness in notes of praise. {FLB 242.3} [FLB 242.4] Young men and women . . . have a keen ear for music, and Satan knows what organs to excite to animate, engross, and charm the mind so that Christ is not desired. . . . Frivolous songs and the popular sheet music of the day seem congenial to their taste. The instruments of music have taken time which should have been devoted to prayer. Music, when not abused, is a great blessing; but when put to a wrong use, it is a terrible curse. It excites, but does not impart that strength and courage which the Christian can find only at the throne of grace. . . . Satan is leading the young captive. . . . He is a skillful charmer, luring them on to perdition. {FLB 242.4} [FLB 242.5] Musical entertainments which, if conducted properly, will do no harm, are often a source of evil. . . . Musical talent too often fosters pride and ambition for display, and singers have but little thought of the worship of God. {FLB 242.5} [FLB 242.6] Let all take time to cultivate the voice so that God's praise can be sung in clear, soft tones. . . . The ability to sing is the gift of God; let it be used to His glory. {FLB 242.6} [FLB 242.7] Let us remember that our praises are supplemented by the choirs of the angelic hosts above. {FLB 242.7} [FLB 242.8] Those who in heaven join with the angelic choir in their anthem of praise must learn on earth the song of heaven, the keynote of which is thanksgiving. 243 {FLB 242.8} [FLB 243.1] Beauty that Endures Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 1 Peter 3:3, 4. {FLB 243.1} [FLB 243.2] In dress, as in all things else, it is our privilege to honor our Creator. He desires our clothing to be not only neat and healthful, but appropriate and becoming. . . . Our appearance in every respect should be characterized by neatness, modesty, and purity. . . . {FLB 243.2} [FLB 243.3] Our clothing, while modest and simple, should be of good quality, of becoming colors, and suited for service. {FLB 243.3} [FLB 243.4] Chaste simplicity in dress, when united with modesty of demeanor, will go far toward surrounding a young woman with that atmosphere of sacred reserve which will be to her a shield from a thousand perils. {FLB 243.4} [FLB 243.5] It is right to buy good material and have it carefully made. This is economy. But rich trimmings are not needed, and to indulge in them is to spend for self-gratification money that should be put into God's cause. . . . Practice economy in your outlay of means for dress. {FLB 243.5} [FLB 243.6] When the mind is fixed upon pleasing God alone, all the needless embellishments of the person disappear. {FLB 243.6} [FLB 243.7] He ［Jesus］ will send the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness into the soul, which will impart beauty and fragrance to the spiritual life. He will give to the character the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price. {FLB 243.7} [FLB 243.8] It is right to love beauty and to desire it; but God desires us to love and seek first the highest beauty, that which is imperishable. No outward adorning can compare in value or loveliness with that "meek and quiet spirit," the "fine linen, white and clean," which all the holy ones of earth will wear. This apparel will make them beautiful and beloved here, and will hereafter be their badge of admission to the palace of the King. 244 {FLB 243.8} [FLB 244.1] A Tenth for God And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord. Leviticus 27:30. {FLB 244.1} [FLB 244.2] The Lord has imparted to us heaven's richest treasure in giving us Jesus. With Him He has given us all things richly to enjoy. The productions of the earth, the bountiful harvests, the treasures of gold and silver, are His gifts. Houses and lands, food and clothing, He has placed in the possession of men. He asks us to acknowledge Him as the Giver of all things; and for this reason He says, Of all your possessions I reserve a tenth for Myself, besides gifts and offerings, which are to be brought into My storehouse. {FLB 244.2} [FLB 244.3] God's plan in the tithing system is beautiful in its simplicity and equality. . . . All may feel that they can act a part in carrying forward the precious work of salvation. Every man, woman, and youth may become a treasurer for the Lord and may be an agent to meet the demands upon the treasury. Says the apostle: "Let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him." 1 Corinthians 16:2. {FLB 244.3} [FLB 244.4] Let each regularly examine his income, which is all a blessing from God, and set apart the tithe as a separate fund, to be sacredly the Lord's. This fund should not in any case be devoted to any other use; it is to be devoted solely to support the ministry of the gospel. {FLB 244.4} [FLB 244.5] A tithe of our income is "holy unto the Lord." The New Testament does not re-enact the law of the tithe, as it does not that of the Sabbath; for the validity of both is assumed. {FLB 244.5} [FLB 244.6] I speak of the tithing system, yet how meager it looks to my mind! How small the estimate! How vain the endeavor to measure with mathematical rules, time, money and love against a love and sacrifice that is measureless and incomputable! Tithes for Christ! Oh, meager pittance, shameful recompense for that which cost so much! From the cross of Calvary, Christ calls for an unconditional surrender. . . . All we have should be consecrated to God. 245 {FLB 244.6} [FLB 245.1] The Offerings of Gratitude Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7. {FLB 245.1} [FLB 245.2] Not only should we faithfully render to God our tithes, which He claims as His own, but we should bring a tribute to His treasury as an offering of gratitude. Let us with joyful hearts bring to our Creator the first fruits of all His bounties--our choicest possessions, our best and holiest service. {FLB 245.2} [FLB 245.3] The Lord requires gifts to be made at stated times, being so arranged that giving will become a habit and benevolence be felt to be a Christian duty. The heart, opened by one gift, is not to have time to become selfishly cold and to close before the next is bestowed. The stream is to be continually flowing, thus keeping open the channel by acts of benevolence. {FLB 245.3} [FLB 245.4] The contributions required of the Hebrews for religious and charitable purposes amounted to fully one fourth of their income. So heavy a tax upon the resources of the people might be expected to reduce them to poverty; but, on the contrary, the faithful observance of these regulations was one of the conditions of their prosperity. {FLB 245.4} [FLB 245.5] It is not the greatness of the gift that makes the offering acceptable to God; it is the purpose of the heart, the spirit of gratitude and love that it expresses. Let not the poor feel that their gifts are so small as to be unworthy of notice. {FLB 245.5} [FLB 245.6] The small sums saved by deeds of sacrifice will do more for the upbuilding of the cause of God than larger gifts will accomplish that have not called for denial of self. {FLB 245.6} [FLB 245.7] There is nothing too precious for us to give to Jesus. If we return to Him the talents of means He has entrusted to our keeping, He will give more into our hands. Every effort we make for Christ will be rewarded by Him; and every duty we perform in His name will minister to our own happiness. 246 {FLB 245.7} [FLB 246.1] In the Channel of Blessing Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:25. {FLB 246.1} [FLB 246.2] Never entertain the thought that you can be Christians and yet withdraw within yourselves. Each one is a part of the great web of humanity, and the nature and quality of your experience will be largely determined by the experiences of those with whom you associate. . . . Then let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. {FLB 246.2} [FLB 246.3] Many declare that it is certainly no harm to go to a concert and neglect the prayer meeting, or absent themselves from meetings where God's servants are to declare a message from heaven. It is safe for you to be just where Christ has said He would be. . . . Jesus has said, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20. Can you afford to choose your pleasure and miss the blessing? {FLB 246.3} [FLB 246.4] If Christians would associate together, speaking to each other of the love of God, and of the precious truths of redemption, their own hearts would be refreshed, and they would refresh one another. {FLB 246.4} [FLB 246.5] All should have something to say for the Lord, for by so doing they will be blest. A book of remembrance is written of those who do not forsake the assembling of themselves together, but speak often one to another. The remnant are to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. . . . We should not come together to remain silent; those only are remembered of the Lord who assemble to speak of His honor and glory and tell of His power; upon such the blessing of God will rest, and they will be refreshed. {FLB 246.5} [FLB 246.6] We should improve every opportunity of placing ourselves in the channel of blessing. . . . The convocations of the church, as in camp meetings, the assemblies of the home church, and all occasions where there is personal labor for souls, are God's appointed opportunities for giving the early and the latter rain. 247 {FLB 246.6} [FLB 247.1] God's Helping Hand And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15. {FLB 247.1} [FLB 247.2] "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." He "sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:16, 17. The love of God embraces all mankind. Christ, in giving the commission to the disciples, said: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." {FLB 247.2} [FLB 247.3] All who are ordained unto the life of Christ are ordained to work for the salvation of their fellow men. Their hearts will throb in unison with the heart of Christ. The same longing for souls that He has felt will be manifest in them. Not all can fill the same place in the work, but there is a place and a work for all. . . . Every gift is to be employed for the advancement of His kingdom and the glory of His name. {FLB 247.3} [FLB 247.4] Christ desires to use the youth in His service. He needs missionaries. The barren fields all over the world call to heaven for laborers. If the youth will give themselves to God, He will give them wisdom and knowledge, preparing them for service. If they will consecrate themselves to Him, He will make them vessels unto honor, into which He can pour the precious oil of the Spirit, to be imparted to others. God's helping hand--this is what you may be if you will yield yourselves to His keeping. {FLB 247.4} [FLB 247.5] To everyone who offers himself to the Lord for service, withholding nothing, is given power for the attainment of measureless results. For these God will do great things. {FLB 247.5} [FLB 247.6] To young men and young women, as well as to those who are older, God will give power from above. With converted minds, converted hands, converted feet, and converted tongues, their lips touched with a living coal from the divine altar, they will go forth into the Master's service, moving steadily onward and upward, carrying the work forward to completion. 248 {FLB 247.6} [FLB 248.1] Keep Looking Up! Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2. {FLB 248.1} [FLB 248.2] Several years ago, while journeying from Christiania, Norway, to Goteborg, Sweden, I was favored with the sight of the most glorious sunset it was ever my privilege to behold. Language is inadequate to picture its beauty. The last beams of the setting sun, silver and gold, purple, amber, and crimson, shed their glories athwart the sky, growing brighter and brighter, rising higher and higher in the heavens, until it seemed that the gates of the city of God had been left ajar, and gleams of the inner glory were flashing through. For two hours the wondrous splendor continued to light up the cold northern sky--a picture painted by the great Master Artist upon the shifting canvas of the heavens. Like the smile of God it seemed, above all earthly homes, above the rock-bound plains, the rugged mountains, the lonely forests, through which our journey lay. {FLB 248.2} [FLB 248.3] Angels of mercy seemed whispering: "Look up! This glory is but a gleam of the light which flows from the throne of God. Live not for earth alone. Look up, and behold by faith the mansions of the heavenly home." This scene was to me as the bow of promise to Noah, enabling me to grasp the assurance of God's unfailing care, and to look forward to the haven of rest awaiting the faithful worker. . . . {FLB 248.3} [FLB 248.4] As God's children, it is our privilege ever to look up, keeping the eye of faith fixed on Christ. As we constantly keep Him in view, the sunshine of His presence floods the chambers of the mind. The light of Christ in the soul-temple brings peace. The soul is stayed on God. All perplexities and anxieties are committed to Jesus. As we continue to behold Him, His image becomes engraved on the heart, and is revealed in the daily life. . . . {FLB 248.4} [FLB 248.5] My dear young friends, ever keep Christ in view. Thus only can you keep the eye single to God's glory. Jesus is your light and life and peace and assurance forever. 249 {FLB 248.5} [FLB 249.1] The Hand that Never Lets Go For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Isaiah 41:13. {FLB 249.1} [FLB 249.2] The sun shone brilliantly on the dazzling snow of one of the highest mountains of the Alps, as a traveler followed his guide along the narrow path. . . . He had confidence in his guide, and followed fearlessly in his footsteps, though the track was entirely new to him. Suddenly he hesitated; for the bold mountaineer stepped across a narrow but very deep chasm, and then, holding out his hand, asked . . . ［him］ to take it, and step across. Still the traveler hesitated, but the guide encouraged him to obey, saying reassuringly, "Take my hand; that hand never lets go." {FLB 249.2} [FLB 249.3] Dear young friends, One greater than any human guide calls upon you to follow Him over the heights of patience and self-sacrifice. The path is not an easy one. . . . All the way along, Satan has prepared pitfalls for the feet of the unwary. But following our Guide, we may walk with perfect security; for the path is consecrated by His footsteps. It may be steep and rugged, but He has traveled it; His feet have pressed down the thorns to make the way easier for us. Every burden we are called upon to bear, He Himself has borne. Personal contact with Him brings light and hope and power. Of those who follow Him, He says, "They shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." John 10:28. {FLB 249.3} [FLB 249.4] We are to live only one day at a time. We do not have to do the work of a lifetime in a few hours. We need not look into the future with anxiety; for God has made it possible for us to be overcomers every day. {FLB 249.4} [FLB 249.5] By the exercise of living faith today, we are to conquer the enemy. We must today seek God, and be determined that we will not rest satisfied without His presence. We should watch and work and pray as though this were the last day that would be granted us. {FLB 249.5} [FLB 249.6] If you are right with God today, you are ready if Christ should come today. {FLB 249.6} [FLB 250.1] Chap. 9 - The Christ-Centered Home The Eden Home And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Genesis 2:8. {FLB 250.1} [FLB 250.2] That home ［the home of our first parents］, beautified by the hand of God Himself, was not a gorgeous palace. Men, in their pride, delight in magnificent and costly edifices, and glory in the works of their own hands; but God placed Adam in a garden. This was his dwelling. The blue heavens were its dome; the earth, with its delicate flowers and carpet of living green, was its floor; and the leafy branches of the goodly trees were its canopy. Its walls were hung with the most magnificent adornings--the handiwork of the great Master Artist. {FLB 250.2} [FLB 250.3] It was the design of God that man should find happiness in the employment of tending the things He had created, and that his wants should be met with the fruits of the trees of the garden. {FLB 250.3} [FLB 250.4] In the surroundings of the holy pair was a lesson for all time-- that true happiness is found, not in the indulgence of pride and luxury, but in communion with God through His created works. If men would . . . cultivate greater simplicity, they would come far nearer to answering the purpose of God in their creation. . . . What are the possessions of even the most wealthy, in comparison with the heritage given to the lordly Adam? {FLB 250.4} [FLB 250.5] The Garden of Eden was a representation of what God desired the whole earth to become, and it was His purpose that, as the human family increased in numbers, they should establish other homes . . . like the one He had given. Thus in course of time the whole earth might be occupied with homes and schools where the words and the works of God should be studied, and where the students should thus be fitted more and more fully to reflect, throughout endless ages, the light of the knowledge of His glory. 251 {FLB 250.5} [FLB 251.1] The First Marriage And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Genesis 2:18. {FLB 251.1} [FLB 251.2] Man was not made to dwell in solitude; he was to be a social being. Without companionship, the beautiful scenes and delightful employments of Eden would have failed to yield perfect happiness. Even communion with angels could not have satisfied his desire for sympathy and companionship. There was none of the same nature to love, and to be loved. {FLB 251.2} [FLB 251.3] God Himself gave Adam a companion. He provided "an help meet for him"--a helper corresponding to him--one who was fitted to be his companion, and who could be one with him in love and sympathy. Eve was created from a rib taken from the side of Adam, signifying that she was not to control him as the head, nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by his side as an equal, to be loved and protected by him. A part of man, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, she was his second self; showing the close union and the affectionate attachment that should exist in this relation. "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it." Ephesians 5:29. . . . {FLB 251.3} [FLB 251.4] God celebrated the first marriage. Thus the institution has for its originator the Creator of the universe. "Marriage is honourable" (Hebrews 13:4); it was one of the first gifts of God to man, and it is one of the two institutions that, after the Fall, Adam brought with him beyond the gates of Paradise. When the divine principles are recognized and obeyed in this relation, marriage is a blessing; it guards the purity and happiness of the race, it provides for man's social needs, it elevates the physical, the intellectual, and the moral nature. {FLB 251.4} [FLB 251.5] The family tie is the closest, the most tender and sacred, of any on earth. It was designed to be a blessing to mankind. And it is a blessing wherever the marriage covenant is entered into intelligently, in the fear of God, and with due consideration for its responsibilities. 252 {FLB 251.5} [FLB 252.1] Blending of Two Lives Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:24. {FLB 252.1} [FLB 252.2] God has ordained that there should be perfect love and harmony between those who enter into the marriage relation. Let bride and bridegroom, in the presence of the heavenly universe, pledge themselves to love each other as God has ordained they should. {FLB 252.2} [FLB 252.3] Around each family there is a sacred circle that should be kept unbroken. Within this circle no other person has a right to come. Let not the husband or the wife permit another to share the confidences that belong solely to themselves. Let each give love rather than exact it. Cultivate what is noblest in yourselves, and be quick to recognize the good qualities in each other. {FLB 252.3} [FLB 252.4] Affection may be as clear as crystal and beauteous in its purity, yet it may be shallow because it has not been tested and tried. Make Christ first and last and best in everything. Constantly behold Him, and your love for Him will daily become deeper and stronger as it is submitted to the test of trial. And as your love for Him increases, your love for each other will grow deeper and stronger. {FLB 252.4} [FLB 252.5] If Christ indeed is formed within, the hope of glory, there will be union and love in the home. Christ abiding in the heart of the wife will be at agreement with Christ abiding in the heart of the husband. They will be striving together for the mansions Christ has gone to prepare for those who love Him. {FLB 252.5} [FLB 252.6] Only where Christ reigns can there be deep, true, unselfish love. Then soul will be knit with soul, and the two lives will blend in harmony. Angels of God will be guests in the home, and their holy vigils will hallow the marriage chamber. ［SEE THE ADVENTIST HOME, CHAPTER 18, "MARITAL DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES," PAGES 121-128.］ {FLB 252.6} [FLB 252.7] The sweetest type of heaven is a home where the Spirit of the Lord presides. 253 {FLB 252.7} [FLB 253.1] A Union for Life Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Matthew 19:6. {FLB 253.1} [FLB 253.2] The marriage vow . . . links the destinies of the two individuals with bonds which nought but the hand of death should sever. {FLB 253.2} [FLB 253.3] In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus declared plainly that there could be no dissolution of the marriage tie, except for unfaithfulness to the marriage vow. "Every one," He said, "that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery." Matthew 5:32, R.V. . . . {FLB 253.3} [FLB 253.4] Jesus pointed His hearers back to the marriage institution as ordained at creation. . . . Then marriage and the Sabbath had their origin, twin institutions for the glory of God in the benefit of humanity. Then, as the Creator joined the hands of the holy pair in wedlock, . . . He enunciated the law of marriage for all the children of Adam to the close of time. That which the Eternal Father Himself had pronounced good was the law of highest blessing and development for man. Like every other one of God's good gifts entrusted to the keeping of humanity, marriage has been perverted by sin; but it is the purpose of the gospel to restore its purity and beauty. {FLB 253.4} [FLB 253.5] Men and women, at the beginning of married life, should reconsecrate themselves to God. . . . {FLB 253.5} [FLB 253.6] Where the Spirit of God reigns, there will be no talk of unsuitability in the marriage relation. {FLB 253.6} [FLB 253.7] Though difficulties, perplexities, and discouragements may arise, let neither husband nor wife harbor the thought that their union is a mistake or a disappointment. Determine to be all that it is possible to be to each other. Continue the early attentions. In every way encourage each other in fighting the battles of life. Study to advance the happiness of each other. Let there be mutual love, mutual forbearance. Then marriage, instead of being the end of love, will be as it were the very beginning of love. 254 {FLB 253.7} [FLB 254.1] Let God Control Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Psalm 127:1. {FLB 254.1} [FLB 254.2] God . . . desired that the earth should be filled with joy and peace. He created man for happiness, and He longs to fill human hearts with the peace of heaven. He desires that the families below shall be a symbol of the great family above. {FLB 254.2} [FLB 254.3] Christian homes, established and conducted in accordance with God's plan, are among His most effective agencies for the formation of Christian character and for the advancement of His work. {FLB 254.3} [FLB 254.4] Home should be made all that the word implies. It should be a little heaven upon earth, a place where the affections are cultivated instead of being studiously repressed. Our happiness depends upon this cultivation of love, sympathy, and true courtesy to one another. {FLB 254.4} [FLB 254.5] Let your home be such that Christ can enter it as an abiding guest. Let it be such that people will take knowledge of you that you have been with Jesus, and have learned of Him. {FLB 254.5} [FLB 254.6] The home in which the members are kindly, courteous Christians exerts a far-reaching influence for good. Other families mark the results attained by such a home, and follow the example set, in their turn guarding their homes against evil influences. {FLB 254.6} [FLB 254.7] Angels of heaven often visit the home in which the will of God bears sway. Under the power of divine grace, such a home becomes a place of refreshing to worn, weary pilgrims. Self is kept from asserting itself. Right habits are formed. There is a careful recognition of the rights of others. The faith that works by love and purifies the soul stands at the helm, presiding over the entire household. {FLB 254.7} [FLB 254.8] The greatest evidence of the power of Christianity that can be presented to the world is a well-ordered, well-disciplined family. This will recommend the truth as nothing else can, for it is a living witness of its practical power upon the heart. 255 {FLB 254.8} [FLB 255.1] The Love that Lasts Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. Song of Solomon 8:7. {FLB 255.1} [FLB 255.2] Love is a precious gift, which we receive from Jesus. Pure and holy affection is not a feeling, but a principle. Those who are actuated by true love, are neither unreasonable nor blind. {FLB 255.2} [FLB 255.3] The divine love emanating from Christ never destroys human love, but includes it. By it human love is refined and purified, elevated and ennobled. Human love can never bear its precious fruit until it is united with the divine nature and trained to grow heavenward. {FLB 255.3} [FLB 255.4] True love is not a strong, fiery, impetuous passion. On the contrary, it is calm and deep in its nature. It looks beyond mere externals, and is attracted by qualities alone. It is wise and discriminating, and its devotion is real and abiding. {FLB 255.4} [FLB 255.5] Hearts that are filled with the love of Christ can never get very far apart. Religion is love, and a Christian home is one where love reigns and finds expression in words and acts of thoughtful kindness and gentle courtesy. {FLB 255.5} [FLB 255.6] Our homes must be made a Bethel, our hearts a shrine. Wherever the love of God is cherished in the soul, there will be peace, there will be light and joy. {FLB 255.6} [FLB 255.7] Jesus wants to see happy marriages, happy firesides. {FLB 255.7} [FLB 255.8] Men and women can reach God's ideal for them if they will take Christ as their helper. What human wisdom cannot do, His grace will accomplish for those who give themselves to Him in loving trust. His providence can unite hearts in bonds that are of heavenly origin. Love will not be a mere exchange of soft and flattering words. The loom of heaven weaves with warp and woof finer, yet more firm, than can be woven by the looms of earth. The result is not a tissue fabric, but a texture that will bear test and trial. Heart will be bound to heart in the golden bonds of a love that is enduring. 256 {FLB 255.8} [FLB 256.1] Far Above Rubies Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. Proverbs 31:10, 11. {FLB 256.1} [FLB 256.2] The happiness of the family depends much upon the wife and mother. {FLB 256.2} [FLB 256.3] Let a young man seek one to stand by his side who is fitted to bear her share of life's burdens, one whose influence will ennoble and refine him, and who will make him happy in her love. {FLB 256.3} [FLB 256.4] Married life is not all romance; it has its real difficulties and its homely details. The wife must not consider herself a doll, to be tended, but a woman; one to put her shoulder under real, not imaginary, burdens, and live an understanding, thoughtful life, considering that there are other things to be thought of than herself. {FLB 256.4} [FLB 256.5] A knowledge of domestic duties is beyond price to every woman. There are families without number whose happiness is wrecked by the inefficiency of the wife and mother. {FLB 256.5} [FLB 256.6] Every girl should learn to take charge of the domestic affairs of home, should be a cook, a housekeeper, a seamstress. She should understand all those things which it is necessary that the mistress of a house should know. {FLB 256.6} [FLB 256.7] If need be, a young woman can dispense with a knowledge of French and algebra, or even of the piano; but it is indispensable that she learn to make good bread, to fashion neatly fitting garments, and to perform efficiently the many duties that pertain to homemaking. {FLB 256.7} [FLB 256.8] "A prudent wife is from the Lord." Proverbs 19:14. "The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her. . . ." "She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her," saying, "Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all." Proverbs 31:11, 12, 26-29. He who gains such a wife "findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord." 257 {FLB 256.8} [FLB 257.1] Love Stands the Test He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love." Song of Solomon 2:4. {FLB 257.1} [FLB 257.2] Before giving her hand in marriage, every woman should inquire whether he with whom she is about to unite her destiny is worthy. What has been his past record? Is his life pure? Is the love which he expresses of a noble, elevated character, or is it a mere emotional fondness? Has he traits of character that will make her happy? Can she find true peace and joy in his affection? Will she be allowed to preserve her individuality, or must her judgment and conscience be surrendered to the control of her husband? As a disciple of Christ, she is not her own; she has been bought with a price. Can she honor the Saviour's claims as supreme? Will body and soul, thoughts and purposes, be preserved pure and holy? These questions have a vital bearing upon the well-being of every woman who enters the marriage relation. {FLB 257.2} [FLB 257.3] If you are blessed with God-fearing parents, seek counsel of them. Open to them your hopes and plans, learn the lessons which their life experiences have taught, and you will be saved many a heartache. Above all, make Christ your counselor. Study His Word with prayer. {FLB 257.3} [FLB 257.4] Under such guidance let a young woman accept as a life companion only one who possesses pure, manly traits of character, one who is diligent, aspiring, and honest, one who loves and fears God. {FLB 257.4} [FLB 257.5] The heart yearns for human love, but this love is not strong enough, or pure enough, or precious enough, to supply the place of the love of Jesus. Only in her Saviour can the wife find wisdom, strength, and grace to meet the cares, responsibilities, and sorrows of life. She should make Him her strength and her guide. Let woman give herself to Christ before giving herself to any earthly friend, and enter into no relation which shall conflict with this. {FLB 257.5} [FLB 257.6] It is only in Christ that a marriage alliance can be safely formed. Human love should draw its closest bonds from divine love. Only where Christ reigns can there be a deep, true, unselfish affection. 258 {FLB 257.6} [FLB 258.1] Sunshine or Shadows? Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness. 2 Corinthians 6:14. {FLB 258.1} [FLB 258.2] One of the greatest dangers that besets the people of God today, is that of association with the ungodly; especially in uniting themselves in marriage with unbelievers. {FLB 258.2} [FLB 258.3] Hundreds have sacrificed Christ and heaven in consequence of marrying unconverted persons. . . . The happiness and prosperity of the married life depend upon the unity of the parties. How can the carnal mind harmonize with the mind that is assimilated to the mind of Christ? . . . There is a perpetual difference of taste, of inclination, and of purpose. Unless the believer shall, through his steadfast adherence to principle, win the impenitent, he will, as is much more common, become discouraged and sell his religious principles for the poor companionship of one who has no connection with Heaven. {FLB 258.3} [FLB 258.4] Those who profess the truth trample on the will of God in marrying unbelievers; they lose His favor and make bitter work for repentance. The unbelieving may possess an excellent moral character; but the fact that he or she has not answered to the claims of God, and has neglected so great salvation, is sufficient reason why such a union should not be consummated. {FLB 258.4} [FLB 258.5] Of Solomon the Inspired Record says, "His wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God." 1 Kings 11:4. . . . Let the sad memory of Solomon's apostasy warn every soul to shun the same precipice. {FLB 258.5} [FLB 258.6] If men and women are in the habit of praying twice a day before they contemplate marriage, they should pray four times a day when such a step is anticipated. Marriage is something that will influence and affect your life, both in this world and in the world to come. {FLB 258.6} [FLB 258.7] Unless you would have a home where the shadows are never lifted, do not unite yourself with one who is an enemy of God. 259 {FLB 258.7} [FLB 259.1] A Partnership that Works For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Ephesians 5:23. {FLB 259.1} [FLB 259.2] The Lord has constituted the husband the head of the wife to be her protector; he is the house-band of the family, binding the members together, even as Christ is the head of the church and the Saviour of the mystical body. Let every husband who claims to love God carefully study the requirements of God in his position. Christ's authority is exercised in wisdom, in all kindness and gentleness; so let the husband exercise his power and imitate the great Head of the church. {FLB 259.2} [FLB 259.3] The husband should remember that much of the burden of training his children rests upon the mother. . . . This should call into exercise his tenderest feelings, and with care should he lighten her burdens. He should encourage her to lean upon his large affections. {FLB 259.3} [FLB 259.4] Neither the husband nor the wife should attempt to exercise over the other an arbitrary control. Do not try to compel each other to yield to your wishes. You cannot do this and retain each other's love. Be kind, patient, and forbearing, considerate, and courteous. By the grace of God you can succeed in making each other happy, as in your marriage vow you promised to do. {FLB 259.4} [FLB 259.5] Marriage, a union for life, is a symbol of the union between Christ and His church. The spirit that Christ manifests toward His church is the spirit that the husband and wife are to manifest toward each other. If they love God supremely, they will love each other in the Lord. . . . In their mutual self-denial and self-sacrifice they will be a blessing to each other. . . . {FLB 259.5} [FLB 259.6] God wants the home to be the happiest place on earth, the very symbol of the home in heaven. Bearing the marriage responsibilities in the home, linking their interests with Jesus Christ, leaning upon His arm and His assurance, husband and wife may share a happiness in this union that angels of God commend. Marriage does not lessen their usefulness, but strengthens it. 260 {FLB 259.6} [FLB 260.1] Kings and Queens Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding is it established. Proverbs 24:3. {FLB 260.1} [FLB 260.2] In God's plan for Israel every family had a home on the land, with sufficient ground for tilling. Thus were provided both the means and the incentive for a useful, industrious, and self-supporting life. And no devising of men has ever improved upon that plan. {FLB 260.2} [FLB 260.3] The earth has blessings hidden in her depths for those who have courage and will and perseverance to gather her treasures. Fathers and mothers who possess a piece of land and a comfortable home are kings and queens. {FLB 260.3} [FLB 260.4] An expensive dwelling, elaborate furnishings, display, luxury, and ease, do not furnish the conditions essential to a happy, useful life. Jesus came to this earth to accomplish the greatest work ever accomplished among men. He came as God's ambassador, to show us how to live so as to secure life's best results. What were the conditions chosen by the infinite Father for His Son? A secluded home in the Galilean hills; a household sustained by honest, self-respecting labor; a life of simplicity; daily conflict with difficulty and hardship; self-sacrifice, economy, and patient, gladsome service; the hour of study at His mother's side, with the open scroll of Scripture; the quiet of dawn or twilight in the green valley; the holy ministries of nature; the study of creation and providence; and the soul's communion with God--these were the conditions and opportunities of the early life of Jesus. . . . {FLB 260.4} [FLB 260.5] Let it be your first aim to make a pleasant home. Be sure to provide the facilities that will lighten labor and promote health and comfort. . . . {FLB 260.5} [FLB 260.6] Furnish your home with things plain and simple, things that will bear handling, that can be easily kept clean, and that can be replaced without great expense. By exercising taste, you can make a very simple home attractive and inviting, if love and contentment are there. 