Quotes By Ellen White

“The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24). In this scripture, the Holy Spirit through the apostle is speaking especially of the moral law.” – Selected Messages, Vol. 1, p. 234.

“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“. – Selected Messages, Vol. 1, p. 233.

“The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders Jones and Waggoner. This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world…. God gave His messengers just what the people needed”. (1895; TM 91, 95).

“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.” – Review and Herald, 11/22/1892

“Several have written to me, inquiring if the message of justification by faith is the third angel’s message, and I have answered, ‘It is the third angel’s message in verity‘.” – Review and Herald, 4/1/1890

“You will meet with those who will say, ‘You are too much excited over this matter. You are too much in earnest. You should not be reaching for the righteousness of Christ, and making so much of that. You should preach the law.’ As a people, we have preached the law until we are as dry as the hills of Gilboa that had neither dew nor rain. We must preach Christ in the law, and there will be sap and nourishment in the preaching that will be as food to the famishing flock of God.” – Review and Herald, 3/11/1890.

“No true doctrine will lose anything by close investigation. We are living in perilous times, and it does not become us to accept everything claimed to be truth without examining it thoroughly, neither can we afford to reject anything that bears the fruits of the Spirit of God; but we should be teachable, meek and lowly of heart…. The Lord designs that our opinions be put to the test”. RH December 20, 1892.

“The sin committed in what took place at Minneapolis remains on the record books of heaven, registered against the names of those who resisted light, and it will remain upon the record until full confession is made, and the transgressors stand in full humility before God”. – Letter, September 1, 1892, O19, 1892.

“I have had the question asked, what do you think of this light which these men are presenting? Why, I have been presenting it to you for the last forty-five years,–the matchless charms of Christ. This is what I have been trying to present before your minds. When Brother Waggoner brought out these ideas at Minneapolis, it was the first clear teaching on this subject from any human lips I had heard, excepting the conversations between myself and my husband. I have said to myself, it is because God has presented it to me in vision that I see it so clearly, and they cannot see it because they have not had it presented to them as I have, and when another presented it, every fiber of my heart said amen“. – Ms. 5, 1889.

“I can never forget the experience which we had in Minneapolis, or the things which were then revealed to me in regard to the spirit that controlled men, the words spoken, the actions done in obedience to the powers of evil… They were moved at the meeting by another spirit, and they knew not that God had sent these young men to bear a special message to them which they treated with ridicule and contempt, not realizing that the heavenly intelligences were looking upon them. I know that at that time the Spirit of God was insulted“. – MS. 24, 1892.

Angels of God

“In all your experiences, remember that angels of God are beside you. They know what you do; they are present to guard you. Do not do anything to displease them. All heaven is interested in the moves you are making.” – Southern Field Echo, June 1, 1909

“The angels of God, thousands upon thousands, … guard us against evil and press back the powers of darkness that are seeking our destruction. Have we not reason to be thankful every moment, thankful even when there are apparent difficulties in our pathway?” – My Life Today, 171

“Those who labor for the good of others are working in union with the heavenly angels. They have their constant companionship, their unceasing ministry. Angels of light and power are ever near, to protect, to comfort, to heal, to instruct, to inspire. The highest education, the truest culture, the most exalted service possible to human beings in this world, are theirs.” The Review and Herald, July 11, 1912

“We know not what results a day, an hour, or a moment may determine, and never should we begin the day without committing our ways to our heavenly Father. His angels are appointed to watch over us, and if we put ourselves under their guardianship, then in every time of danger they will be at our right hand. When unconsciously we are in danger of exerting a wrong influence, the angels will be by our side, prompting us to a better course, choosing our words for us, and influencing our actions.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 341, 342

“We need to understand better than we do the mission of the angels. It would be well to remember that every true child of God has the cooperation of heavenly beings. Invisible armies of light and power attend the meek and lowly ones who believe and claim the promises of God. Cherubim and seraphim, and angels that excel in strength, stand at God’s right hand, ‘All ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation’.” – The Acts of the Apostles, 154

“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.” – The Desire of Ages, 240

“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.” – Testimonies For The Church 7:17

“Heavenly angels watch those who are seeking for enlightenment. They cooperate with those who try to win souls to Christ.”- The Bible Echo, December 10, 1900

“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.” – The Desire of Ages, 440

“Oh, we want to know these things, and fear and tremble, and to think much more of the power of the angels of God that are watching over and guarding us …. Angels of God are commissioned from heaven to guard the children of men, and yet they draw away from their restraining influences and go where they can have communication with the evil angels …. Oh, that we might all obey the injunction of the apostle, “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6:17).” 5MR 125

“If you could see the many perils through which you are conducted safely every day by these messengers of Heaven, gratitude would spring up in your hearts and find expression from your lips. If you make God your strength, you may, under the most discouraging circumstances, attain a height and breadth of Christian perfection which you hardly think it possible to reach. Your thoughts may be elevated, you may have noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth, and purposes of action which shall raise you above all sordid motives.” Counsels on Health, 384

“If you will try to suppress every evil thought through the day, then the angels of God will come and dwell with you. These angels are beings that excel in strength… The angels are with us every day, to guard and protect us from the assaults of the enemy.” The Review and Herald, August 14, 1888

“The angels of heaven are moving upon human minds to arouse investigation in the themes of the Bible. A far greater work will be done than has yet been done and none of the glory of it will flow to men, for angels that minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation are working night and day.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 140

“God might have committed the message of the gospel, and all the work of loving ministry, to the heavenly angels. He might have employed other means for accomplishing His purpose. But in His infinite love He chose to make us co-workers with Himself, with Christ and the angels, that we might share the blessing, the joy, the spiritual uplifting, which results from this unselfish ministry.” Steps to Christ, 79

Atheism & Unbelief

“We might cite many instances where learned men have gloried in their unbelief, and in parading their atheism. But when death claimed them, they have looked with horror into the starless future, and their dying words have been, ‘I have tried to believe that there is no God, no reward for the faithful, no punishment for the wicked. But how vain has been the attempt. I know now that I must meet the doom of the lost’.” ST, August 3, 1904, par. 3

“Sir Thomas Scott in his last moments cried: ‘Until this moment I believed there was neither a God nor a hell. Now I know and feel that there are both, and that I am doomed to perdition by the just judgment of God’.” ST, August 3, 1904, par. 5

“Voltaire lived in a splendid mansion, and was surrounded by every luxury that heart could wish. Kings honored him. The great men of the world sought his society… Was this sufficient to make men who deny Christ happy? Go with me to his death-bed, and listen to his words of mournful despair: ‘In man there is more wretchedness than in all other animals put together. He loves life, and yet knows that he must die. If he enjoys a transient good, he suffers various ills, and is at last devoured by worms… I tremble at this awful picture, and wish I had never been born’.” ST, August 3, 1904, par. 6

“Go now to the death-bed of a Christian,—Halyburton of Scotland. He was in poverty, and was suffering great pain. He had none of the comforts that Voltaire possessed, but he was infinitely richer. He said: ‘I shall shortly die. In the resurrection, I shall come forth to see my God and to live forevermore. I bless His name that I have found Him, and I die rejoicing in Him. I bless God that I was ever born.” ST, August 3, 1904, par. 7

“Giving an account of the last days of Sir Davis Brewster, his daughter writes: ‘He thanked God that the way of salvation was so simple. No labored argument, no hard attainment, was required. To believe in the Lord Jesus Christ was to live. He trusted in Him, and enjoyed His peace’. The last words of this great man of science were: ‘Life has been very bright to me, and now there is the brightness beyond. I shall see Jesus, who created all things, who made the worlds. I shall see Him as He is. Yes, I have had the Light for many years. O, how bright it is! I feel so safe, so satisfied’.” ST, August 3, 1904, par. 8

Atonement of Christ (see also Cross & Sufferings of Christ)

“The atonement of Christ is the great central truth around which cluster all the truths that pertain to the great work of redemption.” — Lift Him Up, p. 229

“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 must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary.” — Gospel Workers, p. 315.

QUOTES SUGGESTING THAT THE ATONEMENT WAS COMPLETED AT THE CROSS

“[Christ] planted the cross between heaven and earth, and when the Father beheld the sacrifice of His Son, He bowed before it in recognition of its perfection. ‘It is enough,’ He said. ‘The atonement is complete’” RH September 24, 1901, par. 11.

“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” 7BC 913.3.