261 {FLB 260.6} [FLB 261.1] The Crowning Treasure of the Home Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Psalm 128:3. {FLB 261.1} [FLB 261.2] Children and youth are God's peculiar treasure. {FLB 261.2} [FLB 261.3] When two compose a family, . . . and there are no children to call into exercise patience, forbearance, and true love, there is need of constant watchfulness lest selfishness obtain the supremacy, lest you yourselves become the center, and you require attention, care, and interest, which you feel under no obligation to bestow upon others. {FLB 261.3} [FLB 261.4] Care and affection for dependent children removes the roughness from our natures, makes us tender and sympathetic, and has an influence to develop the nobler elements of our character. {FLB 261.4} [FLB 261.5] After the birth of his first son, Enoch reached a higher experience; he was drawn into a closer relationship with God. He realized more fully his own obligations and responsibility as a son of God. And as he saw the child's love for its father, its simple trust in his protection; as he felt the deep, yearning tenderness of his own heart for that first-born son, he learned a precious lesson of the wonderful love of God to men in the gift of His Son, and the confidence which the children of God may repose in their heavenly Father. {FLB 261.5} [FLB 261.6] I have a very tender interest in all children. . . . I have taken many children to care for, and I have always felt that association with the simplicity of childhood was a great blessing to me. . . . {FLB 261.6} [FLB 261.7] The sympathy, forbearance, and love required in dealing with children would be a blessing in any household. They would soften and subdue set traits of character in those who need to be more cheerful and restful. The presence of a child in a home sweetens and refines. A child brought up in the fear of the Lord is a blessing. . . . {FLB 261.7} [FLB 261.8] Your sons and daughters are younger members of God's family. He has committed them to your care, to train and educate for heaven. {FLB 261.8} [FLB 261.9] The soul of the little child that believes in Christ is as precious in His sight as are the angels about His throne. 262 {FLB 261.9} [FLB 262.1] What Kind of Inheritance? And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him? Judges 13:12. {FLB 262.1} [FLB 262.2] The words spoken to the wife of Manoah contain a truth that the mothers of today would do well to study. {FLB 262.2} [FLB 262.3] The child will be affected for good or for evil by the habits of the mother. She must herself be controlled by principle, and must practice temperance and self-denial, if she would seek the welfare of her child. {FLB 262.3} [FLB 262.4] If before the birth of her child she is unstable, if she is selfish, peevish, and exacting, the disposition of her child will bear the marks of her wrong course. . . . But if she unswervingly adheres to the right, if she is kind, gentle, and unselfish, she will give her child these traits of character. {FLB 262.4} [FLB 262.5] And fathers as well as mothers are involved in this responsibility. Both parents transmit their own characteristics, mental and physical, their dispositions and appetites, to their children. . . . The inquiry of every father and mother should be, "What shall we do unto the child that shall be born unto us?" The effect of prenatal influences has been by many lightly regarded; but the instruction sent from heaven to those Hebrew parents . . . shows how the matter is looked upon by our Creator. {FLB 262.5} [FLB 262.6] The mother who is a fit teacher for her children must, before their birth, form habits of self-denial and self-control; for she transmits to them her own qualities, her own strong or weak traits of character. The enemy of souls understands this matter much better than do many parents. He will bring temptations upon the mother, knowing that if she does not resist him, he can through her affect her child. The mother's only hope is in God. She may flee to Him for grace and strength. She will not seek help in vain. He will enable her to transmit to her offspring qualities that will help them to gain success in this life and to win eternal life. 263 {FLB 262.6} [FLB 263.1] Pattern for Children and Youth And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. Luke 2:40. {FLB 263.1} [FLB 263.2] Jesus is our example. . . . It is in His home life that He is the pattern for all children and youth. {FLB 263.2} [FLB 263.3] His mother was His first human teacher. From her lips and from the scrolls of the prophets, He learned of heavenly things. . . . His intimate acquaintance with the Scriptures shows how diligently His early years were given to the study of God's Word. . . . From His earliest years He was possessed of one purpose; He lived to bless others. {FLB 263.3} [FLB 263.4] In His youth He worked with His father at the carpenter's trade. . . . From His childhood He was a pattern of obedience and industry. He was as a pleasant sunbeam in the home circle. Faithfully and cheerfully He acted His part, doing the humble duties that He was called to do in His lowly life. {FLB 263.4} [FLB 263.5] The life of Christ was humble, free from affectation or display. He lived mostly in the open air. . . . The birds, the natural flowers that decked the fields with their glowing beauty, the majestic trees and lofty mountains, the ragged rocks and perpetual hills, all had special charms for Him. . . . Secluded from every human eye, He communed with His heavenly Father. His moral powers were strengthened by His meditation and communion with God. {FLB 263.5} [FLB 263.6] It is the precious privilege of . . . parents to cooperate in teaching the children how to drink in the gladness of Christ's life by learning to follow His example. The Saviour's early years were useful years. He was His mother's helper in the home; and He was just as verily fulfilling His commission when performing the duties of the home and working at the carpenter's bench as when He engaged in His public work of ministry. {FLB 263.6} [FLB 263.7] Every youth who follows Christ's example of faithfulness and obedience in His lowly home may claim those words spoken of Him by the Father through the Holy Spirit, "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth." Isaiah 42:1. 264 {FLB 263.7} [FLB 264.1] The Grandest Work of All That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace. Psalm 144:12. {FLB 264.1} [FLB 264.2] The tenderest earthly tie is that between the mother and her child. {FLB 264.2} [FLB 264.3] In the children committed to her care, every mother has a sacred charge from God. "Take this son, this daughter," He says; "train it for Me; give it a character polished after the similitude of a palace, that it may shine in the courts of the Lord forever." {FLB 264.3} [FLB 264.4] This work of molding, refining, and polishing is the mother's. The character of the child is to be developed. The mother must engrave upon the tablet of the heart lessons as enduring as eternity. {FLB 264.4} [FLB 264.5] Child training is the grandest work ever committed to mortals. The child belongs to the Lord, and from the time it is an infant in its mother's arms, it is to be trained for Him. {FLB 264.5} [FLB 264.6] The home should be to the children the most attractive place in the world, and the mother's presence should be its greatest attraction. . . . By gentle discipline, in loving words and acts, mothers may bind their children to their hearts. {FLB 264.6} [FLB 264.7] There is a God above, and the light and glory from His throne rests upon the faithful mother as she tries to educate her children to resist the influence of evil. No other work can equal hers in importance. She has not, like the artist, to paint a form of beauty upon canvas, nor, like the sculptor, to chisel it from marble. She has not, like the author, to embody a noble thought in words of power, nor, like the musician, to express a beautiful sentiment in melody. It is hers, with the help of God, to develop in a human soul the likeness of the divine. {FLB 264.7} [FLB 264.8] The king upon his throne has no higher work than has the mother. The mother is queen of her household. She has in her power the molding of her children's characters, that they may be fitted for the higher, immortal life. An angel could not ask for a higher mission. 265 {FLB 264.8} [FLB 265.1] House-Band of the Family And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4. {FLB 265.1} [FLB 265.2] Great as is the work of the mother, it should never be forgotten that the father also has a part to act in the education and training of his children. . . . Especially as the children advance in years is the father's influence needed, in union with that of the mother, to restrain, control, and guide. {FLB 265.2} [FLB 265.3] A Christian father is the house-band of his family, binding them close to the throne of God. Never is his interest in his children to flag. The father who has a family of boys should not leave these restless boys wholly to the care of the mother. . . . He should make himself their companion and friend. He should exert himself to keep them from evil associates. . . . He should take more of the burden upon himself, doing all in his power to lead his boys to God. {FLB 265.3} [FLB 265.4] When children lose their self-control and speak passionate words, the parents should for a time keep silent. . . . Silence is golden, and will do more to bring repentance than any words that can be uttered. Satan is well pleased when parents irritate their children by speaking harsh, angry words. . . . "Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged." Colossians 3:21. . . . Let your calmness help to restore them to a proper frame of mind. {FLB 265.4} [FLB 265.5] By kind and judicious management, fathers as well as mothers should bind their children to them by the strong ties of reverence, gratitude, and love, and should kindle in their young hearts an earnest longing for righteousness and truth. While the mother seeks to implant good principles, the father should see that the precious seed is not choked by the growth of evil. His sterner discipline is needed that his children may learn firmness and self-control. . . . {FLB 265.5} [FLB 265.6] Christian father, labor kindly, patiently, for the welfare of your children. Seek to turn their hearts to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. Teach them by precept and example that the spirit of Christ is the spirit of doing good. 266 {FLB 265.6} [FLB 266.1] Holding the Reins of Government Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right. Ephesians 6:1. {FLB 266.1} [FLB 266.2] The will of God is the law of heaven. As long as that law was the rule of life, all the family of God were holy and happy. But when the divine law was disobeyed, then envy, jealousy, and strife were introduced, and a part of the inhabitants of heaven fell. As long as God's law is revered in our earthly homes, the family will be happy. {FLB 266.2} [FLB 266.3] One of the first lessons a child needs to learn is the lesson of obedience. Before he is old enough to reason, he may be taught to obey. {FLB 266.3} [FLB 266.4] The mother is the queen of the home, and the children are her subjects. She is to rule her household wisely, in the dignity of her motherhood. Her influence in the home is to be paramount. {FLB 266.4} [FLB 266.5] Self-will should never be permitted to go unrebuked. The future well-being of the child requires kindly, loving, but firm discipline. . . . It is impossible to depict the evil that results from leaving a child to its own will. {FLB 266.5} [FLB 266.6] A fitful government--at one time holding the lines firmly, and at another allowing that which has been condemned--is ruination to a child. {FLB 266.6} [FLB 266.7] Uniform firmness and unimpassioned control are necessary to the discipline of every family. Say what you mean calmly, move with consideration, and carry out what you say without deviation. {FLB 266.7} [FLB 266.8] The requirements of the parents should always be reasonable; kindness should be expressed, not by foolish indulgence, but by wise direction. Parents are to teach their children pleasantly, without scolding or faultfinding, seeking to bind the hearts of the little ones to them by silken cords of love. {FLB 266.8} [FLB 266.9] The combined influence of authority and love will make it possible to hold firmly and kindly the reins of family government. An eye single to the glory of God and to what our children owe Him will keep us from looseness and from sanctioning evil. 267 {FLB 266.9} [FLB 267.1] Silken Cords of Affection And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32. {FLB 267.1} [FLB 267.2] The principle inculcated by the injunction, "Be kindly affectioned one to another" (Romans 12:10), lies at the very foundation of domestic happiness. {FLB 267.2} [FLB 267.3] Unkindness, complaining, and anger shut Jesus from the dwelling. I saw that angels of God will flee from a house where there are unpleasant words, fretfulness, and strife. {FLB 267.3} [FLB 267.4] Gentle manners, cheerful conversation, and loving acts will bind the hearts of children to their parents by the silken cords of affection and will do more to make home attractive than the rarest ornaments that can be bought for gold. {FLB 267.4} [FLB 267.5] Tender affection should ever be cherished between husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters. Every hasty word should be checked, and there should not be even the appearance of the lack of love one for another. . . . Children are to respect and reverence their parents, and parents are to manifest patience, kindness, and affection for their children. Each one should seek in every possible way to please and make happy the members of the family circle. {FLB 267.5} [FLB 267.6] Acts of kindness. . . . will bind hearts together, and will draw them closer to the heart of Him from whom every generous impulse springs. The little attentions, the small acts of love and self-sacrifice, that flow out from the life as quietly as the fragrance from a flower--these constitute no small share of the blessings and happiness of life. {FLB 267.6} [FLB 267.7] Oh, what rays of softness and beauty shone forth in the daily life of our Saviour! What sweetness flowed from His very presence! The same spirit will be revealed in His children. Those with whom Christ dwells will be surrounded with a divine atmosphere. Their white robes of purity will be fragrant with perfume from the garden of the Lord. Their faces will reflect light from His, brightening the path for stumbling and weary feet. 268 {FLB 267.7} [FLB 268.1] Working Together Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2. {FLB 268.1} [FLB 268.2] Children as well as parents have important duties in the home. They should be taught that they are a part of the home firm. They are fed and clothed and loved and cared for; and they should respond to these many mercies by bearing their share of the home burdens, and bringing all the happiness possible into the family. {FLB 268.2} [FLB 268.3] Even the little ones should be trained to share in the daily work, and should be made to feel that their help is needed and is appreciated. The older ones should be their parents' assistants, entering into their plans, and sharing their responsibilities and burdens. Let fathers and mothers take time to teach their children, let them show that they value their help, desire their confidence, and enjoy their companionship, and the children will not be slow to respond. Not only will the parents' burden be lightened, and the children receive a practical training of inestimable worth, but there will be a strengthening of the home ties and a deepening of the very foundations of character. {FLB 268.3} [FLB 268.4] Work is good for children; they are happier to be usefully employed a large share of the time; their innocent amusements are enjoyed with a keener zest after the successful completion of their tasks. Labor strengthens both the muscles and the mind. Mothers may make precious little helpers of their children. {FLB 268.4} [FLB 268.5] The approval of God rests with loving assurance upon the children who cheerfully take their part in the duties of domestic life, sharing the burdens of father and mother. {FLB 268.5} [FLB 268.6] If children were taught to regard the humble round of everyday duties as the course marked out for them by the Lord, . . . how much more pleasant and honorable would their work appear. To perform every duty as unto the Lord, throws a charm around the humblest employment, and links the workers on earth with the holy beings who do God's will in heaven. 269 {FLB 268.6} [FLB 269.1] "I Will Save Thy Children" But thus saith the Lord, even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. Isaiah 49:25. {FLB 269.1} [FLB 269.2] The youth are the objects of Satan's special attacks. {FLB 269.2} [FLB 269.3] Wherever we turn, the battle goes on unceasingly. . . . Multitudes of the youth are swept away by the overwhelming tide of evil. In every earnest Christian heart the question rises, "Why, oh, why, in a land of Bibles and Christian teaching, can the adversary of souls exert over our youth a power so mighty, so unrestrained?" The reason is apparent. Parents are neglecting their solemn responsibility. {FLB 269.3} [FLB 269.4] If a field is left uncultivated, a crop of weeds is sure to appear. So it is with children. If the soil of the heart is uncultivated, Satan sows his seeds of anger and hatred, selfishness and pride, and they quickly spring up, to bear a harvest that parents reap with bitter regret. Too late they see their terrible mistake. {FLB 269.4} [FLB 269.5] One of the signs of the "last days" is the disobedience of children to their parents. {FLB 269.5} [FLB 269.6] The sin of rebellion against parental authority, lies at the very foundation of the misery and crime in the world today. {FLB 269.6} [FLB 269.7] Jesus loves children and youth. He rejoices when He sees Satan repulsed in his efforts to overcome them. Many a youth is in imminent peril through manifold temptations, but the Saviour has the tenderest sympathy for him, and sends His angels to guard and protect him. He is the Good Shepherd, ever ready to . . . seek for the lost, straying sheep. {FLB 269.7} [FLB 269.8] Parents stand in the place of God to their children, and they will have to render an account, whether they have been faithful to the charge committed to their trust. {FLB 269.8} [FLB 269.9] ［Christian parents,］ be true to your trust. God will help you. Guided by Him, your children will grow up to bless and honor you in this life and in the life to come. 270 {FLB 269.9} [FLB 270.1] Little Children May Be Christians Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 19:14. {FLB 270.1} [FLB 270.2] God wants every child of tender age to be His child, to be adopted into His family. Young though they may be, the youth may be members of the household of faith, and have a most precious experience. {FLB 270.2} [FLB 270.3] I was eleven years old when the light broke into my heart. I had pious parents, who in every way tried to make their children acquainted with their heavenly Father. We sang the praises of God in our household. Every morning and evening we had family prayer. There were eight children in the family, and every opportunity was improved by our parents to lead us to give our hearts to Jesus. {FLB 270.3} [FLB 270.4] Children are most susceptible to the teachings of the gospel; their hearts are open to divine influences, and strong to retain the lessons received. The little children may be Christians, having an experience in accordance with their years. {FLB 270.4} [FLB 270.5] Happy are the parents whose lives are a true reflection of the divine, so that the promises and commands of God awaken in the child gratitude and reverence; the parents whose tenderness and justice and long-suffering interpret to the child the love and justice and long-suffering of God; and who, by teaching the child to love and trust and obey them, are teaching him to love and trust and obey his Father in heaven. Parents who impart to a child such a gift have endowed him with a treasure more precious than the wealth of all the ages--a treasure as enduring as eternity. {FLB 270.5} [FLB 270.6] Never allow your children to suppose that they are not children of God until they are old enough to be baptized. {FLB 270.6} [FLB 270.7] If properly instructed, very young children may have correct views of their state as sinners and of the way of salvation through Christ. {FLB 270.7} [FLB 270.8] In love, faith, and prayer let parents work for their households, until with joy they can come to God saying, "Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me." Isaiah 8:18. 271 {FLB 270.8} [FLB 271.1] Feasting on God's Word And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Deuteronomy 6:6, 7. {FLB 271.1} [FLB 271.2] Our heavenly Father, in giving His Word, did not overlook the children. In all that men have written, where can be found anything that has such a hold upon the heart, anything so well adapted to awaken the interest of the little ones, as the stories of the Bible? In these simple stories may be made plain the great principles of the law of God. {FLB 271.2} [FLB 271.3] The Sabbath school affords to parents and children a precious opportunity for the study of God's Word. . . . Parents, set apart a little time each day for the study of the Sabbath school lesson with your children. . . . Parents, as well as children, will receive benefit from this study. Let the more important passages of Scripture connected with the lesson be committed to memory, not as a task, but as a privilege. . . . {FLB 271.3} [FLB 271.4] Observe system in the study of the Scriptures in your families. Neglect anything of a temporal nature; . . . but be sure that the soul is fed with the bread of life. {FLB 271.4} [FLB 271.5] Many are the benefits derived from feasting on His Word. . . . Habits of self-control are formed and strengthened. The infirmities of childhood--fretfulness, willfulness, selfishness, hasty words, passionate acts--disappear, and in their place are developed the graces of Christian manhood and womanhood. {FLB 271.5} [FLB 271.6] We need to recognize the Holy Spirit as our enlightener. That Spirit loves to address the children, and discover to them the treasures and beauties of the Word. The promises spoken by the Great Teacher will captivate the senses and animate the soul of the child with a spiritual power that is divine. There will grow in the receptive mind a familiarity with divine things which will be as a barricade against the temptations of the enemy. 272 {FLB 271.6} [FLB 272.1] Sweetest Hour of the Day My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalm 5:3. {FLB 272.1} [FLB 272.2] If ever there was a time when every house should be a house of prayer, it is now. {FLB 272.2} [FLB 272.3] In every Christian home God should be honored by the morning and evening sacrifices of prayer and praise. Children should be taught to respect and reverence the hour of prayer. It is the duty of Christian parents, morning and evening, by earnest prayer and persevering faith, to make a hedge about their children. {FLB 272.3} [FLB 272.4] The hours of morning and evening worship should be sweetest and most helpful of the day. Let it be understood that into these hours no troubled, unkind thoughts are to intrude; that parents and children assemble to meet with Jesus, and to invite into the home the presence of holy angels. Let the services be brief and full of life, adapted to the occasion, and varied from time to time. Let all join in the Bible reading, and learn and often repeat God's law. {FLB 272.4} [FLB 272.5] In the church at home the children are to learn to pray and to trust in God. . . . Come in humility, with a heart full of tenderness, and with a sense of the temptations and dangers before yourselves and your children; by faith bind them to the altar, entreating for them the care of the Lord. Train the children to offer their simple words of prayer. Tell them that God delights to have them call upon Him. {FLB 272.5} [FLB 272.6] Will the Lord of heaven pass by such homes, and leave no blessing there? Nay, verily. Ministering angels will guard the children who are thus dedicated to God. They hear the offering of praise and the prayer of faith, and they bear the petitions to Him who ministers in the sanctuary for His people, and offers His merits in their behalf. {FLB 272.6} [FLB 272.7] The beautiful lessons of the Bible stories and parables, the pure, simple instruction of God's Holy Word, is the spiritual food for you and your children. Oh, what a work is before you! Will you take hold of it in the love and fear of God? 273 {FLB 272.7} [FLB 273.1] Singing on Life's Way Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. Psalm 89:15. {FLB 273.1} [FLB 273.2] As the children of Israel, journeying through the wilderness, cheered their way by the music of sacred song, so God bids His children today gladden their pilgrim life. There are few means more effective for fixing His words in the memory than repeating them in song. And such song has wonderful power. It has power to subdue rude and uncultivated natures; power to quicken thought and . . . to promote harmony of action. . . . It is one of the most effective means of impressing the heart with spiritual truth. How often to the soul hard-pressed and ready to despair, memory recalls some word of God's--the long-forgotten burden of a childhood song--and temptations lose their power. . . . Let there be singing in the home, of songs that are sweet and pure, and there will be fewer words of censure, and more of cheerfulness and hope and joy. {FLB 273.2} [FLB 273.3] Jesus carried into His labor cheerfulness and tact. . . . Often He expressed the gladness of His heart by singing psalms and heavenly songs. Often the dwellers in Nazareth heard His voice raised in praise and thanksgiving to God. He held communion with heaven in song; and as His companions complained of weariness from labor, they were cheered by the sweet melody from His lips. His praise seemed to banish the evil angels, and, like incense, fill the place with fragrance. {FLB 273.3} [FLB 273.4] With the voice of singing He welcomed the morning light. He listened to the lark caroling forth music to its God, and joined His voice with the voice of praise and thanksgiving. {FLB 273.4} [FLB 273.5] Song is a weapon that we can always use against discouragement. {FLB 273.5} [FLB 273.6] The voice of thanksgiving, praise, and rejoicing is heard in heaven. The voices of the angels in heaven unite with the voices of the children of God on earth as they ascribe honor and glory and praise to God and to the Lamb for the great salvation provided. {FLB 273.6} [FLB 273.7] Let us learn the song of the angels now, that we may sing it when we join their shining ranks. 274 {FLB 273.7} [FLB 274.1] Day of Days And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. Ezekiel 20:20. {FLB 274.1} [FLB 274.2] The Sabbath should be made so interesting to our families that its weekly return will be hailed with joy. {FLB 274.2} [FLB 274.3] The Sabbath school and the meeting for worship occupy only a part of the Sabbath. The portion remaining to the family may be made the most sacred and precious season of all the Sabbath hours. {FLB 274.3} [FLB 274.4] In the minds of the children the very thought of the Sabbath should be bound up with the beauty of natural things. . . . Happy the father and mother who can teach their children God's written word with illustrations from the open pages of the book of nature; who can gather under the green trees, in the fresh, pure air, to study the Word and to sing the praise of the Father above. {FLB 274.4} [FLB 274.5] In pleasant weather let parents walk with their children in the fields and groves. Amid the beautiful things of nature tell them the reason for the institution of the Sabbath. Describe to them God's great work of creation. Tell them that when the earth came from His hand, it was holy and beautiful. Every flower, every shrub, every tree, answered the purpose of its Creator. . . . Show that it was sin which marred God's perfect work; that thorns and thistles, sorrow and pain and death, are all the result of disobedience to God. Bid them see how the earth, though marred with the curse of sin, still reveals God's goodness. {FLB 274.5} [FLB 274.6] If we can cultivate within us a beauty of soul corresponding to the beauty of nature around us, there will be a blending of the divine and human agencies. {FLB 274.6} [FLB 274.7] As the sun goes down, let the voice of prayer and the hymn of praise mark the close of the sacred hours and invite God's presence through the cares of the week of labor. {FLB 274.7} [FLB 274.8] Thus parents can make the Sabbath, as it should be, the most joyful day of the week. They can lead their children to regard it as a delight, the day of days, the holy of the Lord, honorable. 275 {FLB 274.8} [FLB 275.1] The Royal Robe of Heaven Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. Proverbs 20:11. {FLB 275.1} [FLB 275.2] Better than any other inheritance of wealth you can give to your children will be the gift of a healthy body, a sound mind, and a noble character. {FLB 275.2} [FLB 275.3] The lessons learned, the habits formed, during the years of infancy and childhood have more to do with the formation of the character and the direction of the life than have all the instruction and training of after years. {FLB 275.3} [FLB 275.4] God has withheld no blessing that is necessary for shaping the character of children and youth after the divine pattern given them in the youth of Jesus. {FLB 275.4} [FLB 275.5] The physical constitution of Jesus, as well as His spiritual development, is brought before us in these words, "the child grew," and "increased in stature." In childhood and youth attention should be given to physical development. Parents should so train their children in good habits of eating and drinking, dressing, and exercise, that a good foundation will be laid for sound health in afterlife. . . . This places the children and youth in a favorable position, so that, with proper religious training, they may, like Christ, wax strong in spirit. {FLB 275.5} [FLB 275.6] Let the youth and the little children be taught to choose for themselves that royal robe woven in heaven's loom, the "fine linen, clean and white" (Revelation 19:8), which all the holy ones of earth will wear. This robe, Christ's own spotless character, is freely offered to every human being. But all who receive it will receive and wear it here. {FLB 275.6} [FLB 275.7] Let the children be taught that as they open their minds to pure, loving thoughts and do loving and helpful deeds, they are clothing themselves with His beautiful garment of character. This apparel will make them beautiful and beloved here, and will hereafter be their title of admission to the palace of the King. His promise is: "They shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy" (Revelation 3:4). 276 {FLB 275.7} [FLB 276.1] A Place of Refuge Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2. {FLB 276.1} [FLB 276.2] Our sympathies are to overflow the boundaries of self and the enclosure of family walls. There are precious opportunities for those who will make their homes a blessing to others. {FLB 276.2} [FLB 276.3] We are in a world of sin and temptation; all around us are souls perishing out of Christ, and God wants us to labor for them in every way possible. If you have a pleasant home, invite to it the youth who have no home, those who are in need of help, who long for sympathy and kind words, for respect and courtesy. {FLB 276.3} [FLB 276.4] Our homes should be a place of refuge for the tempted youth. Many there are who stand at the parting of the ways. Every influence, every impression, is determining the choice that shapes their destiny both here and hereafter. Evil invites them. Its resorts are made bright and attractive. They have a welcome for every comer. All about us are youth who have no home, and many whose homes have no helpful, uplifting power, and the youth drift into evil. . . . {FLB 276.4} [FLB 276.5] These youth need a hand stretched out to them in sympathy. . . . If we would . . . invite them to our homes, and surround them with cheering, helpful influences, there are many who would gladly turn their steps into the upward path. {FLB 276.5} [FLB 276.6] The season of prayer makes its impression on those who receive entertainment, and even one visit may mean the saving of a soul from death. {FLB 276.6} [FLB 276.7] Let visitors see that we are striving to conform to the will of Christ. . . . The very atmosphere of a truly Christian home is that of peace and restfulness. Such an example will not be without effect. {FLB 276.7} [FLB 276.8] As you open your door to Christ's needy and suffering ones, you are welcoming unseen angels. You invite the companionship of heavenly beings. They bring a sacred atmosphere of joy and peace. They come with praises upon their lips, and an answering strain is heard in heaven. Every deed of mercy makes music there. 277 {FLB 276.8} [FLB 277.1] An Ever-Widening Circle Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6. {FLB 277.1} [FLB 277.2] Fathers and mothers should feel that a duty devolves upon them to guide the affections of the youth, that they may be placed upon those who will be suitable companions. They should . . . so mold the character of the children from their earliest years that they will be pure and noble, and will be attracted to the good and true. . . . {FLB 277.2} [FLB 277.3] True love is a high and holy principle, altogether different in character from that love which is awakened by impulse, and which suddenly dies when severely tested. It is by faithfulness to duty in the parental home that the youth are to prepare themselves for homes of their own. Let them here practice self-denial, and manifest kindness, courtesy, and Christian sympathy. Thus love will be kept warm in the heart, and he who goes out from such a household to stand at the head of a family of his own, will know how to promote the happiness of her whom he has chosen as a companion for life. {FLB 277.3} [FLB 277.4] Fathers and mothers, you are to build up in this life characters which will help you to fit your children for the future, immortal life, which will help them to form such characters that you will not be ashamed to see them, as parents, taking the charge of their own children, and transferring to them your own attributes. {FLB 277.4} [FLB 277.5] Let those who are contemplating marriage weigh every sentiment and watch every development of character in the one with whom they think to unite their life destiny. {FLB 277.5} [FLB 277.6] Take God and your God-fearing parents into your counsel, young friends. Pray over the matter. . . . The step you are about to take is one of the most important in your life, and should not be taken hastily. While you may love, do not love blindly. {FLB 277.6} [FLB 277.7] Let every step toward a marriage alliance be characterized by modesty, simplicity, sincerity, and an earnest purpose to please and honor God. 278 {FLB 277.7} [FLB 278.1] A Bright and Holy Light That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. Philippians 2:15. {FLB 278.1} [FLB 278.2] The mission of the home extends beyond its own members. The Christian home is to be an object lesson, illustrating the excellence of the true principles of life. . . . Far more powerful than any sermon that can be preached is the influence of a true home upon human hearts and lives. As the youth go out from such a home, the lessons they have learned are imparted. Nobler principles of life are introduced into other households, and an uplifting influence works in the community. {FLB 278.2} [FLB 278.3] From every Christian home a holy light should shine forth. Love should be revealed in action. It should flow out in all home intercourse, showing itself in thoughtful kindness, in gentle, unselfish courtesy. There are homes where this principle is carried out--homes where God is worshiped, and truest love reigns. From these homes, morning and evening prayer ascends to God as sweet incense, and His mercies and blessings descend upon the suppliants like the morning dew. . . . All can see that there is an influence at work in the family that affects the children, and that the God of Abraham is with them. If the homes of professed Christians had a right religious mold, they would exert a mighty influence for good. They would indeed be the "light of the world." {FLB 278.3} [FLB 278.4] He who lives Christianity in the home will be a bright and shining light everywhere. {FLB 278.4} [FLB 278.5] A lamp, however small, if kept steadily burning, may be the means of lighting many other lamps. Our sphere of influence may seem narrow, . . . yet wonderful possibilities are ours through a faithful use of the opportunities of our own homes. If we will open our hearts and homes to the divine principles of life we shall become channels for currents of life-giving power. From our homes will flow streams of healing, bringing life and beauty and fruitfulness where now are barrenness and dearth. 