“Christ’s sacrifice in behalf of man was full and complete. The condition of the atonement had been fulfilled. The work for which He had come to this world had been accomplished” AA 29.2.

“When Christ on the cross cried out, ‘It is finished,’ He addressed the Father. The agreement had been fully carried out. Now He declared, ‘Father, I have completed the work of redemption.’ ‘I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am’.” (John 17:24). Desire of Ages (498)

“The Lord would have His people sound in the faith—not ignorant of the great salvation so abundantly provided for them. They are not to look forward, thinking that at some future time, a great work is to be done for them; for the work is now complete” 1SM 394.3.

QUOTES SUGGESTING THAT THE ATONEMENT WAS NOT COMPLETE AT THE CROSS

“Instead of … Daniel 8:14 referring to the purifying of the earth, it was now plain that it pointed to the closing work of our High Priest in heaven, the finishing of the atonement, and the preparing of the people to abide the day of His coming” (Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 58).

“Jesus entered the most holy of the heavenly (sanctuary), at the end of the 2300 days of Daniel 8, in 1844, to make a final atonement for all who could be benefited by His mediation” (Early Writings, p. 253).

“Our Saviour is in the Sanctuary pleading in our behalf. He is our interceding High Priest, making an atoning sacrifice for us, pleading in our behalf the efficacy of His blood.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 370.

“Today He [Christ] is making an atonement for us before the Father. ‘If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’” Manuscript 21, 1895.

“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 man 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.” Great Controversy, 421.

IS THERE A CONTRADICTION BETWEEN THESE TWO GROUPS OF STATEMENTS?

Well, the answer to the question lies in the fact that those two groups of statements appear as if they contradict each other only because they deal with different aspects of Christ’s atoning ministry. The word “atonement” (or reconciliation) in those two groups of statements refers to different aspects of salvation from sin.

In a similar way, the Word of God uses three different tenses (past, present and future) with regard to our salvation. It states that believers are already saved or were saved in the past tense, it says they are being now saved in the present continuous tense, and it also states they will be saved in the future. Does it prove the Bible contradicts itself? No, it only points to the fact that it refers to different aspects of salvation from sin. A good example is Romans 5:10 where Paul states that God saved us through the blood (death) of His Son using historic past tense (2000 years ago), and then he adds that we will be saved (future tense) through Christ’s life!

So, how can we explain this? Well, it is clear that Paul is referring to the salvation from different aspects of sin. We have been already saved (past tense) from punishment and condemnation of sin (justification) because we are in Christ and not under the law but under grace; We are being delivered from the power of sin (from sinning) now in the present continuous tense (which is our continuous process sanctification); And finally, in the future, we will be saved, delivered from the presence of sin (from our sinful nature and the indwelling law of sin and selfishness) at the second coming of Christ (glorification).

And it is exactly the same when we deal with the subject of atonement, which is synonymous with salvation from sin, and involves different aspects of the sin problem.

Baptism of Believers

“As the Christian at baptism publicly confesses his faith in Christ, he is buried with Him in the likeness of His death and raised in the likeness of His resurrection. He is dead to the world and alive unto God.” — Review and Herald, June 15, 1905

“Baptism is a most sacred and important ordinance, and there should be a thorough understanding as to its meaning. It means repentance from sin, and the entrance upon a new life in Christ Jesus.” — Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 93

“Before being baptized, there should be a thorough inquiry as to the experience of the candidates. Let this inquiry be made, not in a cold and distant way, but kindly, gently, pointing the new converts to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” — Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 95

“The vows which we take upon ourselves in baptism embrace much. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we are 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.” — Sons and Daughters of God, p. 320

“Christ has made baptism the sign of entrance into His spiritual kingdom.” — Evangelism, p. 307

“The preparation for baptism is a matter that needs to be carefully considered. New converts… should be faithfully and thoroughly instructed in the truths of the word.” — Evangelism, p. 308

“Parents should not feel that their children must be baptized at a very early age. They should be old enough to understand the meaning of the ordinance and the responsibilities it involves.” — Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 93

Romans 6:3-4 “Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we also should walk in newness of life.”

Colossians 2:12-13 “Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.”

John 3:5 “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

Mark 16:16 “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 2:38 “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’.”

Ephesians 4:5 “One Lord, one faith, one baptism“.