279 {FLB 278.5} [FLB 279.1] A Welcome to the Heavenly Home Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Isaiah 26:2. {FLB 279.1} [FLB 279.2] The life on earth is the beginning of the life in heaven. {FLB 279.2} [FLB 279.3] We are children of the heavenly King, members of the royal family, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. The mansions Jesus has gone to prepare are to receive only those who are true, who are pure, who love and obey His words. . . . If we would enjoy eternal bliss, we must cultivate religion in the home. . . . Peace, harmony, affection, and happiness should be perseveringly cherished every day, until these precious things abide in the hearts of those who compose the family. {FLB 279.3} [FLB 279.4] That which will make the character lovely in the home is that which will make it lovely in the heavenly mansions. {FLB 279.4} [FLB 279.5] If we manifest the character of Christ here, keeping all the commandments of God, we shall be cheered and blessed with glimpses of the pleasant home in the mansions Jesus has gone to prepare. {FLB 279.5} [FLB 279.6] Let all that is beautiful in our earthly home remind us of the crystal river and green fields, the waving trees and the living fountains, the shining city and the white-robed singers, of our heavenly home-- that world of beauty which no artist can picture, no mortal tongue describe. {FLB 279.6} [FLB 279.7] There the loves and sympathies that God has planted in the soul will find truest and sweetest exercise. The pure communion with holy beings, the harmonious social life with the blessed angels and with the faithful ones of all ages, the sacred fellowship that binds together "the whole family in heaven and earth"--all are among the experiences of the hereafter. . . . With unutterable delight we shall enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. {FLB 279.7} [FLB 279.8] It is the privilege of parents to take their children with them to the gates of the city of God, saying, "I have tried to instruct my children to love the Lord, to do His will, and to glorify Him." To such the gate will be thrown open, and parents and children will enter in. {FLB 279.8} [FLB 280.1] Chap. 10 - A Purified Church Dear to the Heart of God Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:15, 16. {FLB 280.1} [FLB 280.2] The church of Christ is very precious in His sight. It is the case which contains His jewels, the fold which encloses His flock. {FLB 280.2} [FLB 280.3] Christ "loved the church, and gave himself for it." Ephesians 5:25. It is the purchase of His blood. The divine Son of God is seen walking amid the seven golden candlesticks. Jesus Himself supplies the oil to these burning lamps. He it is that kindles the flame. "In him was life; and the life was the light of men." John 1:4. No candlestick, no church, shines of itself. From Christ emanates all its light. . . . The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the light thereof. {FLB 280.3} [FLB 280.4] At times the Lord may seem to have forgotten the perils of His church, and the injury done her by her enemies. But God has not forgotten. Nothing in this world is so dear to the heart of God as His church. It is not His will that worldly policy shall corrupt her record. He does not leave His people to be overcome by Satan's temptations. {FLB 280.4} [FLB 280.5] God declares that even a mother may forget her child, "yet will I not forget thee." . . . God thinks of His children with the tenderest solicitude and keeps a book of remembrance before Him, that He may never forget the children of His care. "Every human tie may perish, Friend to friend unfaithful prove, Mothers cease their own to cherish, Heaven and earth at last remove; But no changes Can attend Jehovah's love." 281 {FLB 280.5} [FLB 281.1] A City of Refuge For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever; here will I dwell; for I have desired it. Psalm 132:13, 14. {FLB 281.1} [FLB 281.2] Through centuries of persecution, conflict, and darkness, God has sustained His church. Not one cloud has fallen upon it that He has not prepared for; not one opposing force has risen to counterwork His work, that He has not foreseen. All has taken place as He predicted. He has not left His church forsaken, but has traced in prophetic declarations what would occur, and that which His Spirit inspired the prophets to foretell has been brought about. All His purposes will be fulfilled. His law is linked with His throne, and no power of evil can destroy it. Truth is inspired and guarded by God; and it will triumph over all opposition. {FLB 281.2} [FLB 281.3] During ages of spiritual darkness, the church of God has been as a city set on a hill. From age to age, through successive generations, the pure doctrines of heaven have been unfolding within its borders. . . . It is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to reveal His power to transform hearts. {FLB 281.3} [FLB 281.4] The church is God's fortress, His city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world. Any betrayal of the church is treachery to Him who has bought mankind with the blood of His only-begotten Son. From the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church on earth. In every age the Lord has had His watchmen, who have borne a faithful testimony to the generation in which they lived. These sentinels gave the message of warning; and when they were called to lay off their armor, others took up the work. God brought these witnesses into covenant relation with Himself, uniting the church on earth with the church in heaven. He has sent forth His angels to minister to His church, and the gates of hell have not been able to prevail against His people. {FLB 281.4} [FLB 281.5] God loves His children with infinite love. To Him the dearest object on earth is His church. 282 {FLB 281.5} [FLB 282.1] God Will Take Care of His Church When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isaiah 43:2. {FLB 282.1} [FLB 282.2] God has a church upon the earth, who are His chosen people, who keep His commandments. He is leading, not stray offshoots, not one here and one there, but a people. {FLB 282.2} [FLB 282.3] There is no need to doubt, to be fearful that the work will not succeed. God is at the head of the work, and He will set everything in order. If matters need adjusting at the head of the work, God will attend to that, and work to right every wrong. Let us have faith that God is going to carry the noble ship which bears the people of God safely into port. {FLB 282.3} [FLB 282.4] When I voyaged from Portland, Maine, to Boston, many years ago, a storm came upon us, and the great waves dashed us to and fro. The chandeliers fell, and the trunks were rolled from side to side, like balls. The passengers were frightened, and many were screaming, waiting in expectation of death. {FLB 282.4} [FLB 282.5] After a while the pilot came on board. The captain stood near the pilot as he took the wheel, and expressed fear about the course in which the ship was directed. "Will you take the wheel?" asked the pilot. The captain was not ready to do that, for he knew that he lacked experience. Then some of the passengers grew uneasy, and said they feared the pilot would dash them upon the rocks. "Will you take the wheel?" asked the pilot; but they knew that they could not manage the wheel. {FLB 282.5} [FLB 282.6] When you think that the work is in danger, pray, "Lord stand at the wheel. Carry us through the perplexity. Bring us safely into port." Have we not reason to believe that the Lord will bring us through triumphantly? . . . {FLB 282.6} [FLB 282.7] You cannot with your finite minds understand the working of all the providences of God. Let God take care of His own work. 283 {FLB 282.7} [FLB 283.1] The Judgment-Hour Message And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth . . . , saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come. Revelation 14:6, 7. {FLB 283.1} [FLB 283.2] An upright, honesthearted farmer, who had been led to doubt the divine authority of the Scriptures, yet who sincerely desired to know the truth, was the man specially chosen of God to lead out in the proclamation of Christ's second coming. {FLB 283.2} [FLB 283.3] God sent His angel . . . to lead him to search the prophecies. . . . He saw that the inhabitants of the earth were living in the closing scenes of this world's history, yet they knew it not. . . . God called him to leave his farm. . . . With trembling, William Miller began to unfold to the people the mysteries of the kingdom of God, carrying his hearers down through the prophecies to the second advent. {FLB 283.3} [FLB 283.4] Thousands were led to embrace the truth preached by William Miller, and servants of God were raised up in the spirit and power of Elijah to proclaim the message. . . . And as the solemn warning to flee from the wrath to come was sounded, many who were united with the churches received the healing message; they saw their backslidings, and with bitter tears of repentance and deep agony of soul, humbled themselves before God. {FLB 283.4} [FLB 283.5] The special blessing of the Lord, both in the conversion of sinners and the revival of spiritual life among Christians, . . . testified that the message was of Heaven. {FLB 283.5} [FLB 283.6] With clearness the believers . . . gave the reasons why they expected their Lord in 1844. Their opposers could bring no arguments against the powerful reasons offered. {FLB 283.6} [FLB 283.7] The announcement, "The hour of his judgment is come," points to the closing work of Christ's ministration for the salvation of men. It heralds a truth which must be proclaimed until the Saviour's intercession shall cease, and He shall return to the earth to take His people to Himself. 284 {FLB 283.7} [FLB 284.1] Light Through the Darkness Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. Hebrews 10:35, 36. {FLB 284.1} [FLB 284.2] The subject of the sanctuary was the key which unlocked the mystery of the disappointment of 1844. It opened to view a complete system of truth, connected and harmonious, showing that God's hand had directed the great Advent Movement. {FLB 284.2} [FLB 284.3] Adventists then held that the earth, or some portion of it, was the sanctuary. They understood that the cleansing of the sanctuary was the purification of the earth by the fires of the last great day, and that this would take place at the Second Advent. Hence the conclusion that Christ would return to the earth in 1844. {FLB 284.3} [FLB 284.4] But the appointed time had passed, and the Lord had not appeared. The believers knew that God's Word could not fail; their interpretation of the prophecy must be at fault; but where was the mistake? . . . {FLB 284.4} [FLB 284.5] In their investigation they learned that there is no Scripture evidence sustaining the popular view that the earth is the sanctuary; but they found in the Bible a full explanation of the subject of the sanctuary, its nature, location, and services. {FLB 284.5} [FLB 284.6] Those who followed in the light of the prophetic word saw that, instead of coming to the earth at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844, Christ then entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, to perform the closing work of atonement, preparatory to His coming. . . . {FLB 284.6} [FLB 284.7] Now in the holy of holies they again beheld Him, their compassionate high priest, soon to appear as their king and deliverer. {FLB 284.7} [FLB 284.8] Following Him by faith, they were led to see also the closing work of the church. They had a clearer understanding of the first and second angels' messages, and were prepared to receive and give to the world the solemn warning of the third angel of Revelation 14. 285 {FLB 284.8} [FLB 285.1] Babylon is Fallen And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Revelation 14:8. {FLB 285.1} [FLB 285.2] The second angel's message of Revelation 14 was first preached in the summer of 1844, and it then had a more direct application to the churches of the United States, where the warning of the judgment had been most widely proclaimed and most generally rejected, and where the declension in the churches had been most rapid. But the message of the second angel did not reach its complete fulfillment in 1844. The churches then experienced a moral fall, in consequence of their refusal of the light of the Advent message; but that fall was not complete. As they have continued to reject the special truths for this time, they have fallen lower and lower. Not yet, however, can it be said that "Babylon is fallen, . . . because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." She has not yet made all nations do this. . . . The work of apostasy has not yet reached its culmination. {FLB 285.2} [FLB 285.3] The Bible declares that before the coming of the Lord, Satan will work "with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness;" and they that "received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved," will be left to receive "strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11. Not until this condition shall be reached, and the union of the church with the world shall be fully accomplished throughout Christendom, will the fall of Babylon be complete. The change is a progressive one, and the perfect fulfillment of Revelation 14:8 is yet future. {FLB 285.3} [FLB 285.4] Notwithstanding the spiritual darkness and alienation from God that exist in the churches which constitute Babylon, the great body of Christ's true followers are still to be found in their communion. There are many of these who have never seen the special truths for this time. 286 {FLB 285.4} [FLB 286.1] The Last Solemn Warning And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation. Revelation 14:9, 10. {FLB 286.1} [FLB 286.2] As the ministration of Jesus closed in the holy place, and He passed into the holiest, and stood before the ark containing the law of God, He sent another mighty angel with a third message to the world. . . . This message was designed to put the children of God upon their guard, by showing them the hour of temptation and anguish that was before them. {FLB 286.2} [FLB 286.3] This symbol ［the beast］, as most Protestants have believed, represents the Papacy. . . . {FLB 286.3} [FLB 286.4] The "image to the beast" represents that form of apostate Protestantism which will be developed when the Protestant churches shall seek the aid of the civil power for the enforcement of their dogmas. . . . {FLB 286.4} [FLB 286.5] As the sign of the authority of the Catholic Church, papist writers cite "the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday." . . . What then is the change of the Sabbath, but the sign, or mark, of the authority of the Roman Church--"the mark of the beast"? {FLB 286.5} [FLB 286.6] Sundaykeeping is not yet the mark of the beast, and will not be until the decree goes forth causing men to worship this idol sabbath. {FLB 286.6} [FLB 286.7] And it is not until the issue is . . . plainly set before the people, and they are brought to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men, that those who continue in transgression will receive "the mark of the beast." {FLB 286.7} [FLB 286.8] When God sends to men warnings so important that they are represented as proclaimed by holy angels flying in the midst of heaven, He requires every person endowed with reasoning powers to heed the message. 287 {FLB 286.8} [FLB 287.1] Who Shall Receive God's Seal? And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Revelation 7:2, 3. {FLB 287.1} [FLB 287.2] The seal of the living God will be placed upon those only who bear a likeness to Christ in character. {FLB 287.2} [FLB 287.3] As wax takes the impression of the seal, so the soul is to take the impression of the Spirit of God and retain the image of Christ. {FLB 287.3} [FLB 287.4] It is obedience to the principles of the commandments of God, that molds the character after the divine similitude. {FLB 287.4} [FLB 287.5] The seal of God's law is found in the fourth commandment. This only, of all the ten, brings to view both the name and the title of the Lawgiver. It declares Him to be the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and thus shows His claim to reverence and worship above all others. Aside from this precept, there is nothing in the Decalogue to show by whose authority the law is given. {FLB 287.5} [FLB 287.6] The Israelites placed over their doors a signature of blood, to show that they were God's property. So the children of God in this age will bear the signature God has appointed. They will place themselves in harmony with God's holy law. A mark is placed upon every one of God's people just as verily as a mark was placed over the doors of the Hebrew dwellings, to preserve the people from the general ruin. God declares, "I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them." Ezekiel 20:12. {FLB 287.6} [FLB 287.7] Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads--it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved--just as soon as God's people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed, it has begun already; the judgments of God are now upon the land, . . . that we may know what is coming. 288 {FLB 287.7} [FLB 288.1] God's Ideal for His Church That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:27. {FLB 288.1} [FLB 288.2] The Lord God is a jealous God; yet He bears long with the sins and transgressions of His people in this generation. If the people of God had walked in His counsel, the work of God would have advanced, the messages of truth would have been borne to all people that dwell on the face of the whole earth. . . . But because the people are disobedient, unthankful, unholy, as were ancient Israel, time is prolonged that all may hear the last message of mercy proclaimed with a loud voice. The Lord's work has been hindered, the sealing time delayed. Many have not heard the truth. But the Lord will give them a chance to hear and be converted. {FLB 288.2} [FLB 288.3] What are you doing . . . in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth--these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity. Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God--candidates for heaven. {FLB 288.3} [FLB 288.4] Every individual soul, if he would receive the seal of the living God, must hear the Word of the Lord, and do it with exactitude. There must be no such thing as haphazard religion if men would have a place in the family of God. {FLB 288.4} [FLB 288.5] Now is the time, while the four angels are holding the four winds, to make our calling and election sure. 289 {FLB 288.5} [FLB 289.1] The Trial of the Church Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Revelation 12:12. {FLB 289.1} [FLB 289.2] Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus will feel the ire of the dragon and his hosts. Satan numbers the world as his subjects, he has gained control of the apostate churches; but here is a little company that are resisting his supremacy. If he could blot them from the earth, his triumph would be complete. As he influenced the heathen nations to destroy Israel, so in the near future he will stir up the wicked powers of earth to destroy the people of God. . . . Their only hope is in the mercy of God; their only defense will be prayer. {FLB 289.2} [FLB 289.3] The trying experiences that came to God's people in the days of Esther were not peculiar to that age alone. The revelator, looking down the ages to the close of time, has declared, "The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 12:17. Some who today are living on the earth will see these words fulfilled. {FLB 289.3} [FLB 289.4] The wrath of Satan increases as his time grows short, and his work of deceit and destruction will reach its culmination in the time of trouble. {FLB 289.4} [FLB 289.5] Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the power of miracle-working demons. The spirits of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world, to fasten them in deception, and urge them on to unite with Satan in his last struggle against the government of heaven. By these agencies, rulers and subjects will be alike deceived. {FLB 289.5} [FLB 289.6] Those who are seeking for truth, that they may obey it in the love of it, are the ones who excite his (Satan's) malice and stir his ire. He can never weaken them while they keep close to Jesus. 290 {FLB 289.6} [FLB 290.1] Elijah and the Modern Church Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. Malachi 4:5, 6. {FLB 290.1} [FLB 290.2] The closing words of Malachi are a prophecy regarding the work that should be done preparatory to the first and the second advent of Christ. {FLB 290.2} [FLB 290.3] Those who are to prepare the way for the second coming of Christ are represented by faithful Elijah, as John came in the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way for Christ's first advent. {FLB 290.3} [FLB 290.4] Our message must be as direct as was that of John. He rebuked kings for their iniquity. Notwithstanding the peril his life was in, he never allowed truth to languish on his lips. . . . {FLB 290.4} [FLB 290.5] In this time of well-nigh universal apostasy, God calls upon His messengers to proclaim His law in the spirit and power of Elias. As John the Baptist, in preparing a people for Christ's first advent, called their attention to the Ten Commandments, so we are to give, with no uncertain sound, the message: "Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come." With the earnestness that characterized Elijah the prophet and John the Baptist, we are to strive to prepare the way for Christ's second advent. {FLB 290.5} [FLB 290.6] The hour of God's judgment has come, and upon the members of His church on earth rests the solemn responsibility of giving warning to those who are standing as it were on the very brink of eternal ruin. {FLB 290.6} [FLB 290.7] All can do something in the work. None will be pronounced guiltless before God unless they have worked earnestly and unselfishly for the salvation of souls. {FLB 290.7} [FLB 290.8] Your duty cannot be shifted upon another. No one but yourself can do your work. If you withhold your light, someone must be left in darkness through your neglect. {FLB 290.8} [FLB 290.9] The Lord has a place for everyone in His great plan. 291 {FLB 290.9} [FLB 291.1] A Sabbathkeeping Church And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17. {FLB 291.1} [FLB 291.2] In the twelfth chapter of Revelation is represented the great conflict between the obedient and the disobedient. {FLB 291.2} [FLB 291.3] The sign of obedience is the observance of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. {FLB 291.3} [FLB 291.4] The Sabbath is a test to this generation. In obeying the fourth commandment in spirit and truth, men will obey all the precepts of the Decalogue. To fulfill this commandment one must love God supremely, and exercise love toward all the creatures that He has made. {FLB 291.4} [FLB 291.5] The time is coming when God's people will feel the hand of persecution because they keep holy the seventh day. . . . The man of sin, who thought to change times and laws, and who has always oppressed the people of God, will cause laws to be made enforcing the observance of the first day of the week. But God's people are to stand firm for Him. {FLB 291.5} [FLB 291.6] Let no one yield to temptation and become less fervent in his attachment to God's law because of the contempt placed upon it; for that is the very thing that should make us pray with all our heart, and soul, and voice, "It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law." Psalm 119:126. Therefore, because of the universal contempt, I will not turn traitor when God will be most glorified and most honored by my loyalty. . . . {FLB 291.6} [FLB 291.7] Shall Seventh-day Adventists relax their devotedness when all their capabilities and powers should be placed on the Lord's side; when an unflinching testimony, noble and uplifting, should come from their lips? "Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold." Psalm 119:127. When the law of God is most derided and brought into the most contempt, then it is time for every true follower of Christ . . . to stand unflinchingly for the faith once delivered to the saints. 292 {FLB 291.7} [FLB 292.1] The Gifts of the Spirit Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. . . . The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 1 Corinthians 12:1, 7. {FLB 292.1} [FLB 292.2] Paul declares that the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit were set in the church . . . "till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Ephesians 4:13. {FLB 292.2} [FLB 292.3] All men do not receive the same gifts, but to every servant of the Master some gift of the Spirit is promised. {FLB 292.3} [FLB 292.4] The Lord has need of all kinds of skillful workmen. "He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Ephesians 4:11, 12. {FLB 292.4} [FLB 292.5] In immediate connection with the scenes of the great day of God, the Lord by the prophet Joel has promised a special manifestation of His Spirit. Joel 2:28. This prophecy received a partial fulfillment in the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost; but it will reach its full accomplishment in the manifestation of divine grace which will attend the closing work of the gospel. . . . {FLB 292.5} [FLB 292.6] At this time the special endowment of divine grace and power is not less needful to the church than in apostolic days. {FLB 292.6} [FLB 292.7] God will today endow men and women with power from above, as He endowed those who on the day of Pentecost heard the word of salvation. At this very hour His Spirit and His grace are for all who need them and will take Him at His word. {FLB 292.7} [FLB 292.8] The gifts are already ours in Christ, but their actual possession depends upon our reception of the Spirit of God. . . . {FLB 292.8} [FLB 292.9] If they are connected with Christ, if the gifts of the Spirit are theirs, the poorest and most ignorant of His disciples will have a power that will tell upon hearts. God makes them the channel for the outworking of the highest influence in the universe. 293 {FLB 292.9} [FLB 293.1] A Prophet's Voice in Our Time And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. Joel 2:28. {FLB 293.1} [FLB 293.2] In His Word, God has committed to men the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience. . . . {FLB 293.2} [FLB 293.3] Yet the fact that God has revealed His will to men through His Word, has not rendered needless the continued presence and guiding of the Holy Spirit. . . . {FLB 293.3} [FLB 293.4] During the ages while the Scriptures of both the Old and the New Testament were being given, the Holy Spirit did not cease to communicate light to individual minds, apart from the revelations to be embodied in the Sacred Canon. . . . And mention is made of prophets in different ages, of whose utterances nothing is recorded. In like manner, after the close of the canon of Scripture, the Holy Spirit was still to continue its work, to enlighten, warn, and comfort the children of God. {FLB 293.4} [FLB 293.5] God has . . . promised to give visions in the "last days"; not for a new rule of faith, but for the comfort of His people, and to correct those who err from Bible truth. {FLB 293.5} [FLB 293.6] As the Spirit of God has opened to my mind the great truths of His Word, and the scenes of the past and the future, I have been bidden to make known to others that which has thus been revealed. {FLB 293.6} [FLB 293.7] There are those who will be glad to lull you to sleep in your carnal security, but I have a different work. My message is to alarm you, to bid you reform your lives and cease your rebellion against the God of the universe. Take the Word of God, and see if you are in harmony with it. Is your character such as will bear the search of the heavenly investigation? 294 {FLB 293.7} [FLB 294.1] "Fear Thou Not . . . I Am With Thee" Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10. {FLB 294.1} [FLB 294.2] It was not long after the passing of the time in 1844 that my first vision was given me. I was visiting a dear sister in Christ, whose heart was knit with mine; five of us, all women, were kneeling quietly at the family altar. While we were praying, the power of God came upon me as I had never felt it before. I seemed to be surrounded with light, and to be rising higher and higher from the earth. I turned to look for the Advent people in the world, but could not find them, when a voice said to me: "Look again, and look a little higher." At this I raised my eyes and saw a straight and narrow path, cast up high above the world. On this path the Advent people were traveling toward the city. . . . {FLB 294.2} [FLB 294.3] I related this vision to the believers . . . , who had full confidence that it was from God. The Spirit of the Lord attended the testimony, and the solemnity of eternity rested upon us. An unspeakable awe filled me, that I, so young and feeble, should be chosen as the instrument by which God would give light to His people. . . . {FLB 294.3} [FLB 294.4] In a second vision, which soon followed the first, I was shown the trials through which I must pass, and that it was my duty to go and relate to others what God had revealed to me. . . . {FLB 294.4} [FLB 294.5] I prayed earnestly for several days, and far into the night, that this burden might be removed from me and laid upon someone more capable of bearing it. But the light of duty did not change. {FLB 294.5} [FLB 294.6] My Saviour declared me to be His messenger. "Your work," He instructed me, "is to bear My word. . . . My Spirit and My power shall be with you. . . . It is the Lord that giveth the messages." {FLB 294.6} [FLB 294.7] I do not write . . . expressing merely my own ideas. They are what God has opened before me in vision--the precious rays of light shining from the throne. 295 {FLB 294.7} [FLB 295.1] The Testimony of Jesus And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Revelation 19:10. {FLB 295.1} [FLB 295.2] Above all other books, the Word of God must be our study, the great textbook, the basis of all education. {FLB 295.2} [FLB 295.3] The Testimonies are not to belittle the Word of God, but to exalt it and attract minds to it, that the beautiful simplicity of truth may impress all. {FLB 295.3} [FLB 295.4] I took the precious Bible and surrounded it with the several Testimonies for the Church. . . . Here, said I, the cases of nearly all are met. The sins they are to shun are pointed out. The counsel that they desire can be found here, given for other cases situated similarly to themselves. God has been pleased to give you line upon line and precept upon precept. But there are not many of you that really know what is contained in the Testimonies. You are not familiar with the Scriptures. If you had made God's Word your study, with a desire to reach the Bible standard and attain to Christian perfection, you would not have needed the Testimonies. . . . {FLB 295.4} [FLB 295.5] The Lord designs to warn you, to reprove, to counsel, through the testimonies given, and to impress your minds with the importance of the truth of His Word. The written testimonies are not to give new light, but to impress vividly upon the heart the truths of inspiration already revealed. Man's duty to God and to his fellow man has been distinctly specified in God's Word; yet but few of you are obedient to the light given. Additional truth is not brought out; but God has through the Testimonies simplified the great truths already given and in His own chosen way brought them before the people to awaken and impress the mind with them, that all may be left without excuse. {FLB 295.5} [FLB 295.6] If we disregard them ［the warnings in the Testimonies］, what excuse can we offer? 296 {FLB 295.6} [FLB 296.1] Prove All Things Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21. {FLB 296.1} [FLB 296.2] "In ancient times God spoke to men by the mouth of prophets and apostles. In these days He speaks to them by the testimonies of His Spirit. There was never a time when God instructed His people more earnestly than He instructs them now concerning His will and the course that He would have them pursue." {FLB 296.2} [FLB 296.3] The instruction that was given in the early days of the message is to be held as safe instruction to follow in these its closing days. {FLB 296.3} [FLB 296.4] Let the Testimonies be judged by their fruits. What is the spirit of their teaching? What has been the result of their influence? "All who desire to do so can acquaint themselves with the fruits of these visions. . . ." {FLB 296.4} [FLB 296.5] "This work is of God, or it is not. God does nothing in partnership with Satan. My work . . . bears the stamp of God or the stamp of the enemy. There is no halfway work in the matter. The Testimonies are of the Spirit of God, or of the devil." {FLB 296.5} [FLB 296.6] The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Proverbs 29:18. Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God's remnant people in the true testimony. He will bring in spurious visions, to mislead and mingle the false with the true, and so disgust people that they will regard everything that bears the name of visions, as a species of fanaticism; but honest souls, by contrasting false and true, will be enabled to distinguish between them. {FLB 296.6} [FLB 296.7] "When the Testimonies, which were once believed, are doubted and given up, Satan knows the deceived ones will not stop at this; and he redoubles his efforts till he launches them into open rebellion, which becomes incurable and ends in destruction. 297 {FLB 296.7} [FLB 297.1] The Servant of Man Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. John 13:16. {FLB 297.1} [FLB 297.2] In His life and lessons, Christ has given a perfect exemplification of the unselfish ministry which has its origin in God. God does not live for Himself. By creating the world, and by upholding all things, He is constantly ministering for others. . . . This ideal of ministry God has committed to His Son. Jesus was given to stand at the head of humanity, that by His example He might teach what it means to minister. His whole life was under a law of service. . . . Thus He lived the law of God, and by His example showed how we are to obey it. {FLB 297.2} [FLB 297.3] Again and again Jesus had tried to establish this principle among His disciples. When James and John made their request for preeminence, He had said, "Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister." Matthew 20:26. In My kingdom the principle of preference and supremacy has no place. The only greatness is the greatness of humility. The only distinction is found in devotion to the service of others. {FLB 297.3} [FLB 297.4] The ordinance of feet washing is an ordinance of service. This is the lesson the Lord would have all learn and practice. When this ordinance is rightly celebrated, the children of God are brought into holy relationship with each other, to help and bless each other. {FLB 297.4} [FLB 297.5] That His people might not be misled by the selfishness which dwells in the natural heart, and which strengthens by self-serving, Christ Himself set us an example of humility. He would not leave this great subject in man's charge. Of so much consequence did He regard it that He Himself, One equal with God, washed the feet of His disciples. . . . This ceremony means much to us. God would have us take in the whole scene, not only the single act of outward cleansing. This lesson does not merely refer to the one act. It is to reveal the great truth that Christ is an example of what we through His grace are to be in our intercourse with each other. It shows that the entire life should be one of humble, faithful ministry. 298 {FLB 297.5} [FLB 298.1] Jesus' Example in Humility If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. John 13:14, 15. {FLB 298.1} [FLB 298.2] There is in man a disposition to esteem himself more highly than his brother, to work for self, to seek the highest place; and often this results in evil surmisings and bitterness of spirit. The ordinance preceding the Lord's Supper is to clear away these misunderstandings, to bring man out of his selfishness, down from his stilts of self-exaltation, to the humility of heart that will lead him to serve his brother. {FLB 298.2} [FLB 298.3] The ordinance of feet washing most forcibly illustrates the necessity of true humility. While the disciples were contending for the highest place, in the promised kingdom, Christ girded Himself, and performed the office of a servant by washing the feet of those who called Him Lord. {FLB 298.3} [FLB 298.4] Reconciliation one with another is the work for which the ordinance of feet washing was instituted. . . . Whenever it is celebrated, Christ is present by His Holy Spirit. It is this Spirit that brings conviction to hearts. {FLB 298.4} [FLB 298.5] As Christ celebrated this ordinance with His disciples, conviction came to the hearts of all save Judas. So we shall be convicted as Christ speaks to our hearts. The fountains of the soul will be broken up. The mind will be energized, and, springing into activity and life, will break down every barrier that has caused disunion and alienation. Sins that have been committed will appear with more distinctness than ever before; for the Holy Spirit will bring them to our remembrance. {FLB 298.5} [FLB 298.6] Having washed the disciples' feet, He ［Jesus］ said, "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." . . . Christ was here instituting a religious service. By the act of our Lord this humiliating ceremony was made a consecrated ordinance. It was to be observed by the disciples, that they might ever keep in mind His lessons of humility and service. 299 {FLB 298.6} [FLB 299.1] A Proof of Loyalty If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. John 13:17. {FLB 299.1} [FLB 299.2] This ordinance of feet washing was made a religious service. . . . It was given as something to test and prove the loyalty of the children of God. When modern Israel observes the sacramental ordinance, this ceremony should precede the partaking of the emblems of the Lord's death. {FLB 299.2} [FLB 299.3] This ordinance was given for the benefit of Christ's disciples. And Christ meant all that He said when His lips uttered the words, "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. . . . If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." He designed by this to test the true state of the heart and mind of those who participated. {FLB 299.3} [FLB 299.4] Christ gave His disciples to understand that the washing of their feet did not cleanse away their sin, but that the cleansing of their heart was tested in this humble service. If the heart was cleansed, this act was all that was essential to reveal the fact. He had washed the feet of Judas; but He said, "Ye are not all clean." Judas brought a traitor's heart to this scene, and Christ revealed to all that He knew him to be the betrayer of his Lord, and that the washing of his feet was not an ordinance to cleanse the soul from its moral defilement. {FLB 299.4} [FLB 299.5] When believers assemble to celebrate the ordinances, there are present messengers unseen by human eyes. . . . Heavenly angels . . . are present. These unseen visitants are present on every such occasion. . . . {FLB 299.5} [FLB 299.6] Christ by the Holy Spirit is there to set the seal to His own ordinance. He is there to convict and soften the heart. Not a look, not a thought of contrition, escapes His notice. For the repentant, brokenhearted one He is waiting. All things are ready for that soul's reception. He who washed the feet of Judas longs to wash every heart from the stain of sin. . . . All who come with their faith fixed upon Him will be greatly blessed. 