Through our baptism, we are supposed to publicly confess that we believe in the great truth of our corporate death in and with Christ (see In Christ Motif) which we accepted and which took place two thousand years ago.

When we are baptized into Christ (and not into any denomination) we demonstrate that we accepted the historic truth according to which when Christ died two thousand years ago on the cross then we died with Him as well (Rom 6:6-8, 2Cor 5:14). And, if someone dies what should be the next step? The funeral, of course! And this is exactly what baptism is. It is the funeral of our old sinful and condemned life (in the form of the representative corporate sinful human nature, including our law of sin and self we are born with) that was crucified in Christ (Romans 6:4-8).

Unfortunately, the leaders and pastors in any Christian denomination today either do not seem to understand or are not willing to accept this great truth, and some even dare to openly oppose it. Therefore, those who accept Christ and believe in Him are almost always, in a spiritual sense, “buried alive” through baptism, as they are baptized without any knowledge and acceptance of the truth according to which they already died in Jesus on the cross. And since burying people who are still physically alive is a great crime for which we would be sentenced and imprisoned for life, likewise burying Christians who haven’t yet accepted their death in Christ should be also regarded as a (spiritual) crime!

Baptism of Christ

Matthew 3:13-17; Heb 2:14-18

“How often we have read over the description of Christ’s baptism with no thought that there was any particular significance in it for us. But it means everything to us“. ST June 17, 1889, par. 11

“The word that was spoken to Jesus at the Jordan, This is My beloved Son, embraces humanity. God spoke to Jesus as our representative… The Saviour’s glance seems to penetrate heaven as He pours out His soul in prayer. He asks for the witness that God accepts humanity in the person of His Son. With all our sins and weaknesses, we are not cast aside as worthless. ‘He hath made us accepted in the Beloved‘ (Ephesians 1:6). Notwithstanding that the sins of a guilty world were laid upon Christ, notwithstanding the humiliation of taking upon Himself our fallen nature, the voice from heaven declared Him to be the Son of the Eternal.” Desire of Ages, pages 110-113

NOTE: Christ was baptised because by taking our representative sinful human nature, He became us, He was humankind, our great representative. Therefore, it was we in Him that needed cleansing through baptism! Since Christ, as the second Adam, represented the entire sinful humanity, it was the whole world that was cleansed through baptism in Him. And the words of God, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased”, were spoken to each one of us. We were accepted by God in the Beloved when He was baptised. This is the reason why we are told that “the baptism of Christ is everything to us” (see also In Christ Motif).

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Bible (go to Word of God)

“None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict.” — The Great Controversy, p. 593.

„Satan knows that all whom he can lead to neglect prayer and the searching of the Word of God, will be overcome by his attacks. Therefore, he invents every possible device to engross the mind.” Great Controversy, 519

“Let the more important passages of Scripture be committed to memory. Though at first the memory be defective, it will gain strength by exercise, so that after a time you will delight thus to treasure up the words of truth. And the habit will prove a most valuable aid to spiritual growth.” — Child Guidance, p. 511.

“To read a certain number of chapters daily without careful thought as to the meaning of the sacred text, is a work of little profit. We cannot obtain wisdom without earnest attention and prayerful study.” — Review and Herald, October 9, 1883, par. 2.

“The creative energy that called the worlds into existence is in the word of God. This 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. It transforms the nature and re-creates the soul in the image of God.” — Education, p. 126.

“The Bible must be made the foundation for all study” (FE 451).

Children

“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. Let us not be looking for some great missionary work to do until we have first done the duties at home. Kind words at home are blessed sunshine. The husband needs them, the wife needs them, the children need them. . .” Our Father Cares, 36

“Before leaving the house, all the family should be called together; and the father, or the mother in the father’s absence, should plead fervently with God to keep them through the day. 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 upon the altar, entreating for them the care of the Lord. Ministering angels will guard children who are thus dedicated to God.” Child Guidance, 519

“Correct your children in love. Do not let them have their own way until you get angry, and then punish them. Such correction only helps on the evil, instead of remedying it.” Child Guidance, p. 244

“Never should parents let their children see that they are divided in their discipline. If the mother thinks the father is too severe, she should not express this before the children, but should talk it over with him alone.” The Adventist Home, p. 314