300 {FLB 299.6} [FLB 300.1] In Remembrance of Me And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Luke 22:19. {FLB 300.1} [FLB 300.2] In the last Passover our Lord observed with His disciples, He instituted the Lord's Supper in place of the Passover, to be observed in memory of His death. {FLB 300.2} [FLB 300.3] The national festival of the Jews was to pass away forever. The service which Christ established was to be observed by His followers in all lands and through all ages. {FLB 300.3} [FLB 300.4] God has not left it with men to say who shall present themselves on these occasions. For who can read the heart? Who can distinguish the tares from the wheat? "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." For "whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." "He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." 1 Corinthians 11:28, 27, 29. . . . {FLB 300.4} [FLB 300.5] In partaking with His disciples of the bread and wine, Christ pledged Himself to them as their Redeemer. . . . As we receive the bread and wine symbolizing Christ's broken body and spilled blood, we in imagination join in the scene of Communion in the upper chamber. We seem to be passing through the garden consecrated by the agony of Him who bore the sins of the world. We witness the struggle by which our reconciliation with God was obtained. Christ is set forth crucified among us. {FLB 300.5} [FLB 300.6] Looking upon the crucified Redeemer, we more fully comprehend the magnitude and meaning of the sacrifice made by the Majesty of heaven. The plan of salvation is glorified before us, and the thought of Calvary awakens living and sacred emotions in our hearts. Praise to God and the Lamb will be in our hearts and on our lips; for pride and self-worship cannot flourish in the soul that keeps fresh in memory the scenes of Calvary. 301 {FLB 300.6} [FLB 301.1] "The New Testament in My Blood" Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. Luke 22:20. {FLB 301.1} [FLB 301.2] In partaking with His disciples of the bread and wine, Christ pledged Himself to them as their Redeemer. He committed to them the new covenant, by which all who receive Him become children of God, and joint heirs with Christ. By this covenant every blessing that Heaven could bestow for this life and the life to come was theirs. This covenant deed was to be ratified with the blood of Christ. And the administration of the sacrament was to keep before the disciples the infinite sacrifice made for each of them individually as a part of the great whole of fallen humanity. {FLB 301.2} [FLB 301.3] But the communion service was not to be a season of sorrowing. This was not its purpose. As the Lord's disciples gather about His table, they are not to remember and lament their shortcomings. They are not to dwell upon their past religious experience, whether that experience has been elevating or depressing. They are not to recall the differences between them and their brethren. The preparatory service has embraced all this. The self-examination, the confession of sin, the reconciling of differences, has all been done. Now they come to meet with Christ. They are not to stand in the shadow of the cross, but in its saving light. They are to open the soul to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. With hearts cleansed by Christ's most precious blood, in full consciousness of His presence, although unseen, they are to hear His words, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you." John 14:27. {FLB 301.3} [FLB 301.4] The atoning sacrifice is full and sufficient. It is the new covenant, sealed with His blood, which was shed for many for the remission of sins. This Christ declared at the Last Supper. In this cup there is to those who drink in faith, peace-making, soul-cleansing efficacy. It is the balm of Gilead, which God has provided to restore health and soundness to the sin-stricken soul. 302 {FLB 301.4} [FLB 302.1] As Oft as ye Eat and Drink For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. 1 Corinthians 11:26. {FLB 302.1} [FLB 302.2] The salvation of men depends upon a continual application to their hearts of the cleansing blood of Christ. Therefore, the Lord's Supper was not to be observed only occasionally or yearly, but more frequently than the annual Passover. This solemn ordinance commemorates a far greater event than the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. That deliverance was typical of the great atonement which Christ made by the sacrifice of His own life for the final deliverance of His people. {FLB 302.2} [FLB 302.3] This ordinance is not to be exclusive, as many would make it. Each must participate in it publicly, and thus bear witness: I accept Christ as my personal Saviour. He gave His life for me, that I might be rescued from death. {FLB 302.3} [FLB 302.4] The communion service points to Christ's second coming. It was designed to keep this hope vivid in the minds of the disciples. Whenever they met together to commemorate His death, they recounted how "he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom." Matthew 26:27-29. In their tribulation they found comfort in the hope of their Lord's return. Unspeakably precious to them was the thought, "As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." . . . {FLB 302.4} [FLB 302.5] Christ has instituted this service that it may speak to our senses of the love of God. . . . There can be no union between our souls and God except through Christ. The union and love between brother and brother must be cemented and rendered eternal by the love of Jesus. And nothing less than the death of Christ could make His love efficacious for us. It is only because of His death that we can look with joy to His second coming. His sacrifice is the center of our hope. 303 {FLB 302.5} [FLB 303.1] Baptism and the Passion of Christ Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. Colossians 2:12. {FLB 303.1} [FLB 303.2] Christ rested in the tomb on the Sabbath day, and when holy beings of both heaven and earth were astir on the morning of the first day of the week, He rose from the grave to renew His work of teaching His disciples. But this fact does not consecrate the first day of the week, and make it a Sabbath. Jesus, prior to His death, established a memorial of the breaking of His body and the spilling of His blood for the sins of the world, in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, saying, "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." 1 Corinthians 11:26. And the repentant believer, who takes the steps required in conversion, commemorates in his baptism the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. He goes down into the water in the likeness of Christ's death and burial, and he is raised out of the water in the likeness of His resurrection. . .to live a new life in Christ Jesus. {FLB 303.2} [FLB 303.3] The angelic host were filled with amazement as they beheld the sufferings and death of the King of glory. But. . .it was no marvel to them that the Lord of life and glory. . .should break the bands of death, and walk forth from His prison house, a triumphant conqueror. Therefore, if either of these events should be commemorated by a day of rest, it is the crucifixion. But I saw that neither of these events was designed to alter or abrogate God's law; on the contrary, they give the strongest proof of its immutability. . . . {FLB 303.3} [FLB 303.4] The Sabbath was instituted in Eden before the Fall, and was observed by Adam and Eve, and all the heavenly host. God rested on the seventh day, and blessed and hallowed it. I saw that the Sabbath never will be done away; but that the redeemed saints, and all the angelic host, will observe it in honor of the great Creator to all eternity. 304 {FLB 303.4} [FLB 304.1] The Name the Lord has Given Us The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, . . . if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways. And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee. Deuteronomy 28:9, 10. {FLB 304.1} [FLB 304.2] If we would come into possession of the heavenly inheritance, the glorious, eternal substance, we must be in covenant relation with God, and employ every faculty of our being to win souls to Christ. . . . God's people must be a peculiar, holy people, distinct in character and practice from the world, distinguished from all the religionists of the day. They must be patterns in personal piety and good works. There is higher, holier work for us to do than we have yet done. Christ has said, "My Kingdom is not of this world." It has no principles that will meet the principles of the world. The Lord has set His church as a light in the world, to guide the world to heaven. It is to be a part of heaven on the earth, flashing divine light on the pathway of benighted souls. {FLB 304.2} [FLB 304.3] You are a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. God's people should now receive the light and diffuse it. They need not try to shine; if their hearts are enlightened by Christ, they cannot help shining. The brightness will appear; every true disciple will reveal Christ to the world as the sin-pardoning Saviour. {FLB 304.3} [FLB 304.4] We are Seventh-day Adventists. Are we ashamed of our name? We answer, No, no! We are not. It is the name the Lord has given us. It points out the truth that is to be the test of the churches....That this may be, we must look ever to Jesus. {FLB 304.4} [FLB 304.5] The name Seventh-day Adventist carries the true features of our faith in front, and will convict the inquiring mind. Like an arrow from the Lord's quiver, it will wound the transgressors of God's law, and will lead to repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. {FLB 304.5} [FLB 304.6] There are many who are looking to you, to see what religion can do for you. If you are faithful in your God-given work, you will make right impressions, and will lead souls in the way of righteousness. 305 {FLB 304.6} [FLB 305.1] Builders, Not Destroyers And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. Isaiah 58:12. {FLB 305.1} [FLB 305.2] Has God no living church? He has a church, but it is the church militant, not the church triumphant. We are sorry that there are defective members. . . .While the Lord brings into the church those who are truly converted, Satan at the same time brings persons who are not converted into its fellowship. While Christ is sowing the good seed, Satan is sowing the tares. There are two opposing influences continually exerted on the members of the church. One influence is working for the purification of the church, and the other for the corrupting of the people of God. . . . {FLB 305.2} [FLB 305.3] Although there are evils existing in the church, and will be until the end of the world, the church in these last days is to be the light of the world that is polluted and demoralized by sin. . . . {FLB 305.3} [FLB 305.4] There is but one church in the world who are at the present time standing in the breach, and making up the hedge, building up the old waste places; and for any man to call the attention of the world and other churches to this church, denouncing her as Babylon, is to do a work in harmony with him who is the accuser of the brethren. . . .The whole world is filled with hatred of those who proclaim the binding claims of the law of God, and the church who are loyal to Jehovah must engage in no ordinary conflict. . . .Those who have any realization of what this warfare means, will not turn their weapons against the church militant, but with all their powers will wrestle with the people of God against the confederacy of evil. {FLB 305.4} [FLB 305.5] Those who start up to proclaim a message on their own individual responsibility, who, while claiming to be taught and led of God, still make it their special work to tear down that which God has been for years building up, are not doing the will of God. Be it known that these men are on the side of the great deceiver. Believe them not. 306 {FLB 305.5} [FLB 306.1] Riches for the Laodiceans I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. Revelation 3:18. {FLB 306.1} [FLB 306.2] The message to the Laodicean church is applicable to all who have had great light and many opportunities, and yet have not appreciated them. {FLB 306.2} [FLB 306.3] There are a large number of professing Christians who do not really follow Jesus. They do not bear the cross by proper self-denial and self-sacrifice. Although making a great profession of being earnest Christians, they weave into the fabric of their character so many of the threads of their own imperfections that the beautiful pattern is spoiled. Of them Christ says: "You boast of being rich and increased with supposed spiritual attainments. In reality you are neither cold nor hot, but are filled with vain conceit. Unless converted, you cannot be saved; for you would mar heaven with your unsanctified wisdom. I cannot endorse your spirit and your work. You do not act according to the divine Example. You are following a pattern merely of your own invention. Because you are lukewarm, I must spue you out of My mouth." {FLB 306.3} [FLB 306.4] The True Witness has said, "Buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." {FLB 306.4} [FLB 306.5] Jesus is going from door to door, standing in front of every soul temple, proclaiming, "I stand at the door, and knock." As a heavenly merchantman, He opens His treasures. . . ."Open your doors," says the great Merchantman, the possessor of spiritual riches, "and transact your business with Me. It is I, your Redeemer, who counsels you to buy of Me." {FLB 306.5} [FLB 306.6] The counsel of the True Witness is full of encouragement and comfort. The churches may yet obtain the gold of truth, faith, and love, and be rich in heavenly treasure. 307 {FLB 306.6} [FLB 307.1] A People Who Keep God's Law Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12. {FLB 307.1} [FLB 307.2] We are standing upon the threshold of great and solemn events. Prophecies are fulfilling. Strange, eventful history is being recorded in the books of heaven. Everything in our world is in agitation. . . . Only a moment of time, as it were, yet remains. . . . {FLB 307.2} [FLB 307.3] Satan is busily laying his plans for the last mighty conflict, when all will take sides. . . . {FLB 307.3} [FLB 307.4] Men in their blindness boast of wonderful progress and enlightenment; but to the eye of Omniscience are revealed the inward guilt and depravity. The heavenly watchers see the earth filled with violence and crime. Wealth is obtained by every species of robbery, not robbery of men only, but of God. Men are using His means to gratify their selfishness. Everything they can grasp is made to minister to their greed. Avarice and sensuality prevail. Men cherish the attributes of the first great deceiver. They . . . have become imbued with his spirit. {FLB 307.4} [FLB 307.5] But the cloud of judicial wrath hangs over them, containing the elements that destroyed Sodom. In his visions of things to come the prophet John beheld this scene. This demon worship was revealed to him, and it seemed to him as if the whole world were standing on the brink of perdition. But as he looked with intense interest he beheld the company of God's commandment-keeping people. They had upon their foreheads the seal of the living God, and he said: "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." {FLB 307.5} [FLB 307.6] This distinctive banner . . . ［Revelation 14:12 quoted］ is to be borne through the world to the close of probation. {FLB 307.6} [FLB 307.7] This is not a time to haul down our colors, to be ashamed of our faith. {FLB 307.7} [FLB 307.8] Every man is to stand in his lot and place, thinking, speaking, and acting in harmony with the Spirit of God. 308 {FLB 307.8} [FLB 308.1] The Gospel to All the World And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14. {FLB 308.1} [FLB 308.2] Not upon the ordained minister only rests the responsibility of going forth to fulfill this commission. Every one who has received Christ is called to work for the salvation of his fellow men. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come." Revelation 22:17. The charge to give this invitation includes the entire church. Every one who has heard the invitation is to echo the message from hill and valley, saying, "Come." {FLB 308.2} [FLB 308.3] It is a fatal mistake to suppose that the work of soulsaving depends alone upon the ministry. The humble, consecrated believer upon whom the Master of the vineyard places a burden for souls, is to be given encouragement by the men upon whom the Lord has laid larger responsibilities. Those who stand as leaders in the church of God are to realize that the Saviour's commission is given to all who believe in His name. God will send forth into His vineyard many who have not been dedicated to the ministry by the laying on of hands. {FLB 308.3} [FLB 308.4] Hundreds, yea, thousands, who have heard the message of salvation, are still idlers in the market place, when they might be engaged in some line of active service. To these Christ is saying, "Why stand ye here all the day idle?" and He adds, "Go ye also into the vineyard." Matthew 20:6, 7. Why is it that many more do not respond to the call? Is it because they think themselves excused in that they do not stand in the pulpit? Let them understand that there is a large work to be done outside the pulpit, by thousands of consecrated lay members. {FLB 308.4} [FLB 308.5] Long has God waited for the spirit of service to take possession of the whole church, so that every one shall be working for Him according to his ability. When the members of the church of God do their appointed work in the needy fields at home and abroad, in fulfillment of the gospel commission, the whole world will soon be warned, and the Lord Jesus will return to this earth with power and great glory. 309 {FLB 308.5} [FLB 309.1] Love Begets Love He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32. {FLB 309.1} [FLB 309.2] Those who are truly converted will . . . dispense, for the advancement of the work, the means He has placed in their hands. . . . {FLB 309.2} [FLB 309.3] We are Christ's witnesses, and we are not to allow worldly interests and plans to absorb our time and attention. There are higher interests at stake. . . . {FLB 309.3} [FLB 309.4] We plead for the money that is spent on needless things. . . . Waste not your money in purchasing unnecessary things. You may think these little sums do not amount to much, but many littles will make a great whole. Cut off every extravagant expenditure. Indulge in nothing that is simply for display. Your money means the salvation of souls. Let there be systematic giving on the part of all. Some may be unable to give a large sum, but all can lay aside each week something for the Master. Let the children act their part. Let parents teach their children to save their pennies to give to the Lord. The gospel ministry is to be supported by self-denial and sacrifice. . . . {FLB 309.4} [FLB 309.5] Let not our church members complain because they are so often called upon to give. What is it that makes the frequent calls a necessity? Is it not the rapid increase of missionary enterprises? . . . {FLB 309.5} [FLB 309.6] So long as there are souls to save, our interest in the work of soulsaving is to know no abating. The church cannot abridge her task without denying her Master. . . . {FLB 309.6} [FLB 309.7] Love for lost souls brought Christ to Calvary's cross. Love for souls will lead us to self-denial and sacrifice, for the saving of that which is lost. And as Christ's followers give back to the Lord His own, they are accumulating treasure which will be theirs when they hear the words: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: . . . enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Matthew 25:21. . . . The joy of seeing souls eternally saved will be the reward of all who follow in the steps of the Redeemer. 310 {FLB 309.7} [FLB 310.1] Built on the Rock And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18. {FLB 310.1} [FLB 310.2] The word Peter signifies a stone--a rolling stone. Peter was not the rock upon which the church was founded. The gates of hell did prevail against him when he denied his Lord with cursing and swearing. The church was built upon One against whom the gates of hell could not prevail. . . . The church is built upon Christ as its foundation; it is to obey Christ as its head. {FLB 310.2} [FLB 310.3] If Jesus had delegated any special authority to one of the disciples above the others, we should not find them so often contending as to who should be the greatest. They would have submitted to the wish of their Master, and honored the one whom He had chosen. {FLB 310.3} [FLB 310.4] Instead of appointing one to be their head, Christ said to the disciples, "Be not ye called Rabbi;" "neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ." Matthew 23:8, 10. {FLB 310.4} [FLB 310.5] "The head of every man is Christ." God, who put all things under the Saviour's feet, "gave him to be the head over . . . the church." 1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 1:22. {FLB 310.5} [FLB 310.6] In the presence of God, and all the heavenly intelligences, in the presence of the unseen army of hell, Christ founded His church upon the living Rock. That Rock is Himself--His own body, for us broken and bruised. Against the church built upon this foundation, the gates of hell shall not prevail. . . . {FLB 310.6} [FLB 310.7] For six thousand years, faith has builded upon Christ. For six thousand years the floods and tempests of satanic wrath have beaten upon the Rock of our salvation; but it stands unmoved. . . . {FLB 310.7} [FLB 310.8] The Rock of faith is the living presence of Christ in the church. Upon this the weakest may depend, and those who think themselves the strongest will prove to be the weakest, unless they make Christ their efficiency. . . . The Lord "is the Rock, his work is perfect." "Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 2:12. {FLB 310.8} [FLB 311.1] Chap. 11 - Facing the Final Test For Such a Time as This! For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14. {FLB 311.1} [FLB 311.2] Whoever sees the repulsive character of sin, and in strength from above resists temptation, will assuredly arouse the wrath of Satan. {FLB 311.2} [FLB 311.3] The same spirit that in ages past led men to persecute the true church, will in the future lead to the pursuance of a similar course toward those who maintain their loyalty to God. . . . {FLB 311.3} [FLB 311.4] The decree that will finally go forth against the remnant people of God will be very similar to that issued by Ahasuerus against the Jews. Today the enemies of the true church see in the little company keeping the Sabbath commandment, a Mordecai at the gate. . . . {FLB 311.4} [FLB 311.5] Satan will arouse indignation against the minority who refuse to accept popular customs and traditions. . . . Persecuting rulers, ministers, and church members will conspire against them. With voice and pen, by boasts, threats, and ridicule, they will seek to overthrow their faith. . . . Not having a "Thus saith the Scriptures" to bring against the advocates of the Bible Sabbath, they will resort to oppressive enactments to supply the lack. To secure popularity and patronage, legislators will yield to the demand for Sunday laws. But those who fear God cannot accept an institution that violates a precept of the Decalogue. On this battlefield will be fought the last great conflict in the controversy between truth and error. {FLB 311.5} [FLB 311.6] The words of Mordecai to Esther may apply to the men and youth of today: "Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" 312 {FLB 311.6} [FLB 312.1] Cruel Power of the Enemy Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:7, 8. {FLB 312.1} [FLB 312.2] There are multitudes today as truly under the power of evil spirits as was the demoniac of Capernaum. All who willfully depart from God's commandments are placing themselves under the control of Satan. Many a man tampers with evil, thinking that he can break away at pleasure; but he is lured on and on, until he finds himself controlled by a will stronger than his own. He cannot escape its mysterious power. Secret sin or master passion may hold him a captive as helpless as was the demoniac of Capernaum. {FLB 312.2} [FLB 312.3] Satan is the god of the world; his influence is to pervert the senses, control the human mind for evil, and drive his victims to violence and crime. He sows discord and darkens the intellect. The work of Christ is to break his power over the children of men. Yet how many in every department of life, in the home, in business transactions, and in the church, turn Jesus from their doors but let the hateful monster in. {FLB 312.3} [FLB 312.4] Satan's path is the broadest and the most deceptive. It is made to appear the most attractive, while it is hard, mystifying, and full of disappointment. {FLB 312.4} [FLB 312.5] He who feels his own danger is on the watch lest he shall grieve the Holy Spirit and then draw away from God because he knows that He is not pleased with his course of action. How much better and safer it is to draw nigh to God, that the pure light shining from His Word may heal the wounds that sin has made in the soul. The closer we are to God, the safer we are, for Satan hates and fears the presence of God. {FLB 312.5} [FLB 312.6] The subtlety of Satan will not decrease, but the wisdom given to men through a living connection with the Source of all light and divine knowledge will be proportionate to his arts and wiles. 313 {FLB 312.6} [FLB 313.1] The Device of Worldliness Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Corinthians 2:11. {FLB 313.1} [FLB 313.2] Solomon says, "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool" (Proverbs 28:26); and there are hundreds of such to be found among professors of godliness. Says the apostle: "We are not ignorant of his ［Satan's］ devices." Oh, what art, what skill, what cunning, is exercised to lead the professed followers of Christ to a union with the world by seeking for happiness in the amusements of the world, under the delusion that some good is to be gained! And thus the unguarded walk right into the net, flattering themselves that there is no evil in the way. . . . {FLB 313.2} [FLB 313.3] How can I endure the thought that most of the youth in this age will come short of everlasting life! Oh, that the sound of instrumental music might cease and they no more while away so much precious time in pleasing their own fancy. Oh, that they would devote less time to dress and vain conversation, and send forth their earnest, agonizing prayers to God for a sound experience. There is great necessity for close self-examination in the light of God's Word; let each one raise the inquiry: "Am I sound, or am I rotten at heart? Am I renewed in Christ, or am I still carnal at heart, with a new dress put on the outside?" Rein yourself up to the great tribunal, and in the light of God examine to see if there be any secret sin that you are cherishing, any idol that you have not sacrificed. Pray, yes, pray as you have never prayed before, that you may not be deluded by Satan's devices. . . . Surely the foundation of your hope of everlasting life cannot be laid too sure. . . . While those around us may be vain and engaged in pleasure seeking and folly, our conversation is in heaven, whence we look for the Saviour; the soul is reaching out after God for pardon and peace, for righteousness and true holiness. {FLB 313.3} [FLB 313.4] Expel sin from your hearts, for sin caused the death of the Son of God. {FLB 313.4} [FLB 313.5] Jesus died, dear youth, not to save you in your sins, but from your sins. 314 {FLB 313.5} [FLB 314.1] Testing the Voice of the Shepherds I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. John 10:14. {FLB 314.1} [FLB 314.2] Every one of us will be sorely tempted; our faith will be tried to the uttermost. {FLB 314.2} [FLB 314.3] We need to be anchored in Christ, rooted and grounded in the faith. Satan works through agents. He selects those who have not been drinking of the living waters, whose souls are athirst for something new and strange, and who are ever ready to drink at any fountain that may present itself. Voices will be heard, saying, "Lo, here is Christ," or "Lo, there;" but we must believe them not. We have unmistakable evidence of the voice of the True Shepherd, and He is calling upon us to follow Him. He says, "I have kept my Father's commandments." He leads His sheep in the path of humble obedience to the law of God. . . . {FLB 314.3} [FLB 314.4] "The voice of a stranger" is the voice of one who neither respects nor obeys God's holy, just, and good law. Many make great pretensions to holiness, and boast of the wonders they perform in healing the sick, when they do not regard this great standard of righteousness. But through whose power are these cures wrought? Are the eyes of either party opened to their transgressions of the law? and do they take their stand as humble, obedient children, ready to obey all of God's requirements? John testifies of the professed children of God: "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:4. . . . If those through whom cures are performed, are disposed, on account of these manifestations, to excuse their neglect of the law of God, and continue in disobedience, though they have power to any and every extent, it does not follow that they have the great power of God. On the contrary, it is the miracle-working power of the great deceiver. . . . We must beware of the pretended holiness that permits transgression of the law of God. Those cannot be sanctified who trample that law under their feet, and judge themselves by a standard of their own devising. 315 {FLB 314.4} [FLB 315.1] Prayer for the Sick Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16. {FLB 315.1} [FLB 315.2] Christ is the same compassionate physician now that He was during His earthly ministry. In Him there is healing balm for every disease. {FLB 315.2} [FLB 315.3] Why is it that men are so unwilling to trust Him who created man, and who can, by a touch, a word, a look, heal all manner of disease? Who is more worthy of our confidence than the One who has made so great a sacrifice for our redemption? Our Lord has given us definite instruction, through the apostle James, as to our duty in case of sickness. When human help fails, God will be the helper of His people. "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up." James 5:14, 15. {FLB 315.3} [FLB 315.4] But the offering of such prayer is a most solemn act, and should not be entered upon without careful consideration. . . . {FLB 315.4} [FLB 315.5] To those who desire prayer for their restoration to health, it should be made plain that the violation of God's law, either natural or spiritual, is sin, and that in order for them to receive His blessing, sin must be confessed and forsaken. . . . {FLB 315.5} [FLB 315.6] We know that God hears us if we ask according to His will. But to press our petitions without a submissive spirit is not right; our prayers must take the form, not of command, but of intercession. {FLB 315.6} [FLB 315.7] There are cases where God works decidedly by His divine power in the restoration of health. But not all the sick are healed. Many are laid away to sleep in Jesus. . . . {FLB 315.7} [FLB 315.8] Our desires and interests should be lost in His will. These experiences that test faith are for our benefit. . . . Faith is strengthened by exercise. We must let patience have its perfect work, remembering that there are precious promises in the Scriptures for those who wait upon the Lord. 316 {FLB 315.8} [FLB 316.1] The Spirit of True Heroism For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. Isaiah 50:7. {FLB 316.1} [FLB 316.2] Strength of character consists of two things--power of will and power of self-control. Many youth mistake strong, uncontrolled passion for strength of character; but the truth is that he who is mastered by his passions is a weak man. The real greatness and nobility of the man is measured by the power of the feelings that he subdues, not by the power of the feelings that subdue him. The strongest man is he, who, while sensitive to abuse, will yet restrain passion and forgive his enemies. Such men are true heroes. {FLB 316.2} [FLB 316.3] The example of an energetic person is far reaching; he has an electric power over others. He meets obstacles in his work; but he has the push in him, and instead of allowing his way to be hedged up, he breaks down every barrier. . . . {FLB 316.3} [FLB 316.4] There are thorns in every path. All who follow the Lord's leading must expect to meet with disappointments, crosses, and losses. But a spirit of true heroism will help them to overcome these. Many greatly magnify seeming difficulties, and then begin to pity themselves and give way to despondency. Such need to make an entire change in themselves. They need to discipline themselves to put forth exertion, and to overcome all childish feelings. They should determine that life shall not be spent in working at trifles. Let them resolve to accomplish something, and then do it. Many make good resolutions, but they are always going to do something and never get at it. About all their resolutions amount to is talk. . . . {FLB 316.4} [FLB 316.5] Every one should have an aim, an object, in life. The loins of the mind should be girded up, and the thoughts be trained to keep to the point, as the compass to the pole. . . . Worthy purposes should be kept constantly in view, and every thought and act should tend to their accomplishment. Let there ever be a fixedness of purpose to carry out that which is undertaken. 317 {FLB 316.5} [FLB 317.1] Testing Our Mettle Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12,13. {FLB 317.1} [FLB 317.2] The followers of Christ know little of the plots which Satan and his hosts are forming against them. But He who sitteth in the heavens will overrule all these devices for the accomplishment of His deep designs. The Lord permits His people to be subjected to the fiery ordeal of temptation, not because He takes pleasure in their distress and affliction, but because this process is essential to their final victory. {FLB 317.2} [FLB 317.3] By God's mighty cleaver of truth we have been taken from the quarry of the world and brought into the workshop of the Lord to be prepared for a place in His temple. In this work the hammer and chisel must act their part, and then comes the polishing. Rebel not under this process of grace. You may be a rough stone, on which much work must be done before you are prepared for the place God designs you to fill. You need not be surprised if with the hammer and the chisel of trial God cuts away your defects of character. He alone can accomplish this work. And be assured that He will not strike one useless blow. {FLB 317.3} [FLB 317.4] God has shown me that He gave His people a bitter cup to drink, to purify and cleanse them. . . . This bitter cup can be sweetened by patience, endurance, and prayer, and . . . it will have its designed effect upon the hearts of those who thus receive it, and God will be honored and glorified. It is no small thing to be a Christian and to be owned and approved of God. {FLB 317.4} [FLB 317.5] His grace is sufficient for all our trials; and although they are greater than ever before, yet if we trust wholly in God, we can overcome every temptation and through His grace come off victorious. ... We must have on the whole armor of God and be ready at any moment for a conflict with the powers of darkness. 318 {FLB 317.5} [FLB 318.1] Safety in Vigilance Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 1 Thessalonians 5:6. {FLB 318.1} [FLB 318.2] I was shown Satan as he once was, a happy, exalted angel. Then I was shown him as he now is. He still bears a kingly form. His features are still noble, for he is an angel fallen. But the expression of his countenance is full of anxiety, care, unhappiness, malice, hate, mischief, deceit, and every evil. That brow which was once so noble, I particularly noticed. His forehead commenced from his eyes to recede. I saw that he had so long bent himself to evil that every good quality was debased, and every evil trait was developed. His eyes were cunning, sly, and showed great penetration. His frame was large, but the flesh hung loosely about his hands and face. As I beheld him, his chin was resting upon his left hand. He appeared to be in deep thought. A smile was upon his countenance, which made me tremble, it was so full of evil and satanic slyness. This smile is the one he wears just before he makes sure of his victim, and as he fastens the victim in his snare, this smile grows horrible. {FLB 318.2} [FLB 318.3] The people of God must be prepared to withstand the wily foe. It is this resistance that Satan dreads. He knows better than we do the limit of his power and how easily he can be overcome if we resist and face him. Through divine strength the weakest saint is more than a match for him and all his angels, and if brought to the test he ［the weakest saint］ would be able to prove his superior power. Therefore Satan's step is noiseless, his movements stealthy, and his batteries masked. . . . {FLB 318.3} [FLB 318.4] Man is Satan's captive and is naturally inclined to follow his suggestions and do his bidding. He has in himself no power to oppose effectual resistance to evil. It is only as Christ abides in him by living faith, influencing his desires and strengthening him with strength from above, that man may venture to face so terrible a foe. Every other means of defense is utterly vain. 319 {FLB 318.4} [FLB 319.1] Mystic Voices of Today And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. Leviticus 20:6. {FLB 319.1} [FLB 319.2] The magicians of heathen times have their counterpart in the spiritualistic mediums, the clairvoyants, and the fortune tellers of today. The mystic voices that spoke at Endor and at Ephesus are still by their lying words misleading the children of men. Could the veil be lifted from before our eyes, we should see evil angels employing all their arts to deceive and to destroy. {FLB 319.2} [FLB 319.3] Spiritual beings sometimes appear to persons in the form of their deceased friends, and relate incidents connected with their lives, and perform acts which they performed while living. In this way they lead men to believe that their dead friends are angels, hovering over them, and communicating with them. Those who thus assume to be the spirits of the departed, are regarded with a certain idolatry, and with many their word has greater weight than the Word of God. {FLB 319.3} [FLB 319.4] I saw the rapidity with which this delusion ［spiritualism］ was spreading. A train of cars was shown me, going with the speed of lightning. The angel bade me look carefully. I fixed my eyes upon the train. It seemed that the whole world was on board. Then he showed me the conductor, a fair, stately person, whom all the passengers looked up to and reverenced. I was perplexed and asked my attending angel who it was. He said, "It is Satan. He is the conductor, in the form of an angel of light. He has taken the world captive. . . . And they are all going with lightning speed to perdition." {FLB 319.4} [FLB 319.5] This delusion will spread, and we shall have to contend with it face to face; and unless we are prepared for it, we shall be ensnared and overcome. {FLB 319.5} [FLB 319.6] The people of God must be prepared to withstand these spirits with the Bible truth that the dead know not anything, and that they who thus appear are the spirits of devils. 320 {FLB 319.6} [FLB 320.1] A Dangerous Form of Mind Cure Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Colossians 2:8. {FLB 320.1} [FLB 320.2] There is . . . a form of mind cure that is one of the most effective agencies for evil. Through this so-called science, one mind is brought under the control of another so that the individuality of the weaker is merged in that of the stronger mind. One person acts out the will of another. . . . {FLB 320.2} [FLB 320.3] But the so-called science is based upon false principles. It is foreign to the nature and spirit of Christ. It does not lead to Him who is life and salvation. The one who attracts minds to himself leads them to separate from the true Source of their strength. {FLB 320.3} [FLB 320.4] In these days when skepticism and infidelity so often appear in a scientific garb, we need to be guarded on every hand. Through this means our great adversary is deceiving thousands, and leading them captive according to his will. The advantage he takes of the sciences, sciences which pertain to the human mind, is tremendous. Here, serpentlike, he imperceptibly creeps in to corrupt the work of God. . . . {FLB 320.4} [FLB 320.5] While it is believed that one human mind so wonderfully affects another, Satan, who is ready to press every advantage, insinuates himself, and works on the right hand and on the left. And while those who are devoted to these sciences, laud them to the heavens because of the great and good works which they affirm are wrought by them, they little know what a power for evil they are cherishing. . . . Mark the influence of these sciences, dear reader; for the conflict between Christ and Satan is not yet ended. . . . {FLB 320.5} [FLB 320.6] Neglect of prayer leads men to rely on their own strength, and opens the door to temptation. In many cases the imagination is captivated by scientific research, and men are flattered through the consciousness of their own powers. {FLB 320.6} [FLB 320.7] Cut away from yourselves everything that savors of hypnotism, the science by which satanic agencies work. 321 {FLB 320.7} [FLB 321.1] "Science Falsely So Called" O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called. 1 Timothy 6:20. {FLB 321.1} [FLB 321.2] Human knowledge of both material and spiritual things is partial and imperfect; therefore many are unable to harmonize their views of science with Scripture statements. Many accept mere theories and speculations as scientific facts, and they think that God's Word is to be tested by the teachings of "science falsely so called.". . . {FLB 321.2} [FLB 321.3] Men have endeavored to be wiser than their Creator; human philosophy has attempted to search out and explain mysteries which will never be revealed, through the eternal ages. {FLB 321.3} [FLB 321.4] To many, scientific research has become a curse. God has permitted a flood of light to be poured upon the world in discoveries in science and art; but even the greatest minds, if not guided by the Word of God in their research, become bewildered in their attempts to investigate the relations of science and revelation. {FLB 321.4} [FLB 321.5] God is the foundation of everything. All true science is in harmony with His works; all true education leads to obedience to His government. Science opens new wonders to our view; she soars high, and explores new depths; but she brings nothing from her research that conflicts with divine revelation. {FLB 321.5} [FLB 321.6] God is the author of science. . . . Rightly understood, science and the Written Word agree, and each sheds light on the other. Together they lead us to God, by teaching us something of the wise and beneficent laws through which He works. {FLB 321.6} [FLB 321.7] A knowledge of true science is power. . . . But while the knowledge of science is power, the knowledge that Jesus came in person to impart is still greater power. The science of salvation is the most important science to be learned in the preparatory school of earth. The wisdom of Solomon is desirable, but the wisdom of Christ is far more desirable and more essential. 322 {FLB 321.7} [FLB 322.1] Wolves in Sheep's Clothing For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. 2 Timothy 4:3. {FLB 322.1} [FLB 322.2] Rapidly are men ranging themselves under the banner they have chosen, restlessly waiting and watching the movements of their leaders. There are those who are watching and waiting and working for our Lord's appearing; while the other party are rapidly falling into line under the generalship of the first great apostate. They look for a god in humanity, and Satan personifies the one they seek. Multitudes will be so deluded through their rejection of truth, that they will accept the counterfeit. Humanity is hailed as God. {FLB 322.2} [FLB 322.3] Satan is ever on the alert to deceive and mislead. He is using every enchantment to allure men into the broad road of disobedience. He is working to confuse the senses with erroneous sentiments, and remove the landmarks by placing his false inscription on the signposts which God has established to point the right way. {FLB 322.3} [FLB 322.4] Teachers of falsehood will arise to draw you away from the narrow path and the strait gate. Beware of them; though concealed in sheep's clothing, inwardly they are ravening wolves. . . . {FLB 322.4} [FLB 322.5] We are not bidden to prove them by their fair speeches and exalted professions. They are to be judged by the Word of God. . . . "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge." Proverbs 19:27. What message do these teachers bring? Does it lead you to reverence and fear God? Does it lead you to manifest your love for Him by loyalty to His commandments? {FLB 322.5} [FLB 322.6] These false teachers, arising in the church and accounted true by many of their brethren in the faith, the apostle compared to "wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever." 2 Peter 2:17. {FLB 322.6} [FLB 322.7] Are our feet planted on the rock of God's immutable word? Are we prepared to stand firm in defense of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus? 323 {FLB 322.7} [FLB 323.1] Are You in Danger? Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Isaiah 50:10. {FLB 323.1} [FLB 323.2] There are many youth who walk in darkness, and have no light. . . . {FLB 323.2} [FLB 323.3] The Lord's hand has been reached out in tenderest compassion and love; but they do not care to trust Him. They want to feel fully able to devise and plan for themselves. . . . The Lord marks out a way in which He would have them walk. He has lent them talents to be used for His glory, to do a certain work for the Master; but Satan says, "I will countermand the order of Christ. I will find another line of work for active brain and busy hands, whereby they shall serve me. I will eclipse eternal interests before this youth, and attract his mind by worldly interests. . . . I will bind him about with worldly allurements like the finest threads, whose power to bind will become at last like ropes of steel, and he shall be bound in my service. . . ." {FLB 323.3} [FLB 323.4] Let the youth critically examine their motives, by prayer and searching of the Scriptures, and see if their own will and inclinations do not lead away from God's requirements. . . . {FLB 323.4} [FLB 323.5] Young men and women, inquire in your business relations, Am I where God would have me to be? . . . Am I in the line of my duty? The blessing of God will be upon those who are just where God's plans would have them be. Has the Lord given you light that He requires you to do a certain work? If so, it is not safe for you to be disobedient. Let there be serious thinking on your part. Ask yourself, Am I serving my Master, Jesus Christ? Or am I pleasing myself, and failing to please God, and to bring honor to His holy name? {FLB 323.5} [FLB 323.6] Do you want to change this order of things without delay? Would you choose to serve God? Then Jesus invites you to believe. . . . Grasp the hand of infinite power. Faith grows by exercise. Feed upon the promises; be content to rely on the simple promise of God's Word. Wait no longer in unbelief; for you are in danger of losing your souls. 324 {FLB 323.6} [FLB 324.1] Taking Hold of God's Strength Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me. Isaiah 27:5. {FLB 324.1} [FLB 324.2] In the Revelation he ［Satan］ is declared to be the "accuser of our brethren," "which accused them before our God day and night." Revelation 12:10. The controversy is repeated over every soul that is rescued from the power of evil and whose name is registered in the Lamb's book of life. Never is one received from the family of Satan into the family of God without exciting the determined resistance of the wicked one. . . . He leads men into skepticism, causing them to lose confidence in God and to separate from His love; he tempts them to break His law, and then he claims them as his captives and contests the right of Christ to take them from him. He knows that those who seek God earnestly for pardon and grace will obtain it; therefore he presents their sins before them to discourage them. . . . By countless devices, the most subtle and the most cruel, he endeavors to secure their condemnation. {FLB 324.2} [FLB 324.3] Man cannot meet these charges himself. In his sin-stained garments, confessing his guilt, he stands before God. But Jesus our Advocate presents an effectual plea in behalf of all who by repentance and faith have committed the keeping of their souls to Him. He pleads their cause and vanquishes their accuser by the mighty arguments of Calvary. His perfect obedience to God's law, even unto the death of the cross, has given Him all power in heaven and in earth, and He claims of His Father mercy and reconciliation for guilty man. . . . {FLB 324.3} [FLB 324.4] Not one soul that in penitence and faith has claimed His protection will Christ permit to pass under the enemy's power. His word is pledged: "Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me." The promise . . . is made to all: "If thou wilt keep my charge, . . . I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by." Zechariah 3:7. Angels of God will walk on either side of them, even in this world, and they will stand at last among the angels that surround the throne of God." 325 {FLB 324.4} [FLB 325.1] Seen and Unseen Foes Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. Daniel 12:10. {FLB 325.1} [FLB 325.2] The church must and will fight against seen and unseen foes. Satan's agencies in human form are on the ground. Men have confederated to oppose the Lord of hosts. These confederacies will continue until Christ shall leave His place of intercession before the mercy seat and shall put on the garments of vengeance. Satanic agencies are in every city, busily organizing into parties those opposed to the law of God. Professed saints and avowed unbelievers take their stand with these parties. {FLB 325.2} [FLB 325.3] God has revealed what is to take place in the last days, that His people may be prepared to stand against the tempest of opposition and wrath. Those who have been warned of the events before them are not to sit in calm expectation of the coming storm, comforting themselves that the Lord will shelter His faithful ones in the day of trouble. . . . {FLB 325.3} [FLB 325.4] It is no time now ［WRITTEN IN 1885, AT A TIME WHEN RELIGIOUS LIBERTY WAS THREATENED, MUCH AS IT IS TODAY.］ to allow our minds to be engrossed with things of minor importance. . . . The Sunday movement is now making its way in darkness. The leaders are concealing the true issue, and many who unite in the movement do not themselves see whither the undercurrent is tending. Its professions are mild and apparently Christian, but when it shall speak it will reveal the spirit of the dragon. It is our duty to do all in our power to avert the threatened danger. {FLB 325.4} [FLB 325.5] The time is coming when God's people will feel the hand of persecution because they keep holy the seventh day. . . . The man of sin, who thought to change times and laws, and who has always oppressed the people of God, will cause laws to be made enforcing the observance of the first day of the week. But God's people are to stand firm for Him. And the Lord will work in their behalf, showing plainly that He is the God of gods. 326 {FLB 325.5} [FLB 326.1] Revivals True and Counterfeit Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. Matthew 7:16, 17. {FLB 326.1} [FLB 326.2] Before the final visitation of God's judgments upon the earth, there will be, among the people of the Lord, such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children. At that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His Word. Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this time, to prepare a people for the Lord's second coming. The enemy of souls desires to hinder this work; and before the time for such a movement shall come, he will endeavor to prevent it, by introducing a counterfeit. In those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power, he will make it appear that God's special blessing is poured out; there will be manifest what is thought to be great religious interest. . . . {FLB 326.2} [FLB 326.3] Wherever men neglect the testimony of the Bible, turning away from those plain, soul-testing truths which require self-denial and renunciation of the world, there we may be sure that God's blessing is not bestowed. . . . {FLB 326.3} [FLB 326.4] A wrong conception of the character, the perpetuity, and the obligation of the divine law, has led to errors in relation to conversion and sanctification, and has resulted in lowering the standard of piety in the church. Here is to be found the secret of the lack of the Spirit and power of God in the revivals of our time. . . . {FLB 326.4} [FLB 326.5] It is only as the law of God is restored to its rightful position that there can be a revival of primitive faith and godliness among His professed people. "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16. 327 {FLB 326.5} [FLB 327.1] Tears and Conflict Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews. Acts 20:19. {FLB 327.1} [FLB 327.2] From the days of Adam to our own time, our great enemy has been exercising his power to oppress and destroy. He is now preparing for his last campaign against the church. {FLB 327.2} [FLB 327.3] The better to disguise his real character and purposes, he has caused himself to be so represented as to excite no stronger emotion than ridicule or contempt. He is well pleased to be painted as a ludicrous or loathsome object, misshapen, half animal and half human. {FLB 327.3} [FLB 327.4] If Satan was so cunning at first, what must he be now, after gaining an experience of many thousands of years? Yet God and holy angels, and all those who abide in obedience to all the Lord's will, are wiser than he. {FLB 327.4} [FLB 327.5] All who are actively engaged in the cause of God, seeking to unveil the deceptions of the evil one and to present Christ before the people, will be able to join in the testimony of Paul, in which he speaks of serving the Lord with all humility of mind, with many tears and temptations. . . . {FLB 327.5} [FLB 327.6] The tempter has no power to control the will or to force the soul to sin. He may distress, but he cannot contaminate. He can cause agony, but not defilement. {FLB 327.6} [FLB 327.7] Satan cannot read our thoughts, but he can see our actions, hear our words; and from his long knowledge of the human family, he can shape his temptations to take advantage of our weak points of character. And how often do we let him into the secret of how he may obtain the victory over us. Oh, that we might control our words and actions! {FLB 327.7} [FLB 327.8] Satan assailed Christ with his fiercest and most subtle temptations; but he was repulsed in every conflict. Those battles were fought in our behalf; those victories make it possible for us to conquer. Christ will give strength to all who seek it. 328 {FLB 327.8} [FLB 328.1] Physical Attacks of Satan And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. Job 1:7. {FLB 328.1} [FLB 328.2] Satan was "a murderer from the beginning." John 8:44. {FLB 328.2} [FLB 328.3] His temptations are leading multitudes to ruin. Intemperance dethrones reason; sensual indulgence, strife, and bloodshed follow. Satan delights in war; for it excites the worst passions of the soul, and then sweeps into eternity its victims steeped in vice and blood. It is his object to incite the nations to war against one another; for he can thus divert the minds of the people from the work of preparation to stand in the day of God. {FLB 328.3} [FLB 328.4] Satan works through the elements also to garner his harvest of unprepared souls. He has studied the secrets of the laboratories of nature, and he uses all his power to control the elements as far as God allows. When he was suffered to afflict Job, how quickly flocks and herds, servants, houses, children, were swept away, one trouble succeeding another as in a moment. It is God that shields His creatures, and hedges them in from the power of the destroyer. . . . {FLB 328.4} [FLB 328.5] In accidents and calamities by sea and by land, in great conflagrations, in fierce tornadoes and terrific hailstorms, in tempests, floods, cyclones, tidal waves, and earthquakes, in every place and in a thousand forms, Satan is exercising his power. He sweeps away the ripening harvest, and famine and distress follow. He imparts to the air a deadly taint, and thousands perish by the pestilence. These visitations are to become more and more frequent and disastrous. {FLB 328.5} [FLB 328.6] The power and malice of Satan and his host might justly alarm us, were it not that we may find shelter and deliverance in the superior power of our Redeemer. . . . Those who follow Christ are ever safe under His watchcare. Angels that excel in strength are sent from heaven to protect them. The wicked one cannot break through the guard which God has stationed about His people. 329 {FLB 328.6} [FLB 329.1] In the Hour of Decision Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. Joel 3:14. {FLB 329.1} [FLB 329.2] The prophecy of Revelation 13 declares that the power represented by the beast with lamblike horns shall cause "the earth and them which dwell therein" to worship the Papacy--there symbolized by the beast "like unto a leopard." The beast with two horns is also to say "to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast;" and, furthermore, it is to command all, "both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond," to receive "the mark of the beast." . . . {FLB 329.2} [FLB 329.3] The United States is the power represented by the beast with lamblike horns, and . . . this prophecy will be fulfilled when the United States shall enforce Sunday observance, which Rome claims as the special acknowledgment of her supremacy. But in this homage to Papacy the United States will not be alone. The influence of Rome in the countries that once acknowledged her dominion, is still far from being destroyed. And prophecy foretells a restoration of her power. "I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." Revelation 13:3. {FLB 329.3} [FLB 329.4] The infliction of the deadly wound points to the downfall of the Papacy in 1798. After this, says the prophet, "His deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." Paul states plainly that the man of sin will continue until the Second Advent. . . . In both the Old and the New World, the Papacy will receive homage in the honor paid to the Sunday institution, that rests solely upon the authority of the Roman Church. . . . {FLB 329.4} [FLB 329.5] God's Word has given warning of the impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. {FLB 329.5} [FLB 329.6] We should now seek a deep and living experience in the things of God. We have not a moment to lose. 330 {FLB 329.6} [FLB 330.1] Hard Days of Persecution Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12. {FLB 330.1} [FLB 330.2] As the time comes for it ［the third angel's message］ to be given with greatest power, the Lord will work through humble instruments, leading the minds of those who consecrate themselves to His service. The laborers will be qualified rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them. The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of enforcing the observances of the church by civil authority, the inroads of spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power--all will be unmasked. By these solemn warnings the people will be stirred. . . . {FLB 330.2} [FLB 330.3] The power attending the message will only madden those who oppose it. . . . The church appeals to the strong arm of civil power, and in this work, papists and Protestants unite. As the movement for Sunday enforcement becomes more bold and decided, the law will be invoked against commandment keepers. . . . {FLB 330.3} [FLB 330.4] The words of Paul will be literally fulfilled, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." As the defenders of truth refuse to honor the Sunday-sabbath, some of them will be thrust into prison, some will be exiled, some will be treated as slaves. To human wisdom, all this now seems impossible; but as the restraining Spirit of God shall be withdrawn from men, and they shall be under the control of Satan, . . . there will be strange developments. . . . {FLB 330.4} [FLB 330.5] No man can serve God without enlisting against himself the opposition of the hosts of darkness. {FLB 330.5} [FLB 330.6] What was the strength of those who in the past have suffered persecution for Christ's sake? It was union with God, union with the Holy Spirit, union with Christ. It is this fellowship with the Saviour that will enable God's people to endure to the end. 331 {FLB 330.6} [FLB 331.1] Safety Only in Obedience For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 1 Peter 3:12. {FLB 331.1} [FLB 331.2] No man is safe for a day or an hour without prayer. Especially should we entreat the Lord for wisdom to understand His Word. Here are revealed the wiles of the tempter, and the means by which he may be successfully resisted. Satan is an expert in quoting Scripture, placing his own interpretation upon passages, by which he hopes to cause us to stumble. We should study the Bible with humility of heart, never losing sight of our dependence upon God. While we must constantly guard against the devices of Satan, we should pray in faith continually, "Lead us not into temptation." {FLB 331.2} [FLB 331.3] When Balaam, allured by the promise of rich rewards, practiced enchantments against Israel, and by sacrifices to the Lord sought to invoke a curse upon His people, the Spirit of God forbade the evil which he longed to pronounce, and Balaam was forced to exclaim: "How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed?" Numbers 23:8. . . . {FLB 331.3} [FLB 331.4] The people of Israel were at this time loyal to God; and so long as they continued in obedience to His law, no power in earth or hell could prevail against them. But the curse which Balaam had not been permitted to pronounce against God's people, he finally succeeded in bringing upon them by seducing them into sin. When they transgressed God's commandments, then they separated themselves from Him, and they were left to feel the power of the destroyer. {FLB 331.4} [FLB 331.5] Satan is well aware that the weakest soul who abides in Christ is more than a match for the hosts of darkness. . . . Only in humble reliance upon God, and obedience to all His commandments, can we be secure. {FLB 331.5} [FLB 331.6] Let none deceive themselves with the belief that God will pardon and bless them while they are trampling upon one of His requirements. The willful commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit, and separates the soul from God. 332 {FLB 331.6} [FLB 332.1] Another Pentecost Coming! And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26. {FLB 332.1} [FLB 332.2] The Lord has appointed the youth to be His helping hand. {FLB 332.2} [FLB 332.3] Many a lad of today, growing up as did Daniel in his Judean home, studying God's Word and His works, and learning the lessons of faithful service, will yet stand in legislative assemblies, in halls of justice, or in royal courts, as a witness for the King of kings. . . . {FLB 332.3} [FLB 332.4] With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world! {FLB 332.4} [FLB 332.5] The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of the gospel, are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close. . . . {FLB 332.5} [FLB 332.6] Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believers. Satan also works with lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand. {FLB 332.6} [FLB 332.7] The message will be carried not so much by argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God. . . . The rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the honest children of God sever the bands which have held them. {FLB 332.7} [FLB 332.8] God has a work for His people to do for the world, and if they will work in harmony with one another and with heaven, He will demonstrate His power in their behalf as He did for His first disciples on the day of Pentecost. 333 {FLB 332.8} [FLB 333.1] The Early Rain of God's Spirit Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. Joel 2:23. {FLB 333.1} [FLB 333.2] Under the figure of the early and the latter rain, that falls in Eastern lands at seedtime and harvest, the Hebrew prophets foretold the bestowal of spiritual grace in extraordinary measure upon God's church. The outpouring of the Spirit in the days of the apostles was the beginning of the early, or former, rain, and glorious was the result. . . . But near the close of earth's harvest, a special bestowal of spiritual grace is promised to prepare the church for the coming of the Son of man. This outpouring of the Spirit is likened to the falling of the latter rain. {FLB 333.2} [FLB 333.3] The latter rain, ripening earth's harvest, represents the spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the Son of man. But unless the former rain has fallen, there will be no life; the green blade will not spring up. Unless the early showers have done their work, the latter rain can bring no seed to perfection. . . . {FLB 333.3} [FLB 333.4] There must be a constant development of Christian virtue, a constant advancement in Christian experience. . . . {FLB 333.4} [FLB 333.5] Every individual must realize his own necessity. The heart must be emptied of every defilement, and cleansed for the indwelling of the Spirit. It was by the confession and forsaking of sin, by earnest prayer and consecration of themselves to God, that the early disciples prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The same work, only in greater degree, must be done now. . . . {FLB 333.5} [FLB 333.6] There must be no neglect of the grace represented by the former rain. Only those who are living up to the light they have, will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it. 334 {FLB 333.6} [FLB 334.1] Outpouring of the Latter Rain Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. Zechariah 10:1. {FLB 334.1} [FLB 334.2] In the East the former rain falls at the sowing time. It is necessary in order that the seed may germinate. Under the influence of the fertilizing showers, the tender shoot springs up. The latter rain, falling near the close of the season, ripens the grain, and prepares it for the sickle. The Lord employs these operations of nature to represent the work of the Holy Spirit. . . . {FLB 334.2} [FLB 334.3] While we cherish the blessing of the early rain, we must not, on the other hand, lose sight of the fact that without the latter rain, to fill out the ears and ripen the grain, the harvest will not be ready for the sickle, and the labor of the sower will have been in vain. Divine grace is needed at the beginning, divine grace at every step of advance, and divine grace alone can complete the work. . . . {FLB 334.3} [FLB 334.4] Do not rest satisfied that in the ordinary course of the season, rain will fall. Ask for it. . . . We must seek His favors with the whole heart if the showers of grace are to come to us. We should improve every opportunity of placing ourselves in the channel of blessing. Christ has said, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst." Matthew 18:20. The convocations of the church, as in camp meetings, the assemblies of the home church, and all occasions where there is personal labor for souls, are God's appointed opportunities for giving the early and the latter rain. . . . {FLB 334.4} [FLB 334.5] At every meeting we attend our prayers should ascend that at this very time, God will impart warmth and moisture to our souls. As we seek God for the Holy Spirit, it will work in us meekness, humbleness of mind, a conscious dependence upon God for the perfecting latter rain. If we pray for the blessing in faith, we shall receive it as God has promised. {FLB 334.5} [FLB 334.6] The Holy Spirit will come to all who are begging for the bread of life to give to their neighbors. 335 {FLB 334.6} [FLB 335.1] Loud Cry of the Third Angel And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. Revelation 18:1. {FLB 335.1} [FLB 335.2] I saw another mighty angel commissioned to descend to the earth, to unite his voice with the third angel, and give power and force to his message. {FLB 335.2} [FLB 335.3] A work of worldwide extent and unwonted power is here foretold. {FLB 335.3} [FLB 335.4] Great power and glory were imparted to the angel, and as he descended, the earth was lightened with his glory. The light which attended this angel penetrated everywhere, as he cried mightily, with a strong voice, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." Revelation 18:2. The message of the fall of Babylon, as given by the second angel, is repeated, with the additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the churches since 1844. The work of this angel comes in at the right time to join in the last great work of the third angel's message as it swells to a loud cry. And the people of God are thus prepared to stand in the hour of temptation, which they are soon to meet. I saw a great light resting upon them, and they united to fearlessly proclaim the third angel's message. {FLB 335.4} [FLB 335.5] Angels were sent to aid the mighty angel from heaven, and I heard voices which seemed to sound everywhere, "Come out of her, my people." . . . The glory of God rested upon the patient, waiting saints, and they fearlessly gave the last solemn warning, proclaiming the fall of Babylon and calling upon God's people to come out of her that they might escape her fearful doom. {FLB 335.5} [FLB 335.6] The light that was shed upon the waiting ones penetrated everywhere, and those in the churches who had any light, who had not heard and rejected the three messages, obeyed the call and left the fallen churches. 336 {FLB 335.6} [FLB 336.1] Unmoved in the Shaking Time Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Hebrews 12:28. {FLB 336.1} [FLB 336.2] Those who accept Christ, and in their first confidence say, I am saved, are in danger of trusting to themselves. They lose sight of their own weakness and their constant need of divine strength. They are unprepared for Satan's devices. . . . Our only safety is in constant distrust of self, and dependence on Christ. {FLB 336.2} [FLB 336.3] Man's great danger is in being self-deceived, indulging self-sufficiency, and thus separating from God, the source of his strength. {FLB 336.3} [FLB 336.4] The Lord is coming very soon, and we are entering into scenes of calamity. {FLB 336.4} [FLB 336.5] We need not say: The perils of the last days are soon to come upon us. Already they have come. We need now the sword of the Lord to cut to the very soul and marrow of fleshly lusts, appetites, and passions. {FLB 336.5} [FLB 336.6] Minds that have been given up to loose thought need to change. . . . The thoughts must be centered upon God. Now is the time to put forth earnest effort to overcome the natural tendencies of the carnal heart. {FLB 336.6} [FLB 336.7] As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel's message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position, and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular side. Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren. {FLB 336.7} [FLB 336.8] We are in the shaking time, the time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. The Lord will not excuse those who know the truth if they do not in word and deed obey His commands. 337 {FLB 336.8} [FLB 337.1] Prepare to Meet Thy God Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. Amos 4:12. {FLB 337.1} [FLB 337.2] Many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully. {FLB 337.2} [FLB 337.3] Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort, they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God's people upon earth. {FLB 337.3} [FLB 337.4] I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of "refreshing" and the "latter rain" to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. {FLB 337.4} [FLB 337.5] Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. . . . {FLB 337.5} [FLB 337.6] I saw that none could share the "refreshing" unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy and that none but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence. 338 {FLB 337.6} [FLB 338.1] The Strange Act of God For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. Isaiah 28:21. {FLB 338.1} [FLB 338.2] With unerring accuracy the Infinite One still keeps an account with all nations. While His mercy is tendered, with calls to repentance, this account will remain open; but when the figures reach a certain amount which God has fixed, the ministry of His wrath commences. The account is closed. Divine patience ceases. There is no more pleading of mercy in their behalf. {FLB 338.2} [FLB 338.3] The prophet, looking down the ages, had this time presented before his vision. The nations of this age have been the recipients of unprecedented mercies. . . . But increased pride, covetousness, idolatry, contempt of God, and base ingratitude are written against them. They are fast closing up their account with God. . . . {FLB 338.3} [FLB 338.4] The crisis is fast approaching. The rapidly swelling figures show that the time for God's visitation has about come. {FLB 338.4} [FLB 338.5] To our merciful God the act of punishment is a strange act. "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked." Ezekiel 33:11. . . . Yet He will "by no means clear the guilty." "The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked." Exodus 34:6, 7; Nahum 1:3. By terrible things in righteousness He will vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law. The severity of the retribution awaiting the transgressor may be judged by the Lord's reluctance to execute justice. The nation with which He bears long, and which He will not smite until it has filled up the measure of its iniquity in God's account, will finally drink the cup of wrath unmixed with mercy. {FLB 338.5} [FLB 338.6] After God has done all that could be done to save men, if they still show by their lives that they slight offered mercy, death will be their portion; and it will be a dreadful death, for they will have to feel the agony that Christ felt upon the cross. They will then realize what they have lost--eternal life and the immortal inheritance. 339 {FLB 338.6} [FLB 339.1] "A Time of Trouble" And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. Daniel 12:1. {FLB 339.1} [FLB 339.2] When the third angel's message closes, mercy no longer pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the earth. The people of God have accomplished their work. . . . The final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have proved themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received "the seal of the living God." Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands, and with a loud voice says, "It is done." . . . {FLB 339.2} [FLB 339.3] God's long-suffering has ended. The world has rejected His mercy, despised His love, and trampled upon His law. The wicked have passed the boundary of their probation; the Spirit of God, persistently resisted, has been at last withdrawn. Unsheltered by divine grace, they have no protection from the wicked one. Satan will then plunge the inhabitants of the earth into one great, final trouble. . . . The people of God will then be plunged into those scenes of affliction and distress described by the prophet as the time of Jacob's trouble. {FLB 339.3} [FLB 339.4] Those only who have clean hands and pure hearts will stand in that trying time. Now is the time for the law of God to be in our minds, foreheads, and written in our hearts. . . . What leisure time we have should be spent in searching the Bible, which is to judge us in the last day. . . . {FLB 339.4} [FLB 339.5] Let the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ be in your minds continually and let them crowd out worldly thoughts and cares. When you lie down and when you rise up, let them be your meditation. Live and act wholly in reference to the coming of the Son of man. The sealing time is very short, and will soon be over. Now is the time, while the four angels are holding the four winds, to make our calling and election sure. 340 {FLB 339.5} [FLB 340.1] Seven Last Plagues When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. Isaiah 41:17. {FLB 340.1} [FLB 340.2] When Christ ceases His intercession in the sanctuary, the unmingled wrath threatened against those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark, will be poured out. The plagues upon Egypt when God was about to deliver Israel, were similar in character to those more terrible and extensive judgments which are to fall upon the world just before the final deliverance of God's people. Says the revelator, in describing those terrific scourges: "There fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image." The sea "became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea." And "the rivers and fountains of waters . . . became blood." Revelation 16:2-4. Terrible as these inflictions are, God's justice stands fully vindicated. . . . {FLB 340.2} [FLB 340.3] These plagues are not universal, or the inhabitants of the earth would be wholly cut off. Yet they will be the most awful scourges that have ever been known to mortals. All the judgments upon men, prior to the close of probation, have been mingled with mercy. The pleading blood of Christ has shielded the sinner from receiving the full measure of his guilt; but in the final judgment, wrath is poured out unmixed with mercy. {FLB 340.3} [FLB 340.4] It is impossible to give any idea of the experience of the people of God who will be alive on the earth when past woes and celestial glory will be blended. They will walk in the light proceeding from the throne of God. By the means of the angels there will be constant communication between heaven and earth. {FLB 340.4} [FLB 340.5] The people of God will not be free from suffering; but . . . they will not be left to perish. . . . While the wicked are dying from hunger and pestilence, angels will shield the righteous, and supply their wants. To him that "walketh righteously" is the promise, "Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure." Isaiah 33:16. {FLB 340.5} [FLB 341.1] Chap. 12 - The Triumph of the Gospel As It Was in Noah's Day And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. Luke 17:26. {FLB 341.1} [FLB 341.2] From age to age the warnings which God has sent to the world by His servants have been received with . . . incredulity and unbelief. When the iniquity of the antediluvians moved Him to bring a flood of waters upon the earth, He first made known to them His purpose, that they might have opportunity to turn from their evil ways. For a hundred and twenty years was sounded in their ears the warning to repent, lest the wrath of God be manifested in their destruction. But the message seemed to them an idle tale, and they believed it not. . . . {FLB 341.2} [FLB 341.3] Scoffers pointed to the things of nature--to the unvarying succession of the seasons, to the blue skies that had never poured out rain, to the green fields refreshed by the soft dews of night--and they cried out, "Doth he not speak parables?" In contempt they declared the preacher of righteousness to be a wild enthusiast; and they went on, more eager in their pursuit of pleasure, more intent upon their evil ways, than ever before. But their unbelief did not hinder the predicted event. . . . {FLB 341.3} [FLB 341.4] Christ declares that there will exist similar unbelief concerning His second coming. As the people of Noah's day "knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so," in the words of our Saviour, "shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:39. {FLB 341.4} [FLB 341.5] Solemnly there come to us down through the centuries the warning words of our Lord from the Mount of Olives: "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares," "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things. . . ." 342 {FLB 341.5} [FLB 342.1] The Criers of Peace For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:3. {FLB 342.1} [FLB 342.2] The evil servant says in his heart, "My lord delayeth his coming." He does not say that Christ will not come. He does not scoff at the idea of His second coming. But in his heart and by his actions and words he declares that the Lord's coming is delayed. He banishes from the minds of others the conviction that the Lord is coming quickly. His influence leads men to presumptuous, careless delay. They are confirmed in their worldliness and stupor. Earthly passions, corrupt thoughts, take possession of the mind. The evil servant eats and drinks with the drunken, unites with the world in pleasure seeking. He smites his fellow servants, accusing and condemning those who are faithful to their Master. . . . {FLB 342.2} [FLB 342.3] The advent of Christ will surprise the false teachers. They are saying, "Peace and safety." Like the priests and teachers before the fall of Jerusalem, they look for the church to enjoy earthly prosperity and glory. The signs of the times they interpret as foreshadowing this. But what saith the Word of Inspiration? "Sudden destruction cometh upon them." . . . {FLB 342.3} [FLB 342.4] Men are putting afar off the coming of the Lord. They laugh at warnings. The proud boast is made, "All things continue as they were from the beginning." "Tomorrow shall be as this day and much more abundant." 2 Peter 3:4; Isaiah 56:12. We will go deeper into pleasure loving. But Christ says, "Behold, I come as a thief." Revelation 16:15. At the very time when the world is asking in scorn, "Where is the promise of his coming?" the signs are fulfilling. While they cry, "Peace and safety," sudden destruction is coming. When the scorner, the rejecter of truth, has become presumptuous; when the routine of work in the various money-making lines is carried on without regard to principle; when the student is eagerly seeking knowledge of everything but his Bible, Christ comes as a thief. 343 {FLB 342.4} [FLB 343.1] Signs by Land and Sea The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. Zephaniah 1:14. {FLB 343.1} [FLB 343.2] We are near the close of time. I have been shown that the retributive judgments of God are already in the land. The Lord has given us warning of the events about to take place. . . . Those who are drinking from the same fountain of blessing will draw nearer together. Truth dwelling in the hearts of believers will lead to blessed and happy assimilation. Thus will be answered the prayer of Christ that His disciples might be one even as He is one with the Father. For this oneness every truly converted heart will be striving. {FLB 343.2} [FLB 343.3] With the ungodly there will be a deceptive harmony that but partially conceals a perpetual discord. In their opposition to the will and the truth of God they are united, while on every other point they are rent with hatred, emulation, jealousy, and deadly strife. {FLB 343.3} [FLB 343.4] The Lord is removing His restrictions from the earth, and soon there will be death and destruction, increasing crime, and cruel, evil working against the rich who have exalted themselves against the poor. Those who are without God's protection will find no safety in any place or position. Human agents are being trained and are using their inventive power to put into operation the most powerful machinery to wound and to kill. {FLB 343.4} [FLB 343.5] The Lord will arise to shake terribly the earth. We shall see troubles on all sides. Thousands of ships will be hurled into the depths of the sea. Navies will go down, and human lives will be sacrificed by millions. Fires will break out unexpectedly, and no human effort will be able to quench them. The palaces of earth will be swept away in the fury of the flames. Disasters by rail will become more and more frequent; confusion, collision, and death without a moment's warning will occur on the great lines of travel. The end is near, probation is closing. Oh, let us seek God while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near! 344 {FLB 343.5} [FLB 344.1] Signs in the Heavens Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Matthew 24:32, 33. {FLB 344.1} [FLB 344.2] The Saviour gives signs of His coming, and more than this, He fixes the time when the first of these signs shall appear: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. . . ." Matthew 24:29-31. {FLB 344.2} [FLB 344.3] At the close of the great papal persecution, Christ declared, the sun should be darkened, and the moon should not give her light. Next, the stars should fall from heaven. {FLB 344.3} [FLB 344.4] Thus was displayed the last of those signs of His coming, concerning which Jesus bade His disciples, "When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." After these signs, John beheld, as the great event next impending, the heavens departing as a scroll, while the earth quaked, mountains and islands removed out of their places, and the wicked in terror sought to flee from the presence of the Son of man. {FLB 344.4} [FLB 344.5] But the day and the hour of His coming Christ has not revealed. . . . The exact time of the second coming of the Son of man is God's mystery. {FLB 344.5} [FLB 344.6] A little longer, and we shall see the King in His beauty. A little longer, and He will wipe all tears from our eyes. A little longer, and He will present us "faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy." Jude 24. Wherefore, when He gave the signs of His coming He said, "When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Luke 21:28. 345 {FLB 344.6} [FLB 345.1] Study the Prophecies Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. Revelation 1:3. {FLB 345.1} [FLB 345.2] From the rise and fall of nations as made plain in the books of Daniel and the Revelation, we need to learn how worthless is mere outward and worldly glory. Babylon, with all its power and magnificence, the like of which our world has never since beheld--power and magnificence which to the people of that day seemed so stable and enduring--how completely has it passed away! As "the flower of the grass," it has perished. So perished the Medo-Persian kingdom, and the kingdoms of Grecia and Rome. And so perishes all that has not God for its foundation. Only that which is bound up with His purpose, and expresses His character, can endure. His principles are the only steadfast things our world knows. {FLB 345.2} [FLB 345.3] When the books of Daniel and Revelation are better understood, believers will have an entirely different religious experience. They will be given such glimpses of the open gates of heaven that heart and mind will be impressed with the character that all must develop in order to realize the blessedness which is to be the reward of the pure in heart. The Lord will bless all who will seek humbly and meekly to understand that which is revealed in the Revelation. This book contains so much that is large with immortality and full of glory that all who read and search it earnestly receive the blessing to those "that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein." One thing will certainly be understood from the study of Revelation--that the connection between God and His people is close and decided. {FLB 345.3} [FLB 345.4] Let us give more time to the study of the Bible. We do not understand the Word as we should. The book of Revelation opens with an injunction to us to understand the instruction that it contains. . . . When we . . . understand what this book means to us, there will be seen among us a great revival. 346 {FLB 345.4} [FLB 346.1] The Crowning Act of Deception And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Matthew 24:4, 5. {FLB 346.1} [FLB 346.2] As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour's advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. . . . The shout of triumph rings out upon the air, "Christ has come! Christ has come!" The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him. . . . In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. . . . {FLB 346.2} [FLB 346.3] Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures, and who have received the love of the truth, will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. {FLB 346.3} [FLB 346.4] The Saviour has warned His people. . . , and has clearly foretold the manner of His second coming. "There shall arise false Christs. . . . Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:24-27. This coming, there is no possibility of counterfeiting. It will be universally known--witnessed by the whole world. . . . {FLB 346.4} [FLB 346.5] Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His Word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible, and the Bible only? 347 {FLB 346.5} [FLB 347.1] Saved From Violence Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel. Isaiah 30:29. {FLB 347.1} [FLB 347.2] When the protection of human laws shall be withdrawn from those who honor the law of God, there will be, in different lands, a simultaneous movement for their destruction. . . . {FLB 347.2} [FLB 347.3] The people of God--some in prison cells, some hidden in solitary retreats in the forests and the mountains--still plead for divine protection, while in every quarter companies of armed men, urged on by hosts of evil angels, are preparing for the work of death. . . . {FLB 347.3} [FLB 347.4] With shouts of triumph, jeering, and imprecation, throngs of evil men are about to rush upon their prey, when, lo, a dense blackness, deeper than the darkness of the night, falls upon the earth. Then a rainbow . . . spans the heavens, and seems to encircle each praying company. . . . {FLB 347.4} [FLB 347.5] By the people of God a voice, clear and melodious, is heard, saying, "Look up," and lifting their eyes to the heavens, they behold the bow of promise. The black, angry clouds that covered the firmament are parted, and like Stephen they look up steadfastly into heaven, and see the glory of God, and the Son of man seated upon His throne. In His divine form they discern the marks of His humiliation; and from His lips they hear the request, presented before His Father and the holy angels, "I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am." John 17:24. Again a voice, musical and triumphant, is heard, saying: "They come! they come! holy, harmless, and undefiled. They have kept the word of My patience; they shall walk among the angels;" and the pale, quivering lips of those who have held fast their faith, utter a shout of victory. It is at midnight that God manifests His power for the deliverance of His people. The sun appears, shining in its strength. Signs and wonders follow in quick succession. The wicked look with terror and amazement upon the scene, while the righteous behold with solemn joy the tokens of their deliverance. 348 {FLB 347.5} [FLB 348.1] "Even so, Come, Lord Jesus" Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13. {FLB 348.1} [FLB 348.2] One of the most solemn and yet most glorious truths revealed in the Bible is that of Christ's second coming, to complete the great work of redemption. . . . The doctrine of the Second Advent is the very keynote of the Sacred Scriptures. . . . {FLB 348.2} [FLB 348.3] The coming of the Lord has been in all ages the hope of His true followers. {FLB 348.3} [FLB 348.4] The patriarch Job in the night of his affliction exclaimed with unshaken trust: "I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: . . . in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another." Job 19:25-27. . . . {FLB 348.4} [FLB 348.5] The Saviour's parting promise upon Olivet, that He would come again, lighted up the future for His disciples, filling their hearts with joy and hope that sorrow could not quench nor trials dim. Amid suffering and persecution, the "appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" was the "blessed hope." . . . {FLB 348.5} [FLB 348.6] On rocky Patmos the beloved disciple hears the promise, "Surely I come quickly," and his longing response voices the prayer of the church in all her pilgrimage, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:20. . . . {FLB 348.6} [FLB 348.7] "This aged world is not far from its end," said Melanchthon. Calvin bids Christians "not to hesitate, ardently desiring the day of Christ's coming as of all events most auspicious." . . . "The thoughts of the coming of the Lord," said Baxter, "are most sweet and joyful to me." "It is the work of faith and the character of His saints to love His appearing." . . . {FLB 348.7} [FLB 348.8] "This is the day that all believers should long, and hope, and wait for, as being the accomplishment of all the work of their redemption, and all the desires and endeavors of their souls." "Hasten, O Lord, this blessed day!" 349 {FLB 348.8} [FLB 349.1] The King Appears in Person Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Psalm 50:3, 4. {FLB 349.1} [FLB 349.2] The King of kings descends upon the cloud, wrapped in flaming fire. The heavens are rolled together as a scroll, the earth trembles before Him, and every mountain and island is moved out of its place. {FLB 349.2} [FLB 349.3] Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror. Not now a "man of sorrows," to drink the bitter cup of shame and woe, He comes, victor in heaven and earth, to judge the living and the dead. "Faithful and True," "in righteousness he doth judge and make war." And "the armies which were in heaven followed him." Revelation 19:11, 14. With anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him on His way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms--"ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands." No human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor. "His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was as the light." Habakkuk 3:3, 4. As the living cloud comes still nearer, every eye beholds the Prince of life. No crown of thorns now mars that sacred head, but a diadem of glory rests on His holy brow. His countenance outshines the dazzling brightness of the noonday sun. "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords." Revelation 19:16. {FLB 349.3} [FLB 349.4] Before His presence, "all faces are turned into paleness;" upon the rejecters of God's mercy falls the terror of eternal despair. "The heart melteth, and the knees smite together, . . . and the faces of them all gather blackness." Jeremiah 30:6; Nahum 2:10. The righteous cry with trembling, "Who shall be able to stand?" The angels' song is hushed, and there is a period of awful silence. Then the voice of Jesus is heard, saying, "My grace is sufficient for you." 350 {FLB 349.4} [FLB 350.1] Preparation for Translation By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Hebrews 11:5. {FLB 350.1} [FLB 350.2] We are living in an evil age. The perils of the last days thicken around us. Because iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes cold. Enoch walked with God three hundred years. Now the shortness of time seems to be urged as a motive to seek righteousness. Should it be necessary that the terrors of the day of God be held before us in order to compel us to right action? Enoch's case is before us. Hundreds of years he walked with God. He lived in a corrupt age, when moral pollution was teeming all around him; yet he trained his mind to devotion, to love purity. His conversation was upon heavenly things. He educated his mind to run in this channel, and he bore the impress of the divine. His countenance was lighted up with the light which shineth in the face of Jesus. {FLB 350.2} [FLB 350.3] Enoch had temptations as well as we. He was surrounded with society no more friendly to righteousness than is that which surrounds us. The atmosphere he breathed was tainted with sin and corruption, the same as ours; yet he lived a life of holiness. He was unsullied with the prevailing sins of the age in which he lived. So may we remain pure and uncorrupted. He was a representative of the saints who live amid the perils and corruptions of the last days. For his faithful obedience to God he was translated. So, also, the faithful, who are alive and remain, will be translated. They will be removed from a sinful and corrupt world to the pure joys of heaven. The course of God's people should be upward and onward to victory. {FLB 350.3} [FLB 350.4] Enoch's translation to heaven just before the destruction of the world by a flood represents the translation of all the living righteous from the earth previous to its destruction by fire. The saints will be glorified in the presence of those who have hated them for their loyal obedience to God's righteous commandments. 351 {FLB 350.4} [FLB 351.1] This Same Jesus Shall Return Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Acts 1:11. {FLB 351.1} [FLB 351.2] The angels who lingered upon Olivet after Christ's ascension, repeated to the disciples the promise of His return: "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." {FLB 351.2} [FLB 351.3] Precious, indeed, was this promise to those sorrowing disciples, that they should again see Jesus, who was greatly beloved by them all. Precious also is this promise to every true follower of Christ. None who truly love Jesus will be sorry that He is coming again. . . . {FLB 351.3} [FLB 351.4] Jesus is coming! But not to listen to the woes of mankind, and to hear the guilty sinner confess his sins, and to speak pardon to him; for every one's case will then be decided for life or death. Those who have lived in sin will remain sinners forever. Those who have confessed their sins to Jesus in the sanctuary, have made Him their friend and have loved His appearing, will have pardon written for all their sins. . . . {FLB 351.4} [FLB 351.5] Jesus is coming as He ascended into heaven, only with additional splendor. He is coming with the glory of His Father, and all the holy angels with Him, to escort Him on His way. Instead of the cruel crown of thorns to pierce His holy temples, a crown of dazzling glory will deck His sacred brow. . . . He will not wear a plain seamless coat, but a garment whiter than snow--of dazzling brightness. Jesus is coming! But not to reign as a temporal prince. He will raise the righteous dead, change the living saints to a glorious immortality, and, with the saints, take the kingdom under the whole heaven. . . . {FLB 351.5} [FLB 351.6] Dear young reader, seek a thorough preparation to meet Jesus, that when He appears you may exclaim with joy, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us." Isaiah 25:9. Eternal life will then be yours, and you will be a partaker with Christ of His glory, ever to hear His glorious approving voice and behold His lovely person. 352 {FLB 351.6} [FLB 352.1] A Crown for Every Saint Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12. {FLB 352.1} [FLB 352.2] I saw a very great number of angels bring from the city glorious crowns--a crown for every saint, with his name written thereon. As Jesus called for the crowns, angels presented them to Him, and with His own right hand the lovely Jesus placed the crowns on the heads of the saints. In the same manner the angels brought the harps, and Jesus presented them also to the saints. The commanding angels first struck the note, and then every voice was raised in grateful, happy praise, and every hand skillfully swept over the strings of the harp, sending forth melodious music in rich and perfect strains. . . . {FLB 352.2} [FLB 352.3] Within the city there was everything to feast the eye. Rich glory they beheld everywhere. Then Jesus looked upon His redeemed saints; their countenances were radiant with glory; and as He fixed His loving eyes upon them, He said, with His rich, musical voice, "I behold the travail of My soul, and am satisfied. This rich glory is yours to enjoy eternally. Your sorrows are ended. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." . . . {FLB 352.3} [FLB 352.4] I then saw Jesus leading His people to the tree of life. . . . Upon the tree of life was most beautiful fruit, of which the saints could partake freely, in the city was a most glorious throne, from which proceeded a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal. On each side of this river was the tree of life, and on the banks of the river were other beautiful trees bearing fruit. . . . {FLB 352.4} [FLB 352.5] Language is altogether too feeble to attempt a description of heaven. As the scene rises before me, I am lost in amazement. Carried away with the surpassing splendor and excellent glory, I lay down the pen, and exclaim, "Oh, what love! what wondrous love!" The most exalted language fails to describe the glory of heaven or the matchless depths of a Saviour's love. 353 {FLB 352.5} [FLB 353.1] The Captivity of Satan And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. Revelation 20:1, 2. {FLB 353.1} [FLB 353.2] At the coming of Christ the wicked are blotted from the face of the whole earth--consumed with the spirit of His mouth, and destroyed by the brightness of His glory. Christ takes His people to the city of God, and the earth is emptied of its inhabitants. . . . {FLB 353.2} [FLB 353.3] The whole earth appears like a desolate wilderness. The ruins of cities and villages destroyed by the earthquake, uprooted trees, ragged rocks thrown out by the sea or torn out of the earth itself, are scattered over its surface, while vast caverns mark the spot where the mountains have been rent from their foundations. {FLB 353.3} [FLB 353.4] Here is to be the home of Satan with his evil angels for a thousand years. Here he will be confined, to wander up and down over the broken surface of the earth and see the effects of his rebellion against God's law. For a thousand years he can enjoy the fruit of the curse which he has caused. Limited alone to the earth, he will not have the privilege of ranging to other planets, to tempt and annoy those who have not fallen. During this time, Satan suffers extremely. Since his fall his evil traits have been in constant exercise. But he is then to be deprived of his power, and left to reflect upon the part which he has acted since his fall, and to look forward with trembling and terror to the dreadful future, when he must suffer for all the evil that he has done and be punished for all the sins that he has caused to be committed. {FLB 353.4} [FLB 353.5] I heard shouts of triumph from the angels and from the redeemed saints, which sounded like ten thousand musical instruments, because they were to be no more annoyed and tempted by Satan and because the inhabitants of other worlds were delivered from his presence and his temptations. 354 {FLB 353.5} [FLB 354.1] We Shall Judge Angels Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 1 Corinthians 6:3. {FLB 354.1} [FLB 354.2] During the thousand years between the first and the second resurrection, the judgment of the wicked takes place. . . . At this time the righteous reign as kings and priests unto God. John in the Revelation says: "I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them." "They shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." Revelation 20:4, 6. It is at this time that, as foretold by Paul, "the saints shall judge the world." 1 Corinthians 6:2. In union with Christ they judge the wicked, comparing their acts with the statute book, the Bible, and deciding every case according to the deeds done in the body. Then the portion which the wicked must suffer is meted out, according to their works; and it is recorded against their names in the book of death. {FLB 354.2} [FLB 354.3] Satan also and evil angels are judged by Christ and His people. Says Paul, "Know ye not that we shall judge angels?" And Jude declares that "the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." Jude 6. {FLB 354.3} [FLB 354.4] At the close of the thousand years the second resurrection will take place. Then the wicked will be raised from the dead, and appear before God for the execution of "the judgment written." Thus the revelator, after describing the resurrection of the righteous, says, "The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." Revelation 20:5. And Isaiah declares, concerning the wicked, "They shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited." Isaiah 24:22. {FLB 354.4} [FLB 354.5] The penalty for breaking the law of God is proportionate to the price paid to redeem its transgressors. What unutterable bliss is prepared for those who will be saved through Christ, and what depths of woe for those who despise and reject His great salvation! 355 {FLB 354.5} [FLB 355.1] Descent of the New Jerusalem And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. Revelation 21:10. {FLB 355.1} [FLB 355.2] At the close of the thousand years, Christ again returns to the earth. He is accompanied by the host of the redeemed, and attended by a retinue of angels. As He descends in terrific majesty, He bids the wicked dead arise to receive their doom. They come forth, a mighty host, numberless as the sands of the sea. What a contrast to those who were raised at the first resurrection! The righteous were clothed with immortal youth and beauty. The wicked bear the traces of disease and death. {FLB 355.2} [FLB 355.3] Every eye in that vast multitude is turned to behold the glory of the Son of God. With one voice the wicked hosts exclaim, "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!" It is not love to Jesus that inspires this utterance. The force of truth urges the words from unwilling lips. As the wicked went into their graves, so they come forth, with the same enmity to Christ, and the same spirit of rebellion. They are to have no new probation, in which to remedy the defects of their past lives. Nothing would be gained by this. A lifetime of transgressions has not softened their hearts. A second probation, were it given them, would be occupied as was the first, in evading the requirements of God and exciting rebellion against Him. {FLB 355.3} [FLB 355.4] Christ descends upon the Mount of Olives, whence, after His resurrection, He ascended, and where angels repeated the promise of His return. Says the prophet: "The Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof, . . . and there shall be a very great valley." Zechariah 14:5, 4. . . . As the New Jerusalem, in its dazzling splendor, comes down out of heaven, it rests upon the place purified and made ready to receive it, and Christ, with His people and the angels, enters the holy city. 356 {FLB 355.4} [FLB 356.1] The Supremacy of Jesus That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10, 11. {FLB 356.1} [FLB 356.2] In the presence of the assembled inhabitants of earth and heaven the final coronation of the Son of God takes place. And now, invested with supreme majesty and power, the King of kings pronounces sentence upon the rebels against His government, and executes justice upon those who have transgressed His law and oppressed His people. . . . As . . . the eye of Jesus looks upon the wicked, they are conscious of every sin which they have ever committed. . . . {FLB 356.2} [FLB 356.3] Above the throne is revealed the cross; and like a panoramic view appear the scenes of Adam's temptation and fall, and the successive steps in the great plan of redemption. . . . {FLB 356.3} [FLB 356.4] The whole wicked world stand arraigned at the bar of God, on the charge of high treason against the government of heaven. They have none to plead their cause; they are without excuse; and the sentence of eternal death is pronounced against them. It is now evident to all that the wages of sin is not noble independence and eternal life, but slavery, ruin, and death. . . . Satan seems paralyzed as he beholds the glory and majesty of Christ. He who was once a covering cherub remembers whence he has fallen. A shining seraph, "son of the morning;" how changed, how degraded! . . . {FLB 356.4} [FLB 356.5] Satan sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him for heaven. He has trained his powers to war against God; the purity, peace, and harmony of heaven would be to him supreme torture. His accusations against the mercy and justice of God are now silenced. The reproach which he has endeavored to cast upon Jehovah rests wholly upon himself. And now Satan bows down, and confesses the justice of his sentence. . . . With all the facts of the great controversy in view, the whole universe, both loyal and rebellious, with one accord declare, "Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." Revelation 15:3. 357 {FLB 356.5} [FLB 357.1] Satan and the Wicked Destroyed Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. Psalm 9:5. {FLB 357.1} [FLB 357.2] Now Satan prepares for a last mighty struggle for the supremacy. . . . As the wicked dead are raised, and he sees the vast multitudes upon his side, his hopes revive, and he determines not to yield the great controversy. . . . He represents himself to his deluded subjects as a redeemer, assuring them that his power has brought them forth from their graves. . . . At last the order to advance is given, and the countless host moves on. . . . The armies of Satan surround the city, and make ready for the onset. {FLB 357.2} [FLB 357.3] Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein are burned up. The earth's surface seems one molten mass--a vast, seething lake of fire. {FLB 357.3} [FLB 357.4] Satan and all who have joined him in rebellion will be cut off. Sin and sinners will perish, root and branch (Malachi 4:1)--Satan the root, and his followers the branches. . . . "They shall be as though they had not been." Obadiah 16. {FLB 357.4} [FLB 357.5] It will be seen that Satan's rebellion against God has resulted in ruin to himself, and to all that chose to become his subjects. He has represented that great good would result from transgression; but it will be seen that "the wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23. . . . An end will be made of sin, with all the woe and ruin that have resulted from it. Says the psalmist, "Thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end." Psalm 9:5, 6. {FLB 357.5} [FLB 357.6] He ［Satan］ had hoped to break up the plan of salvation; but it was laid too deep. . . . He himself must finally die, and his kingdom be given to Jesus. 358 {FLB 357.6} [FLB 358.1] The Justice of God He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. John 12:48. {FLB 358.1} [FLB 358.2] The wicked receive their recompense in the earth. . . . Some are destroyed as in a moment, while others suffer many days. All are punished "according to their deeds." The sins of the righteous having been transferred to Satan, he is made to suffer not only for his own rebellion, but for all the sins which he has caused God's people to commit. His punishment is to be far greater than that of those whom he has deceived. After all have perished who fell by his deceptions, he is still to live and suffer on. {FLB 358.2} [FLB 358.3] In the cleansing flames the wicked are at last destroyed, root and branch--Satan the root, his followers the branches. The justice of God is satisfied, and the saints and all the angelic host say with a loud voice, Amen. {FLB 358.3} [FLB 358.4] While the earth is wrapped in the fire of God's vengeance, the righteous abide safely in the Holy City. Upon those that had part in the first resurrection, the second death has no power. (Revelation 20:6.) While God is to the wicked a consuming fire, He is to His people both a sun and a shield. (Psalm 84:11.) {FLB 358.4} [FLB 358.5] And a shout of praise and triumph ascends from the whole loyal universe. "The voice of a great multitude," "as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings," is heard, saying, "Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." Revelation 19:6. . . . {FLB 358.5} [FLB 358.6] The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away. No eternally burning hell will keep before the ransomed the fearful consequences of sin. . . . {FLB 358.6} [FLB 358.7] All that was lost by sin has been restored. . . . God's original purpose in the creation of the earth is fulfilled as it is made the eternal abode of the redeemed. "The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever." Psalm 37:29. 359 {FLB 358.7} [FLB 359.1] The Eternal Weight of Glory For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Corinthians 4:17. {FLB 359.1} [FLB 359.2] I was pointed to the glory of heaven, to the treasure laid up for the faithful. Everything was lovely and glorious. The angels would sing a lovely song, then they would cease singing and take their crowns from their heads and cast them glittering at the feet of the lovely Jesus, and with melodious voices cry, "Glory, Alleluia!" I joined with them in their songs of praise and honor to the Lamb, and every time I opened my mouth to praise Him, I felt an unutterable sense of the glory that surrounded me. It was a far more, an exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Said the angel, "The little remnant who love God and keep His commandments and are faithful to the end will enjoy this glory and ever be in the presence of Jesus and sing with the holy angels." {FLB 359.2} [FLB 359.3] Then my eyes were taken from the glory, and I was pointed to the remnant on the earth. The angel said to them, ". . . Get ready, get ready, get ready. Ye must have a greater preparation than ye now have, for the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it. Sacrifice all to God. Lay all upon His altar--self, property, and all, a living sacrifice. It will take all to enter glory. Lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where no thief can approach or rust corrupt. Ye must be partakers of Christ's sufferings here if ye would be partakers with Him of His glory hereafter." {FLB 359.3} [FLB 359.4] Heaven will be cheap enough, if we obtain it through suffering. We must deny self all along the way, die to self daily, let Jesus alone appear, and keep His glory continually in view. {FLB 359.4} [FLB 359.5] The work of salvation is not child's play, to be taken hold of at will and let alone at pleasure. It is the steady purpose, the untiring effort, that will gain the victory at last. It is he who endureth to the end that shall be saved. It is they who patiently continue in well-doing that shall have eternal life and the immortal reward. 360 {FLB 359.5} [FLB 360.1] Living the Life of Eden And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1. {FLB 360.1} [FLB 360.2] Heaven is a school; its field of study, the universe; its teacher, the Infinite One. A branch of this school was established in Eden; and, the plan of redemption accomplished, education will again be taken up in the Eden school. . . . {FLB 360.2} [FLB 360.3] The prophet of Patmos thus describes the location of the school of the hereafter: {FLB 360.3} [FLB 360.4] "I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. . . . And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." Revelation 21:1, 2. . . . {FLB 360.4} [FLB 360.5] The giving of the tree of life in Eden was conditional, and it was finally withdrawn. But the gifts of the future life are absolute and eternal. . . . {FLB 360.5} [FLB 360.6] Restored to His presence, man will again, as at the beginning, be taught of God: "My people shall know my name: . . . they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I." Isaiah 52:6. . . . {FLB 360.6} [FLB 360.7] All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God's children. With unutterable delight we shall enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. We shall share the treasures gained through ages upon ages spent in contemplation of God's handiwork. And the years of eternity, as they roll, will continue to bring more glorious revelations. "Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20) will be forever and forever, the impartation of the gifts of God. . . . {FLB 360.7} [FLB 360.8] The life on earth is the beginning of the life in heaven; education on earth is an initiation into the principles of heaven; the lifework here is a training for the lifework there. What we now are, in character and holy service, is the sure foreshadowing of what we shall be. 361 {FLB 360.8} [FLB 361.1] Bright Beams of Glory And his brightness was as the light; he had bright beams out of his side: and there was the hiding of his power. Habakkuk 3:4, margin. {FLB 361.1} [FLB 361.2] Satan, by means of his success in turning man aside from the path of obedience, became "the god of this world." 2 Corinthians 4:4. The dominion that once was Adam's, passed to the usurper. But the Son of God proposed to come to this earth to pay the penalty of sin, and thus not only redeem man, but recover the dominion forfeited. . . . The apostle Paul has referred to it ［the restoration of the lost dominion］ as "the redemption of the purchased possession." Ephesians 1:14. {FLB 361.2} [FLB 361.3] Not only man but the earth had by sin come under the power of the wicked one, and was to be restored by the plan of redemption. {FLB 361.3} [FLB 361.4] The cross of Calvary, while it declares the law immutable, proclaims to the universe that the wages of sin is death. In the Saviour's expiring cry, "It is finished," the death knell of Satan was rung. The great controversy which had been so long in progress was then decided, and the final eradication of evil was made certain. The Son of God passed through the portals of the tomb, that "through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." Hebrews 2:14. Lucifer's desire for self-exaltation had led him to say, "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: . . . I will be like the most High." Isaiah 14:13, 14. God declares, "I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth. . . . And never shalt thou be any more." Ezekiel 28:18, 19. {FLB 361.4} [FLB 361.5] "I saw a new heaven and a new earth. . . ." Revelation 21:1. . . . Every trace of the curse is swept away. . . . {FLB 361.5} [FLB 361.6] One reminder alone remains: our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought. Says the prophet, beholding Christ in His glory, "He had bright beams coming out of his side: and there was the hiding of his power." {FLB 361.6} [FLB 361.7] The cross of Christ will be the science and the song of the redeemed through all eternity. 362 {FLB 361.7} [FLB 362.1] No More Death--Ever! And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4. {FLB 362.1} [FLB 362.2] In the home of the redeemed there will be no tears, no funeral trains, no badges of mourning. "The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity." Isaiah 33:24. One rich tide of happiness will flow and deepen as eternity rolls on. . . . {FLB 362.2} [FLB 362.3] Let us consider most earnestly the blessed hereafter. Let our faith pierce through every cloud of darkness and behold him who died for the sins of the world. He has opened the gates of Paradise to all who receive and believe on Him. . . . Let the afflictions which pain us so grievously become instructive lessons, teaching us to press forward toward the mark of the prize of our high calling in Christ. Let us be encouraged by the thought that the Lord is soon to come. Let this hope gladden our hearts. . . . {FLB 362.3} [FLB 362.4] We are homeward bound. He who loved us so much as to die for us hath builded for us a city. The New Jerusalem is our place of rest. There will be no sadness in the city of God. No wail of sorrow, no dirge of crushed hopes and buried affections, will evermore be heard. Soon the garments of heaviness will be changed for the wedding garment. Soon we shall witness the coronation of our King. Those whose lives have been hidden with Christ, those who on this earth have fought the good fight of faith, will shine forth with the Redeemer's glory in the kingdom of God. {FLB 362.4} [FLB 362.5] It will not be long till we shall see Him in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered. And in His presence, all the trials and sufferings of this life will be as nothingness. . . . Look up, look up, and let your faith continually increase. Let this faith guide you along the narrow path that leads through the gates of the city of God into the great beyond, the wide, unbounded future of glory that is for the redeemed. 363 {FLB 362.5} [FLB 363.1] The Metropolis of the World And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. Revelation 21:23. {FLB 363.1} [FLB 363.2] There is the New Jerusalem, the metropolis of the glorified new earth, "a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God." Isaiah 62:3. "Her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal." Revelation 21:11. {FLB 363.2} [FLB 363.3] The streets of the city are paved with pure gold, and . . . the gates of the city are of gold set with pearls. The riches obtained here may be consumed. . . . There no thief shall approach; no moth or rust shall corrupt. . . . You will have an imperishable treasure which you can be in no danger of losing. {FLB 363.3} [FLB 363.4] In the city of God "there shall be no night." None will need or desire repose. There will be no weariness in doing the will of God and offering praise to His name. We shall ever feel the freshness of the morning, and shall ever be far from its close. "And they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord giveth them light." Revelation 22:5. The light of the sun will be superseded by a radiance which is not painfully dazzling, yet which immeasurably surpasses the brightness of our noontide. The glory of God and the Lamb floods the Holy City with unfading light. The redeemed walk in the sunless glory of perpetual day. {FLB 363.4} [FLB 363.5] "I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." Revelation 21:22. The people of God are privileged to hold open communion with the Father and the Son. "Now we see through a glass, darkly." 1 Corinthians 13:12. We behold the image of God reflected, as in a mirror, in the works of nature and in His dealings with men; but then we shall see Him face to face, without a dimming veil between. We shall stand in His presence, and behold the glory of His countenance. {FLB 363.5} [FLB 363.6] Let us determine that if it costs everything we will have heaven and become partakers of the divine nature. 364 {FLB 363.6} [FLB 364.1] Two Worlds Compared But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9. {FLB 364.1} [FLB 364.2] The glory of the eternal world has been opened before me. I want to tell you that heaven is worth winning. It should be the aim of your life to fit yourself for association with the redeemed, with holy angels, and with Jesus, the world's Redeemer. If we could have but one view of the celestial city, we would never wish to dwell on earth again. There are beautiful landscapes on earth, and I enjoy all these prospects of loveliness in nature. I associate them with the Creator. But I know that if I love God, and keep His commandments, there is a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory reserved in heaven for me. {FLB 364.2} [FLB 364.3] There, when the veil that darkens our vision shall be removed, and our eyes shall behold that world of beauty of which we now catch glimpses through the microscope; when we look on the glories of the heavens, now scanned afar through the telescope; when, the blight of sin removed, the whole earth shall appear in "the beauty of the Lord our God," what a field will be open to our study! There the student of science may read the records of creation and discern no reminders of the law of evil. He may listen to the music of nature's voices and detect no note of wailing or undertone of sorrow. In all created things he may trace one handwriting--in the vast universe behold "God's name writ large," and not in earth or sea or sky one sign of ill remaining. {FLB 364.3} [FLB 364.4] Let your imagination picture the home of the saved, and remember that it will be more glorious than your brightest imagination can portray. In the varied gifts of God in nature we see but the faintest gleaming of His glory. {FLB 364.4} [FLB 364.5] Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God. 365 {FLB 364.5} [FLB 365.1] The Blessedness of Heaven He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Revelation 21:7. {FLB 365.1} [FLB 365.2] No man stumbles into heaven. No man goes there blindfold. If he will take time to consider, every man may know whether he is in the strait and narrow path, or in the broad road that leads to death and hell. {FLB 365.2} [FLB 365.3] If we do not receive the religion of Christ by feeding upon the Word of God, we shall not be entitled to an entrance into the city of God. Having lived on earthly food, having educated our tastes to love worldly things, we would not be fitted for the heavenly courts; we could not appreciate the pure, heavenly current that circulates in heaven. The voices of the angels and the music of their harps would not satisfy us. The science of heaven would be as an enigma to our minds. We need to hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ; we need to be molded and fashioned by the transforming influence of His grace, that we may be fitted for the society of heavenly angels. {FLB 365.3} [FLB 365.4] We must have a vision of the future and of the blessedness of heaven. . . . There the redeemed ones greet those who directed them to the uplifted Saviour. . . . The conflict is over. All tribulation and strife are at an end. Songs of victory fill all heaven as the redeemed stand around the throne of God. {FLB 365.4} [FLB 365.5] Then the nations will own no other law than the law of heaven. All will be a happy, united family, clothed with the garments of praise and thanksgiving. . . . Over the scene the morning stars will sing together, and the sons of God will shout for joy, while God and Christ will unite in proclaiming, "There shall be no more sin, neither shall there be any more death. {FLB 365.5} [FLB 365.6] We want to get in the habit of talking of heaven, beautiful heaven. Talk of that life which will continue as long as God shall live, and then you will forget your little trials and difficulties. Let the mind be attracted to God. 366 {FLB 365.6} [FLB 366.1] Speculations About the Future Life For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. Mark 12:25. {FLB 366.1} [FLB 366.2] There are men today who express their belief that there will be marriages and births in the new earth, but those who believe the Scriptures cannot accept such doctrines. The doctrine that children will be born in the new earth is not a part of the "sure word of prophecy." The words of Christ are too plain to be misunderstood. They should forever settle the question of marriages and births in the new earth. Neither those who shall be raised from the dead, nor those who shall be translated without seeing death, will marry or be given in marriage. They will be as the angels of God, members of the royal family. {FLB 366.2} [FLB 366.3] I would say to those who hold views contrary to this plain declaration of Christ: Upon such matters silence is eloquence. It is presumption to indulge in suppositions and theories regarding matters that God has not made known to us in His Word. We need not enter into speculation regarding our future state. . . . {FLB 366.3} [FLB 366.4] "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season." 2 Timothy 4:2. Do not bring to the foundation wood, and hay, and stubble-- your own surmisings and speculations, which can benefit no one. {FLB 366.4} [FLB 366.5] Christ withheld no truths essential to our salvation. Those things that are revealed are for us and our children, but we are not to allow our imagination to frame doctrines concerning things not revealed. {FLB 366.5} [FLB 366.6] The Lord has made every provision for our happiness in the future life. But He has made no revelations regarding these plans, and we are not to speculate concerning them. Neither are we to measure the conditions of the future life by the conditions of this life. . . . It is presented to me that spiritual fables are taking many captive. . . . To all who are indulging these unholy fancies, I would say, Stop; for Christ's sake, stop right where you are. You are on forbidden ground. 367 {FLB 366.6} [FLB 367.1] Heaven Begins on Earth Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28. {FLB 367.1} [FLB 367.2] Heaven is to begin on this earth. {FLB 367.2} [FLB 367.3] Those who take Christ at His word, and surrender their souls to His keeping, their lives to His ordering, will find peace and quietude. Nothing of the world can make them sad when Jesus makes them glad by His presence. In perfect acquiescence there is perfect rest. The Lord says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Isaiah 26:3. Our lives may seem a tangle; but as we commit ourselves to the wise Master Worker, He will bring out the pattern of life and character that will be to His own glory. And that character which expresses the glory--character --of Christ will be received into the Paradise of God. A renovated race shall walk with Him in white, for they are worthy. {FLB 367.3} [FLB 367.4] As through Jesus we enter into rest, heaven begins here. We respond to His invitation, Come, learn of Me, and in thus coming we begin the life eternal. Heaven is a ceaseless approaching to God through Christ. The longer we are in the heaven of bliss, the more and still more of glory will be opened to us; and the more we know of God, the more intense will be our happiness. {FLB 367.4} [FLB 367.5] When the Lord's people are filled with meekness and tenderness, they will realize that His banner over them is love, and His fruit will be sweet to their taste. They will make a heaven below in which to prepare for heaven above. {FLB 367.5} [FLB 367.6] As we walk with Jesus in this life, we may be filled with His love, satisfied with His presence. All that human nature can bear, we may receive here. But what is this compared with the hereafter? There "are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. ... For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters." Revelation 7:15-17. 368 {FLB 367.6} [FLB 368.1] Heaven a Real Place And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. Isaiah 32:18. {FLB 368.1} [FLB 368.2] A fear of making the future inheritance seem too material has led many to spiritualize away the very truths which lead us to look upon it as our home. Christ assured His disciples that He went to prepare mansions for them in the Father's house. Those who accept the teachings of God's Word will not be wholly ignorant concerning the heavenly abode. . . . {FLB 368.2} [FLB 368.3] In the Bible the inheritance of the saved is called a country. There the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock to fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree are for the service of the nations. There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the widespreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God's people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home. {FLB 368.3} [FLB 368.4] "My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places." Isaiah 32:18. "Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise." Isaiah 60:18. "They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: . . . mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands." Isaiah 65:21, 22. {FLB 368.4} [FLB 368.5] There, "the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose." Isaiah 35:1. "Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree." Isaiah 55:13. "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; . . . and a little child shall lead them." Isaiah 11:6. 369 {FLB 368.5} [FLB 369.1] The Race for Eternal Life Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1. {FLB 369.1} [FLB 369.2] In the epistle to the Hebrews is pointed out the singlehearted purpose that should characterize the Christian's race for eternal life. . . . Envy, malice, evilthinking, evilspeaking, covetousness--these are weights that the Christian must lay aside if he would run successfully the race for immortality. Every habit or practice that leads into sin and brings dishonor upon Christ, must be put away, whatever the sacrifice. The blessing of heaven cannot attend any man in violating the eternal principles of right. One sin cherished is sufficient to work degradation of character, and to mislead others. {FLB 369.2} [FLB 369.3] "If thy hand cause thee to stumble," the Saviour said, "cut it off: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed, rather than having thy two hands to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire. And if thy foot cause thee to stumble, cut it off: it is good for thee to enter into life halt, rather than having thy two feet to be cast into hell." Mark 9:43-45, R.V. If to save the body from death, the foot or the hand should be cut off, or even the eye plucked out, how much more earnest should the Christian be to put away sin, which brings death to the soul! {FLB 369.3} [FLB 369.4] The competitors in the ancient games, after they had submitted to self-denial and rigid discipline, were not even then sure of the victory. . . . {FLB 369.4} [FLB 369.5] Such is not the case in the Christian warfare. Not one who complies with the conditions will be disappointed at the end of the race. Not one who is earnest and persevering will fail of success. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. The weakest saint, as well as the strongest, may wear the crown of immortal glory. All may win who, through the power of divine grace, bring their lives into conformity to the will of Christ. 370 {FLB 369.5} [FLB 370.1] Reward for Soul Winners And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. Daniel 12:3. {FLB 370.1} [FLB 370.2] In our life here, earthly, sin-restricted though it is, the greatest joy and the highest education are in service. And in the future state, untrammeled by the limitations of sinful humanity, it is in service that our greatest joy and our highest education will be found. {FLB 370.2} [FLB 370.3] "If any man's work abide . . ., he shall receive a reward." 1 Corinthians 3:14. Glorious will be the reward bestowed when the faithful workers gather about the throne of God and of the Lamb. . . . They have been partakers with Christ in His sufferings, they have been workers together with Him in the plan of redemption, and they are partakers with Him in the joy of seeing souls saved in the kingdom of God, there to praise God through all eternity. {FLB 370.3} [FLB 370.4] A Christian once said that when he reached heaven he expected to meet with three causes of wonder. He would wonder to find some that he did not expect to see there. He would wonder not to see some that he expected to meet, and, lastly, he would wonder most to find so unworthy a sinner as himself in the Paradise of God. Many who have stood in high places as Christians upon earth will not be found with the happy throng that shall surround the throne. Those who have had knowledge and talent, and yet have delighted in controversy and unholy strife, will not have a place with the redeemed. . . . They desired to do some great work, that they might be admired and flattered by men, but their names were not written in the Lamb's book of life. "I know you not," are the sad words that Christ addresses to such. But those whose lives were made beautiful by little acts of kindness, by tender words of affection and sympathy, whose hearts recoiled from strife and contention, who never did any great work in order to be lauded of men, these are found recorded in the Lamb's book of life. Though the world counted them as insignificant, they are approved of God before the assembled universe. 371 {FLB 370.4} [FLB 371.1] The Knowledge of God Covers the Earth For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:9. {FLB 371.1} [FLB 371.2] As we enter the kingdom of God, there to spend eternity, the trials and the difficulties and the perplexities that we have had here will sink into insignificance. Our life will measure with the life of God. {FLB 371.2} [FLB 371.3] There, immortal minds will contemplate with never-failing delight the wonders of creative power, the mysteries of redeeming love. There will be no cruel, deceiving foe to tempt to forgetfulness of God. Every faculty will be developed, every capacity increased. The acquirement of knowledge will not weary the mind or exhaust the energies. There the grandest enterprises may be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations reached, the highest ambitions realized; and still there will arise new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects to call forth the powers of mind and soul and body. {FLB 371.3} [FLB 371.4] All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God's redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless flight to worlds afar. . . . With unutterable delight the children of earth enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. They share the treasures of knowledge and understanding gained through ages upon ages in contemplation of God's handiwork. . . . As Jesus opens before them the riches of redemption, and the amazing achievements in the great controversy with Satan, the hearts of the ransomed thrill with more fervent devotion, and with more rapturous joy they sweep the harps of gold; and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of voices unite to swell the mighty chorus of praise. . . . {FLB 371.4} [FLB 371.5] One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love. {FLB 371.5} [1SM 0.1] 1SM - Selected Messages Book 1 (1958) Table of Contents Section I--The Light on Our Pathway 1. The Inspiration of the Prophetic Writers ...................... 15 2. Ellen G. White and Her Writings ............................... 24 3. Attitudes Toward the Testimonies .............................. 40 4. The Writing and Sending Out of the Testimonies to the Church .. 49 5. An Explanation of Earlier Statements .......................... 59 Section II--Christian Experience 6. The Loving Watchcare of Jesus ................................. 79 7. Christ Holds Control .......................................... 83 8. Willing to Spend and Be Spent ................................. 86 9. Examine Yourselves ............................................ 89 10. Good Angels More Powerful Than Evil Angels .................... 94 11. What Are We Worth? ............................................ 98 12. Angels Are Amazed ............................................ 106 6 13. Importance of Receiving the Holy Spirit ...................... 109 14. In Every Place ............................................... 112 15. When the Church Awakes ....................................... 116 Section III--Revival and Reformation 16. Calls for a Revival .......................................... 121 17. Safeguarding the New Experience .............................. 129 18. Special Appeals in Public Ministry ........................... 144 Section IV--"Preach the Word" 19. What to Preach and Not to Preach ............................. 155 20. Our Attitude Toward Doctrinal Controversy .................... 164 21. Fanciful or Speculative Teachings ............................ 169 22. The Peril of Extreme Views ................................... 176 23. Beware of Any Time Setting ................................... 185 24. The Alpha and the Omega ...................................... 193 25. The Foundation of Our Faith .................................. 201 Section V--Christ and the Doctrines Christ and the Law 26. The Perfect Law .............................................. 211 27. The Character of the Law of God .............................. 216 28. Satan's Enmity Toward the Law ................................ 221 29. Christ Our Only Hope ......................................... 226 30. The Law and the Gospel ....................................... 229 7 31. The Law in Galatians ......................................... 233 32. The Righteousness of Christ in the Law ....................... 236 Incarnation--The Nature of Christ 33. "Search the Scriptures" ...................................... 242 34. The Word Made Flesh .......................................... 246 35. "Tempted in All Points Like as We Are" ....................... 252 36. No Caste in Christ ........................................... 257 37. "Even So Send I You" ......................................... 263 The Temptation of Christ 38. The Temptation of Christ ..................................... 267 39. First Temptation of Christ ................................... 271 40. Second Temptation of Christ .................................. 281 41. Third Temptation of Christ ................................... 285 Christ, Creator and Life-giver 42. The Revelation of God ........................................ 290 43. Christ the Life-giver ........................................ 296 44. The Risen Saviour ............................................ 301 45. The First Fruits ............................................. 304 Christ, Our Divine Sin Bearer 46. A Divine Sin Bearer .......................................... 308 47. The Truth as It Is in Jesus .................................. 311 48. The Divine Standard .......................................... 320 49. Surrender and Confession ..................................... 326 8 50. Come and Seek and Find ....................................... 331 51. United With the Living Vine .................................. 336 52. Christ Our High Priest ....................................... 340 53. Transformation Through Faith and Obedience ................... 345 Christ Our Righteousness 54. The Subject Presented in 1883 ................................ 350 55. Presented as Old Truth in New Framework ...................... 355 56. A Truth Bearing the Divine Credentials ....................... 359 57. Christ the Way of Life ....................................... 365 58. "Thou Hast Left Thy First Love" .............................. 369 59. Perfect Obedience Through Christ ............................. 373 60. Relation of Faith and Works .................................. 377 61. Christ the Center of the Message ............................. 383 62. Justified by Faith ........................................... 389 63. The Pearl of Great Price ......................................399 Further Light 64. "The Darkness Comprehended It Not" ........................... 401 65. How to Meet a Controverted Point of Doctrine ................. 406 {1SM 0.1} [1SM 0.2] A WORD TO THE READER IN HER LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT, ELLEN G. WHITE LEFT THE CARE OF HER WRITINGS TO FIVE CHURCH LEADERS, WHOM SHE NAMED, APPOINTING THEM AS A SELF-PERPETUATING BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF HER LITERARY ESTATE. ONE OF THE DUTIES ASSIGNED TO THIS BOARD WAS "THE PRINTING OF COMPILATIONS FROM MY MANUSCRIPTS." BEGINNING IN THE 1920S, MANY COMPILATIONS WERE PRODUCED, GIVING INSPIRED COUNSEL ON SINGLE TOPICS SUCH AS HEALTH, GOSPEL WORK, STEWARDSHIP, OR HOME LIFE. THE THREE VOLUMES OF THE SELECTED MESSAGES SERIES DEPART FROM THIS PATTERN. THESE BOOKS RESEMBLE THE TESTIMONIES FOR THE CHURCH IN THAT THEY INCLUDE WRITINGS ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS, SUCH AS HOW INSPIRATION WORKS, REVIVAL AND REFORMATION, AND THE DANGER OF SPECULATIONS, EXTREME VIEWS, AND TIME-SETTING. THEY ALSO CONTAIN INSTRUCTION ON HEALTHFUL LIVING, THE USE OF DRUGS AND REMEDIAL AGENCIES, PREPARING FOR LAST-DAY EVENTS, AND OTHER PRACTICAL TOPICS ON HOW TO HONOR GOD IN ALL ASPECTS OF DAILY LIFE. MORE THAN HALF OF THE PRESENT VOLUME FOCUSES DIRECTLY ON JESUS, EMPHASIZING THE FACT THAT HE IS THE TRUE CENTER OF ALL DOCTRINE, TEACHING, AND EXPERIENCE. TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE THE INCARNATION, THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, CHRIST AS CREATOR AND LIFE-GIVER, CHRIST OUR DIVINE SIN-BEARER, AND CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. THE SOURCES FROM WHICH THESE COUNSELS WERE DRAWN INCLUDE PERIODICAL ARTICLES, OUT-OF-PRINT PAMPHLETS AND TRACTS, THE NOTEBOOK LEAFLETS SERIES, AND MRS. WHITE'S LETTERS AND MANUSCRIPTS. AS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN, THE SELECTIONS WERE NOT RELATED TO EACH OTHER, BUT IN THIS AND THE OTHER TWO VOLUMES OF SELECTED MESSAGES THEY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TOGETHER FOR EASY ACCESS AND BALANCED PRESENTATION. WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF SPACE, THE COMPILERS HAVE ENDEAVORED TO INCLUDE AS MUCH CONTEXT AS WOULD BE RELEVANT AND HELPFUL. THIS VOLUME WAS COMPILED IN THE OFFICES OF THE WHITE ESTATE BY ITS STAFF UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ELLEN G. WHITE ESTATE. INTRODUCTORY STATEMENTS THAT APPEAR AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH SECTION GIVE BACKGROUND ON THE SUBJECTS INTRODUCED, AND ARE SIGNED BY THIS BOARD. EXPLANATORY NOTES, APPROVED BY THE TRUSTEES, ARE SIGNED "COMPILERS." THAT THIS VOLUME MAY HELP THE CHURCH ACCOMPLISH ITS GOD-ASSIGNED TASK IS THE SINCERE PRAYER AND DESIRE OF THE PUBLISHERS AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ELLEN G. WHITE ESTATE {1SM 0.2} [1SM 15.1] Chap. 1 - The Inspiration of the Prophetic Writers INTRODUCTION STATEMENTS PENNED BY ELLEN G. WHITE, REGARDING HER WORK AS THE MESSENGER OF THE LORD AND CONCERNING THE PROCESSES BY WHICH GOD COMMUNICATES HIS WILL TO MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN FAMILY, ARE ALWAYS HELPFUL AND INTERESTING. SUCH ARE PRESENTED IN THIS OPENING SECTION OF SELECTED MESSAGES. ALTHOUGH THE QUESTION OF INSPIRATION WAS TOUCHED ON AT INTERVALS THROUGH HER SEVENTY YEARS OF MINISTRY, THE OUTSTANDING PRESENTATION IS THE AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION TO THE GREAT CONTROVERSY (NOT APPEARING HERE) WRITTEN IN MAY, 1888. AN EARLIER STATEMENT, "OBJECTIONS TO THE BIBLE," PENNED IN 1886, IS PUBLISHED HEREIN, AND ANOTHER, "THE INSPIRATION OF THE WORD OF GOD," WRITTEN IN THE AUTUMN OF 1888, IS ALSO PRESENTED HERE. A FOURTH MAJOR STATEMENT, "THE MYSTERIES OF THE BIBLE A PROOF OF ITS INSPIRATION," WAS PUBLISHED IN 1889 AND MAY BE FOUND IN TESTIMONIES, VOLUME 5, PAGES 698-711. VARIOUS EXPLANATIONS ABOUT HER WORK, THE REPUBLICATION OF THE 1913 TRACT "THE WRITING AND SENDING OUT OF THE TESTIMONIES TO THE CHURCH," AND MRS. WHITE'S ANSWERS TO CERTAIN QUESTIONS AND CHARGES CONCERNING HER EARLIER WRITINGS ROUND OUT THE SECTION DEVOTED TO "THE LIGHT ON OUR PATHWAY."--WHITE TRUSTEES. The Inspiration of the Word of God This is a time when the question with all propriety may be asked, "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8). {1SM 15.1} [1SM 15.2] Spiritual darkness has covered the earth and gross darkness the people. There are in many churches skepticism and infidelity in the interpretation of the Scriptures. Many, very many, are questioning the verity and truth of the Scriptures. Human reasoning and the imaginings of the human heart are undermining the inspiration of the Word of God, and that which should be received as granted, is surrounded with a cloud of mysticism. Nothing stands out in clear and distinct lines, upon rock bottom. This is one of the marked signs of the last days. {1SM 15.2} [1SM 15.3] This Holy Book has withstood the assaults of Satan, who has united with evil men to make everything of divine character shrouded in clouds and darkness. But the Lord has preserved this Holy Book by His own miraculous power in its present shape--a chart or guidebook to the human family to show them the way to heaven. {1SM 15.3} [1SM 15.4] But the oracles of God have been so manifestly neglected that there are but few in our world, even of those 16 who profess to explain it to others, who have the divine knowledge of the Scriptures. There are learned men who have a college education, but these shepherds do not feed the flock of God. They do not consider that the excellencies of the Scriptures will be continually unfolding their hidden treasures as precious jewels are discovered by digging for them. {1SM 15.4} [1SM 16.1] There are men who strive to be original, who are wise above what is written; therefore, their wisdom is foolishness. They discover wonderful things in advance, ideas which reveal that they are far behind in the comprehension of the divine will and purposes of God. In seeking to make plain or to unravel mysteries hid from ages from mortal man, they are like a man floundering about in the mud, unable to extricate himself and yet telling others how to get out of the muddy sea they themselves are in. This is a fit representation of the men who set themselves to correct the errors of the Bible. No man can improve the Bible by suggesting what the Lord meant to say or ought to have said. {1SM 16.1} [1SM 16.2] Some look to us gravely and say, "Don't you think there might have been some mistake in the copyist or in the translators?" This is all probable, and the mind that is so narrow that it will hesitate and stumble over this possibility or probability would be just as ready to stumble over the mysteries of the Inspired Word, because their feeble minds cannot see through the purposes of God. Yes, they would just as easily stumble over plain facts that the common mind will accept, and discern the Divine, and to which God's utterance is plain and beautiful, full of marrow and fatness. All the mistakes will not cause trouble to one soul, or cause any feet to stumble, that would not manufacture difficulties from the plainest revealed truth. {1SM 16.2} [1SM 16.3] God committed the preparation of His divinely inspired Word to finite man. This Word, arranged into books, the Old and New Testaments, is the guidebook to the inhabitants of a fallen world, bequeathed to them that, by studying and obeying the directions, not one soul would lose its way to heaven. 17 {1SM 16.3} [1SM 17.1] Those who think to make the supposed difficulties of Scripture plain, in measuring by their finite rule that which is inspired and that which is not inspired, had better cover their faces, as Elijah when the still small voice spoke to him; for they are in the presence of God and holy angels, who for ages have communicated to men light and knowledge, telling them what to do and what not to do, unfolding before them scenes of thrilling interest, waymark by waymark in symbols and signs and illustrations. {1SM 17.1} [1SM 17.2] And He ［God］ has not, while presenting the perils clustering about the last days, qualified any finite man to unravel hidden mysteries or inspired one man or any class of men to pronounce judgment as to that which is inspired or is not. When men, in their finite judgment, find it necessary to go into an examination of scriptures to define that which is inspired and that which is not, they have stepped before Jesus to show Him a better way than He has led us. {1SM 17.2} [1SM 17.3] I take the Bible just as it is, as the Inspired Word. I believe its utterances in an entire Bible. Men arise who think they find something to criticize in God's Word. They lay it bare before others as evidence of superior wisdom. These men are, many of them, smart men, learned men, they have eloquence and talent, the whole lifework ［of whom］ is to unsettle minds in regard to the inspiration of the Scriptures. They influence many to see as they do. And the same work is passed on from one to another, just as Satan designed it should be, until we may see the full meaning of the words of Christ, "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8). {1SM 17.3} [1SM 17.4] Brethren, let not a mind or hand be engaged in criticizing the Bible. It is a work that Satan delights to have any of you do, but it is not a work the Lord has pointed out for you to do. {1SM 17.4} [1SM 17.5] Men should let God take care of His own Book, His living oracles, as He has done for ages. They begin to question some parts of revelation, and pick flaws in the apparent inconsistencies of this statement and that statement. 18 Beginning at Genesis, they give up that which they deem questionable, and their minds lead on, for Satan will lead to any length they may follow in their criticism, and they see something to doubt in the whole Scriptures. Their faculties of criticism become sharpened by exercise, and they can rest on nothing with a certainty. You try to reason with these men, but your time is lost. They will exercise their power of ridicule even upon the Bible. They even become mockers, and they would be astonished if you put it to them in that light. {1SM 17.5} [1SM 18.1] Brethren, cling to your Bible, as it reads, and stop your criticisms in regard to its validity, and obey the Word, and not one of you will be lost. The ingenuity of men has been exercised for ages to measure the Word of God by their finite minds and limited comprehension. If the Lord, the Author of the living oracles, would throw back the curtain and reveal His wisdom and His glory before them, they would shrink into nothingness and exclaim as did Isaiah, "I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of people of unclean lips" (Isaiah 6:5). {1SM 18.1} [1SM 18.2] Simplicity and plain utterance are comprehended by the illiterate, by the peasant, and the child as well as by the full-grown man or the giant in intellect. If the individual is possessed of large talents of mental powers, he will find in the oracles of God treasures of truth, beautiful and valuable, which he can appropriate. He will also find difficulties, and secrets and wonders which will give him the highest satisfaction to study during a long lifetime, and yet there is an infinity beyond. {1SM 18.2} [1SM 18.3] Men of humble acquirements, possessing but limited capabilities and opportunities to become conversant in the Scriptures, find in the living oracles comfort, guidance, counsel, and the plan of salvation as clear as a sunbeam. No one need be lost for want of knowledge, unless he is willfully blind. {1SM 18.3} [1SM 18.4] We thank God that the Bible is prepared for the poor man as well as for the learned man. It is fitted for all ages and all classes.--Manuscript 16, 1888 (written at Minneapolis, Minn., in autumn of 1888). 19 {1SM 18.4} [1SM 19.1] Objections to the Bible Human minds vary. The minds of different education and thought receive different impressions of the same words, and it is difficult for one mind to give to one of a different temperament, education, and habits of thought by language exactly the same idea as that which is clear and distinct in his own mind. Yet to honest men, right-minded men, he can be so simple and plain as to convey his meaning for all practical purposes. If the man he communicates with is not honest and will not want to see and understand the truth, he will turn his words and language in everything to suit his own purposes. He will misconstrue his words, play upon his imagination, wrest them from their true meaning, and then entrench himself in unbelief, claiming that the sentiments are all wrong. {1SM 19.1} [1SM 19.2] This is the way my writings are treated by those who wish to misunderstand and pervert them. They turn the truth of God into a lie. In the very same way that they treat the writings in my published articles and in my books, so do skeptics and infidels treat the Bible. They read it according to their desire to pervert, to misapply, to willfully wrest the utterances from their true meaning. They declare that the Bible can prove anything and everything, that every sect proves their doctrines right, and that the most diverse doctrines are proved from the Bible. {1SM 19.2} [1SM 19.3] The writers of the Bible had to express their ideas in human language. It was written by human men. These men were inspired of the Holy Spirit. Because of the imperfections of human understanding of language, or the perversity of the human mind, ingenious in evading truth, many read and understand the Bible to please themselves. It is not that the difficulty is in the Bible. Opposing politicians argue points of law in the statute book, and take opposite views in their application and in these laws. {1SM 19.3} [1SM 19.4] The Scriptures were given to men, not in a continuous chain of unbroken utterances, but piece by piece through successive generations, as God in His providence saw a fitting opportunity to impress man at sundry times and 20 divers places. Men wrote as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost. There is "first the bud, then the blossom, and next the fruit," "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." This is exactly what the Bible utterances are to us. {1SM 19.4} [1SM 20.1] There is not always perfect order or apparent unity in the Scriptures. The miracles of Christ are not given in exact order, but are given just as the circumstances occurred, which called for this divine revealing of the power of Christ. The truths of the Bible are as pearls hidden. They must be searched, dug out by painstaking effort. Those who take only a surface view of the Scriptures will, with their superficial knowledge, which they think is very deep, talk of the contradictions of the Bible, and question the authority of the Scriptures. But those whose hearts are in harmony with truth and duty will search the Scriptures with a heart prepared to receive divine impressions. The illuminated soul sees a spiritual unity, one grand golden thread running through the whole, but it requires patience, thought, and prayer to trace out the precious golden thread. Sharp contentions over the Bible have led to investigation and revealed the precious jewels of truth. Many tears have been shed, many prayers offered, that the Lord would open the understanding to His Word. {1SM 20.1} [1SM 20.2] The Bible is not given to us in grand superhuman language. Jesus, in order to reach man where he is, took humanity. The Bible must be given in the language of men. Everything that is human is imperfect. Different meanings are expressed by the same word; there is not one word for each distinct idea. The Bible was given for practical purposes. {1SM 20.2} [1SM 20.3] The stamps of minds are different. All do not understand expressions and statements alike. Some understand the statements of the Scriptures to suit their own particular minds and cases. Prepossessions, prejudices, and passions have a strong influence to darken the understanding and confuse the mind even in reading the words of Holy Writ. {1SM 20.3} [1SM 20.4] The disciples traveling to Emmaus needed to be disentangled in their interpretation of the Scriptures. Jesus 21 walked with them disguised, and as a man He talked with them. Beginning at Moses and the prophets He taught them in all things concerning Himself, that His life, His mission, His sufferings, His death were just as the Word of God had foretold. He opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. How quickly He straightened out the tangled ends and showed the unity and divine verity of the Scriptures. How much men in these times need their understanding opened. {1SM 20.4} [1SM 21.1] The Bible is written by inspired men, but it is not God's mode of thought and expression. It is that of humanity. God, as a writer, is not represented. Men will often say such an expression is not like God. But God has not put Himself in words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in the Bible. The writers of the Bible were God's penmen, not His pen. Look at the different writers. {1SM 21.1} [1SM 21.2] It is not the words of the Bible that are inspired, but the men that were inspired. Inspiration acts not on the man's words or his expressions but on the man himself, who, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, is imbued with thoughts. But the words receive the impress of the individual mind. The divine mind is diffused. The divine mind and will is combined with the human mind and will; thus the utterances of the man are the word of God.-- Manuscript 24, 1886 (written in Europe in 1886). {1SM 21.2} [1SM 21.3] Unity in Diversity There is variety in a tree, there are scarcely two leaves just alike. Yet this variety adds to the perfection of the tree as a whole. {1SM 21.3} [1SM 21.4] In our Bible, we might ask, Why need Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the Gospels, why need the Acts of the Apostles, and the variety of writers in the Epistles, go over the same thing? {1SM 21.4} [1SM 21.5] The Lord gave His word in just the way He wanted it to come. He gave it through different writers, each having his own individuality, though going over the same history. Their testimonies are brought together in one Book, and 22 are like the testimonies in a social meeting. They do not represent things in just the same style. Each has an experience of his own, and this diversity broadens and deepens the knowledge that is brought out to meet the necessities of varied minds. The thoughts expressed have not a set uniformity, as if cast in an iron mold, making the very hearing monotonous. In such uniformity there would be a loss of grace and distinctive beauty. . . . {1SM 21.5} [1SM 22.1] The Creator of all ideas may impress different minds with the same thought, but each may express it in a different way, yet without contradiction. The fact that this difference exists should not perplex or confuse us. It is seldom that two persons will view and express truth in the very same way. Each dwells on particular points which his constitution and education have fitted him to appreciate. The sunlight falling upon the different objects gives those objects a different hue. {1SM 22.1} [1SM 22.2] Through the inspiration of His Spirit the Lord gave His apostles truth, to be expressed according to the development of their minds by the Holy Spirit. But the mind is not cramped, as if forced into a certain mold.-- Letter 53, 1900. {1SM 22.2} [1SM 22.3] The Lord Speaks in Imperfect Speech The Lord speaks to human beings in imperfect speech, in order that the degenerate senses, the dull, earthly perception, of earthly beings may comprehend His words. Thus is shown God's condescension. He meets fallen human beings where they are. The Bible, perfect as it is in its simplicity, does not answer to the great ideas of God; for infinite ideas cannot be perfectly embodied in finite vehicles of thought. Instead of the expressions of the Bible being exaggerated, as many people suppose, the strong expressions break down before the magnificence of the thought, though the penman selected the most expressive language through which to convey the truths of higher education. Sinful beings can only bear to look upon a shadow of the brightness of heaven's glory.--Letter 121, 1901. 23 {1SM 22.3} [1SM 23.1] No Man to Pronounce Judgment on God's Word Both in the ［Battle Creek］ Tabernacle and in the college the subject of inspiration has been taught, and finite men have taken it upon themselves to say that some things in the Scriptures were inspired and some were not. I was shown that the Lord did not inspire the articles on inspiration published in the Review, ［REFERENCE HERE IS TO A SERIES OF ARTICLES THE WRITER OF WHICH ADVOCATED THAT THERE WERE "DIFFERENCES IN DEGREES" OF INSPIRATION. SEE THE REVIEW AND HERALD, JAN. 15, 1884.--COMPILERS.］ neither did He approve their endorsement before our youth in the college. When men venture to criticize the Word of God, they venture on sacred, holy ground, and had better fear and tremble and hide their wisdom as foolishness. God sets no man to pronounce judgment on His Word, selecting some things as inspired and discrediting others as uninspired. The testimonies have been treated in the same way; but God is not in this.--Letter 22, 1889. {1SM 23.1} [1SM 24.1] Chap. 2 - Ellen G. White and Her Writings A Letter to Dr. Paulson St. Helena, California June 14, 1906 Dear Brother: Your letter came to me while in southern California. For some weeks the consideration of matters connected with the development of our sanitarium work there, and the writing out of the views given me regarding the earthquake and its lessons, have taken my time and strength. {1SM 24.1} [1SM 24.2] But now I must respond to the letters received from you and others. In your letter you speak of your early training to have implicit faith in the testimonies and say, "I was led to conclude and most firmly believe that every word that you ever spoke in public or private, that every letter you wrote under any and all circumstances, was as inspired as the Ten Commandments." {1SM 24.2} [1SM 24.3] My brother, you have studied my writings diligently, and you have never found that I have made any such claims, neither will you find that the pioneers in our cause ever made such claims. {1SM 24.3} [1SM 24.4] In my introduction to The Great Controversy you have no doubt read my statement regarding the Ten Commandments 25 and the Bible, which should have helped you to a correct understanding of the matter under consideration. Here is the statement: {1SM 24.4} [1SM 25.1] "The Bible points to God as its author; yet it was written by human hands; and in the varied style of its different books it presents the characteristics of the several writers. The truths revealed are all 'given by inspiration of God' (2 Timothy 3:16); yet they are expressed in the words of men. The Infinite One by His Holy Spirit has shed light into the minds and hearts of His servants. He has given dreams and visions, symbols and figures; and those to whom the truth was thus revealed, have themselves embodied the thought in human language. {1SM 25.1} [1SM 25.2] "The Ten Commandments were spoken by God Himself, and were written by His own hand. They are of divine, and not human composition. But the Bible, with its God-given truths expressed in the language of men, presents a union of the divine and the human. Such a union existed in the nature of Christ, who was the Son of God and the Son of man. Thus it is true of the Bible, as it was of Christ, that 'the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us' (John 1:14). {1SM 25.2} [1SM 25.3] "Written in different ages, by men who differed widely in rank and occupation, and in mental and spiritual endowments, the books of the Bible present a wide contrast in style, as well as a diversity in the nature of the subjects unfolded. Different forms of expression are employed by different writers; often the same truth is more strikingly presented by one than by another. And as several writers present a subject under varied aspects and relations, there may appear, to the superficial, careless, or prejudiced reader, to be discrepancy or contradiction, where the thoughtful, reverent student, with clearer insight, discerns the underlying harmony. {1SM 25.3} [1SM 25.4] "As presented through different individuals, the truth is brought out in its varied aspects. One writer is more strongly impressed with one phase of the subject; he grasps those points that harmonize with his experience or with his power of perception and appreciation; another 26 seizes upon a different phase; and each, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, presents what is most forcibly impressed upon his own mind--a different aspect of the truth in each, but a perfect harmony through all. And the truths thus revealed unite to form a perfect whole, adapted to meet the wants of men in all the circumstances and experiences of life. {1SM 25.4} [1SM 26.1] "God has been pleased to communicate His truth to the world by human agencies, and He Himself, by His Holy Spirit, qualified men and enabled them to do His work. He guided the mind in the selection of what to speak and what to write. The treasure was entrusted to earthen vessels, yet it is, none the less, from Heaven. The testimony is conveyed through the imperfect expression of human language, yet it is the testimony of God; and the obedient, believing child of God beholds in it the glory of a divine power, full of grace and truth." {1SM 26.1} [1SM 26.2] The Integrity of the Testimonies In perfect harmony with this are my statements found in the article "The Testimonies Slighted," written June 20, 1882, and published in Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, No. 31, pages 62-84. From this I quote for your consideration, several paragraphs: {1SM 26.2} [1SM 26.3] "Many are looking with self-complacency upon the long years during which they have advocated the truth. They now feel that they are entitled to a reward for their past trials and obedience. But this genuine experience in the things of God in the past, makes them more guilty before Him for not preserving their integrity and going forward to perfection. The faithfulness for the past year will never atone for the neglect of the present year. A man's truthfulness yesterday will not atone for his falsehood today. {1SM 26.3} [1SM 26.4] "Many excused their disregard of the testimonies by saying, 'Sister White is influenced by her husband; the testimonies are molded by his spirit and judgment.' Others were seeking to gain something from me which they could construe to justify their course or to give them influence. 27 It was then I decided that nothing more should go from my pen until the converting power of God was seen in the church. But the Lord placed the burden upon my soul. I labored for you earnestly. How much this cost both my husband and myself, eternity will tell. Have I not a knowledge of the state of the church, when the Lord has presented their case before me again and again for years? Repeated warnings have been given, yet there has been no decided change.... {1SM 26.4} [1SM 27.1] "Yet now when I send you a testimony of warning and reproof, many of you declare it to be merely the opinion of Sister White. You have thereby insulted the Spirit of God. You know how the Lord has manifested Himself through the Spirit of prophecy. Past, present, and future have passed before me. I have been shown faces that I had never seen, and years afterward I knew them when I saw them. I have been aroused from my sleep with a vivid sense of subjects previously presented to my mind and I have written, at midnight, letters that have gone across the continent, and arriving at a crisis, have saved great disaster to the cause of God. This has been my work for many years. A power has impelled me to reprove and rebuke wrongs that I had not thought of. Is this work of the last thirty-six years from above or from beneath? ... {1SM 27.1} [1SM 27.2] "When I went to Colorado I was so burdened for you that, in my weakness, I wrote many pages to be read at your camp meeting. Weak and trembling, I arose at three o'clock in the morning to write to you. God was speaking through clay. You might say that this communication was only a letter. Yes, it was a letter, but prompted by the Spirit of God, to bring before your minds things that had been shown me. In these letters which I write, in the testimonies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me. I do not write one article in the paper, expressing merely my own ideas. They are what God has opened before me in vision--the precious rays of light shining from the throne.... {1SM 27.2} [1SM 27.3] "What voice will you acknowledge as the voice of God? What power has the Lord in reserve to correct your 28 errors and show you your course as it is? What power to work in the church? If you refuse to believe until every shadow of uncertainty and every possibility of doubt is removed, you will never believe. The doubt that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to faith. Faith rests upon evidence, not demonstration. The Lord requires us to obey the voice of duty, when there are other voices all around us urging us to pursue an opposite course. It requires earnest attention from us to distinguish the voice which speaks from God. We must resist and conquer inclination, and obey the voice of conscience without parleying or compromise, lest its promptings cease, and will and impulse control. {1SM 27.3} [1SM 28.1] "The word of the Lord comes to us all who have not resisted His Spirit by determining not to hear and obey. This voice is heard in warnings, in counsels, in reproof. It is the Lord's message of light to His people. If we wait for louder calls or better opportunities, the light may be withdrawn, and we left in darkness.... {1SM 28.1} [1SM 28.2] "It pains me to say, my brethren, that your sinful neglect to walk in the light has enshrouded you in darkness. You may now be honest in not recognizing and obeying the light; the doubts you have entertained, your neglect to heed the requirements of God, have blinded your perception so that darkness is now to you light, and light is darkness. God has bidden you to go forward to perfection. Christianity is a religion of progress. Light from God is full and ample, waiting our demand upon it. Whatever blessings the Lord may give, He has an infinite supply beyond, an inexhaustible store from which we may draw. Skepticism may treat the sacred claims of the gospel with jests, scoffing, and denial. The spirit of worldliness may contaminate the many and control the few; the cause of God may hold its ground only by great exertion and continual sacrifice, yet it will triumph finally. {1SM 28.2} [1SM 28.3] "The word is: Go forward; discharge your individual duty, and leave all consequences in the hands of God. If we move forward where Jesus leads the way we shall see His triumph, we shall share His joy. We must share the 29 conflicts if we wear the crown of victory. Like Jesus, we must be made perfect through suffering. Had Christ's life been one of ease, then might we safely yield to sloth. Since His life was marked with continual self-denial, suffering, and self-sacrifice, we shall make no complaint if we are partakers with Him. We can walk safely in the darkest path if we have the Light of the world for our guide.... {1SM 28.3} [1SM 29.1] "When the Lord last presented your case before me, and made known to me that you had not regarded the light which had been given you, I was bidden to speak to you plainly in His name, for His anger was kindled against you. These words were spoken to me: 'Your work is appointed you of God. Many will not hear you, for they refused to hear the Great Teacher; many will not be corrected, for their ways are right in their own eyes. Yet bear to them the reproofs and warnings I shall give you, whether they will hear or forbear.'"... {1SM 29.1} [1SM 29.2] In connection with these quotations, study again the article "The Nature and Influence of the Testimonies," in Testimonies, volume 5, pages 654-691. {1SM 29.2} [1SM 29.3] The statement which you quote from Testimony No. 31 ［volume 5, page 67］ is correct: "In these letters which I write, in the testimonies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me. I do not write one article in the paper expressing merely my own ideas. They are what God has opened before me in vision --the precious rays of light shining from the throne." It is true concerning the articles in our papers and in the many volumes of my books. I have been instructed in accordance with the Word in the precepts of the law of God. I have been instructed in selecting from the lessons of Christ. Are not the positions taken in my writings in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ? {1SM 29.3} [1SM 29.4] Peril of Deceptive Representations To some of the questions you have asked, I am not to answer Yes or No. I must not make statements that can be misconstrued. I see and feel the peril of those who, I have been instructed, are endangering their souls at times 30 by listening to deceptive representations regarding the messages that God has given me. Through many twistings and turnings and false reasonings on what I have written, they try to vindicate their personal unbelief. I am sorry for my brethren who have been walking in the mist of suspicion and skepticism and false reasoning. I know that some of them would be blessed by messages of counsel if the clouds obscuring their spiritual vision could be driven back, and they could see aright. But they do not see clearly. Therefore I dare not communicate with them. When the Spirit of God clears away the mysticism, there will be found just as complete comfort and faith and hope in the messages that I have been instructed to give, as were found in them in years past. {1SM 29.4} [1SM 30.1] Truth will surely bear away the victory. The One who gave His life to ransom man from the delusions of Satan, is not asleep, but watching. When His sheep turn away from following the voice of a stranger, whose sheep they are not, they will rejoice in the voice they have loved to follow. {1SM 30.1} [1SM 30.2] We can learn precious lessons from the study of the life of Christ. The envious Pharisees misinterpreted the acts and words of Christ, which, if properly received, would have been beneficial to their spiritual understanding. Instead of admiring His goodness, they charged Him, in the presence of His disciples, with impiety--"Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?" (Matthew 9:11). Instead of addressing our blessed Saviour Himself, whose answer would at once have convicted them of their malice, they talked with the disciples, and made their charges where, as a leaven of evil, they would do great harm. If Christ had been an impious man, He would have lost His hold upon the hearts of His believing followers. But because of their confidence in Christ, the disciples would not give ear to the insinuations of His wicked accusers. {1SM 30.2} [1SM 30.3] Desiring to bring censure upon the disciples, these wicked accusers went again and again to Christ with the question, Why do Thy disciples that which is not lawful? And when they judged our Lord to have transgressed, they 31 spoke, not to Himself, but to His disciples, to plant the seeds of unbelief in the hearts of His followers. {1SM 30.3} [1SM 31.1] Thus they worked to bring in doubt and dissension. Every method was tried to bring doubt into the hearts of the little flock, that it might cause them to watch for something that would check the good and gracious work of the gospel of Jesus Christ. {1SM 31.1} [1SM 31.2] Work of this same character will be brought to bear upon true believers today. The Lord Jesus reads the heart; He discerns the interests and purposes of the thoughts of all men concerning Himself and His believing disciples. He answers their thoughts concerning the faultfinding ones, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick" (Matthew 9:12). The insolent Pharisees had an exalted idea of their own piety and holiness, while they were ready to pass censure on the lives of others.-- Letter 206, 1906. {1SM 31.2} [1SM 31.3] The Lord's Messenger Last night, in vision, I was standing before an assembly of our people, bearing a decided testimony regarding present truth and present duty. After the discourse, many gathered about me, asking questions. They desired so many explanations about this point, and that point, and another point, that I said, "One at a time, if you please, lest you confuse me." {1SM 31.3} [1SM 31.4] And then I appealed to them, saying: "For years you have had many evidences that the Lord has given me a work to do. These evidences could scarcely have been greater than they are. Will you brush away all these evidences as a cobweb, at the suggestion of a man's unbelief? That which makes my heart ache is the fact that many who are now perplexed and tempted are those who have had abundance of evidence and opportunity to consider and pray and understand; and yet they do not discern the nature of the sophistries that are presented to influence them to reject the warnings God has given to save them from the delusions of these last days." {1SM 31.4} [1SM 31.5] Some have stumbled over the fact that I said I did not 32 claim to be a prophet; ［REFERENCE IS HERE MADE TO A DISCOURSE GIVEN AT BATTLE CREEK, OCTOBER 2, 1904, IN WHICH SHE SAID, "I DO NOT CLAIM TO BE A PROPHETESS."--COMPILERS.］ and they have asked, Why is this? {1SM 31.5} [1SM 32.1] I have had no claims to make, only that I am instructed that I am the Lord's messenger; that He called me in my youth to be His messenger, to receive His word, and to give a clear and decided message in the name of the Lord Jesus. {1SM 32.1} [1SM 32.2] Early in my youth I was asked several times, Are you a prophet? I have ever responded, I am the Lord's messenger. I know that many have called me a prophet, but I have made no claim to this title. My Saviour declared me to be His messenger. "Your work," He instructed me, "is to bear My word. Strange things will arise, and in your youth I set you apart to bear the message to the erring ones, to carry the word before unbelievers, and with pen and voice to reprove from the Word actions that are not right. Exhort from the Word. I will make My Word open to you. It shall not be as a strange language. In the true eloquence of simplicity, with voice and pen, the messages that I give shall be heard from one who has never learned in the schools. My Spirit and My power shall be with you. {1SM 32.2} [1SM 32.3] "Be not afraid of man, for My shield shall protect you. It is not you that speaketh: it is the Lord that giveth the messages of warning and reproof. Never deviate from the truth under any circumstances. Give the light I shall give you. The messages for these last days shall be written in books, and shall stand immortalized, to testify against those who have once rejoiced in the light, but who have been led to give it up because of the seductive influences of evil." {1SM 32.3} [1SM 32.4] Why have I not claimed to be a prophet?--Because in these days many who boldly claim that they are prophets are a reproach to the cause of Christ; and because my work includes much more than the word "prophet" signifies. {1SM 32.4} [1SM 32.5] When this work was first given me, I begged the Lord to lay the burden on someone else. The work was so large and broad and deep that I feared I could not do it. But by 33 His Holy Spirit the Lord has enabled me to perform the work which He gave me to do. {1SM 32.5} [1SM 33.1] A Work of Many Features God has made plain to me the various ways in which He would use me to carry forward a special work. Visions have been given me, with the promise, "If you deliver the messages faithfully and endure to the end, you shall eat of the fruit of the tree of life, and drink of the water of the river of life." {1SM 33.1} [1SM 33.2] The Lord gave me great light on health reform. In connection with my husband, I was to be a medical missionary worker. I was to set an example to the church by taking the sick to my home and caring for them. This I have done, giving the women and children vigorous treatment. I was also to speak on the subject of Christian temperance, as the Lord's appointed messenger. I engaged heartily in this work, and spoke to large assemblies on temperance in its broadest and truest sense. {1SM 33.2} [1SM 33.3] I was instructed that I must ever urge upon those who profess to believe the truth, the necessity of practicing the truth. This means sanctification, and sanctification means the culture and training of every capability for the Lord's service. {1SM 33.3} [1SM 33.4] I was charged not to neglect or pass by those who were being wronged. I was specially charged to protest against any arbitrary or overbearing action toward the ministers of the gospel by those having official authority. Disagreeable though the duty may be, I am to reprove the oppressor, and plead for justice. I am to present the necessity of maintaining justice and equity in all our institutions. {1SM 33.4} [1SM 33.5] If I see those in positions of trust neglecting aged ministers, I am to present the matter to those whose duty it is to care for them. Ministers who have faithfully done their work are not to be forgotten or neglected when they have become feeble in health. Our conferences are not to disregard the needs of those who have borne the burdens of the work. It was after John had grown old in the service of the Lord that he was exiled to Patmos. And on that 34 lonely isle he received more communications from heaven than he had received during the rest of his lifetime. {1SM 33.5} [1SM 34.1] After my marriage I was instructed that I must show a special interest in motherless and fatherless children, taking some under my own charge for a time, and then finding homes for them. Thus I would be giving others an example of what they could do. {1SM 34.1} [1SM 34.2] Although called to travel often, and having much writing to do, I have taken children of three and five years of age, and have cared for them, educated them, and trained them for responsible positions. I have taken into my home from time to time boys from ten to sixteen years of age, giving them motherly care, and a training for service. I have felt it my duty to bring before our people that work for which those in every church should feel a responsibility. {1SM 34.2} [1SM 34.3] While in Australia I carried on this same line of work, taking into my home orphan children, who were in danger of being exposed to temptations that might cause the loss of their souls. {1SM 34.3} [1SM 34.4] In Australia we ［REFERENCE HERE IS TO HER ASSOCIATE WORKERS. JAMES WHITE DIED IN 1881.］ also worked as Christian medical missionaries. At times I made my home in Cooranbong an asylum for the sick and afflicted. My secretary, who had received a training in the Battle Creek Sanitarium, stood by my side, and did the work of a missionary nurse. No charge was made for her services, and we won the confidence of the people by the interest that we manifested in the sick and suffering. After a time the Health Retreat at Cooranbong was built, and then we were relieved of this burden. {1SM 34.4} [1SM 34.5] No Boastful Claims To claim to be a prophetess is something that I have never done. If others call me by that name, I have no controversy with them. But my work has covered so many lines that I cannot call myself other than a messenger, sent to bear a message from the Lord to His people, and to take up work in any line that He points out. 35 {1SM 34.5} [1SM 35.1] When I was last in Battle Creek, I said before a large congregation that I did not claim to be a prophetess. Twice I referred to this matter, intending each time to make the statement, "I do not claim to be a prophetess." If I spoke otherwise than this, let all now understand that what I had in mind to say was that I do not claim the title of prophet or prophetess. {1SM 35.1} [1SM 35.2] I understood that some were anxious to know if Mrs. White still held the same views that she did years ago when they had heard her speak in the sanitarium grove, in the Tabernacle, and at the camp meetings held in the suburbs of Battle Creek. I assured them that the message she bears today is the same that she has borne during the sixty years of her public ministry. She has the same service to do for the Master that was laid upon her in her girlhood. She receives lessons from the same Instructor. The directions given her are, "Make known to others what I have revealed to you. Write out the messages that I give you, that the people may have them." This is what she has endeavored to do. {1SM 35.2} [1SM 35.3] I have written many books, and they have been given a wide circulation. Of myself I could not have brought out the truth in these books, but the Lord has given me the help of His Holy Spirit. These books, giving the instruction that the Lord has given me during the past sixty years, contain light from heaven, and will bear the test of investigation. {1SM 35.3} [1SM 35.4] At the age of seventy-eight I am still toiling. We are all in the hands of the Lord. I trust in Him; for I know that he will never leave nor forsake those who put their trust in Him. I have committed myself to His keeping. {1SM 35.4} [1SM 35.5] "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry" (1 Timothy 1:12).--The Review and Herald, July 26, 1906. {1SM 35.5} [1SM 35.6] The Work of a Prophet and More During the discourse, I said that I did not claim to be a prophetess. Some were surprised at this statement, and as 36 much is being said in regard to it, I will make an explanation. Others have called me a prophetess, but I have never assumed that title. I have not felt that it was my duty thus to designate myself. Those who boldly assume that they are prophets in this our day are often a reproach to the cause of Christ. {1SM 35.6} [1SM 36.1] My work includes much more than this name signifies. I regard myself as a messenger, entrusted by the Lord with messages for His people.--Letter 55, 1905. {1SM 36.1}