“Children are the heritage of the Lord, and we are answerable to Him for our management of His property.” The Desire of Ages, p. 515

“In his life, Christ is our example. . . . He was a child, and had the experience of a child; He was a youth, and had the experience of a youth. He can sympathize with all children and youth.” The Youth’s Instructor, August 1, 1895

“The lessons that the child learns during the first seven years of life have more to do with forming his character than all that it learns in future years.” Child Guidance, p. 193

“Too much importance cannot be placed upon the early training of children. 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.” The Ministry of Healing, p. 380

“Children are a heritage from the Lord, and they are to be trained for His service.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 143

“The mother is God’s agent to Christianize her family. She is to exemplify the religion of Christ in her daily life.” Adventist Home, p. 235

“It is a great work to educate, discipline, and train children for the future, immortal life.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 3, p. 562

“He who took the little children in His arms and blessed them, and spoke words of encouragement to the weary, mothers, is just as ready to-day to hear the mother’s prayer, and to bless the children.” Christian Education, p. 173

“Let the mother realize that her work is a high and holy one, and that she is to do it for God.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 158

“Parents, help your children to do the will of God by being faithful in the performance of the duties which truly belong to you as parents.” The Review and Herald, May 10, 1898

Christ In Us

John 15:5 “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (Gal 2:20; John 17:26)

John 17:21,23 “Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me… I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity”. (2 Cor 5:19; Gal 2:20; John 15:5)

John 17:26 “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ it is therefore not I who live but Christ lives in me“.

Ephesians 3:14,17-19 “For this reason I kneel before the Father (I pray on my knees for something most vital), so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power … to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Colossians 1:27 “God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

EGW

“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” The Desire of Ages, 388.

The Lord Jesus acts through the Holy Spirit; His representative … What a thought is this! In Christ ‘dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him’ Colossians 2:9-10.” Our High Calling, p. 152.

“The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul. We do not now see Christ and speak to Him, but His Holy Spirit is just as near us in one place as another. It works in and through every one who receives Christ.” That I May Know Him, p. 57

“When Christ is in the heart, it will be so softened and subdued by love for God and man that fretting, faultfinding, and contention will have no place there. The religion of Christ in the heart will gain for the possessor a complete victory over every passion.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, p. 610

“Christ in them the hope of glory will be health to the body and strength to the soul.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, p. 566

“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.” SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, p. 1098

Communion Service

“Christ’s example forbids exclusiveness at the Lord’s Supper (Christ didn’t exclude even Judas). It is true that open sin excludes the guilty. This the Holy Spirit plainly teaches. 1 Corinthians 5:11. But beyond this none are to pass judgment. 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?” — The Desire of Ages, p. 656

“The holy exercise of the communion has been looked upon by some as a matter of little consequence. It has been treated as a common thing; but it is not so. It is a sacred service, and should be entered into with solemnity and awe. We should examine our own hearts, and see if there is anything that is not in harmony with the will of God.” — The Review and Herald, May 31, 1898

“None should exclude themselves from the Communion because some who are unworthy may be present. Every disciple is called upon to participate publicly, and thus bear witness that he accepts Christ as a personal Saviour. It is at these, His own appointments, that Christ meets His people, and energizes them by His presence. Hearts and hands that are unworthy may even administer the ordinance, yet Christ is there to minister to His children.” — The Desire of Ages, p. 656

“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.” — The Desire of Ages, p. 661

“The Bible nowhere teaches the use of intoxicating wine, either as a beverage or as a symbol of the blood of Christ. We appeal to the natural reason whether the blood of Christ is better represented by the pure juice of the grape in its natural state, or after it has been converted into a fermented and intoxicating wine. We maintain that the former is the only symbol properly representing the sacred blood of Christ, and a symbol established by himself; and we urge that the latter should never be placed upon the Lord’s table.” Signs of the Times, August 29, 1878 par. 10

“Christ has instituted this service that it may speak to our senses of the love of God that has been expressed in our behalf. 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.”
— The Desire of Ages, p. 660

“The ordinance of feet washing is most helpfully customized to clear away the rubbish of selfishness and the debris of worldly-mindedness. It is to prepare the heart for the reception of the holy bread and the holy wine.”
— Manuscript 47, 1897

“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.'”
— The Desire of Ages, p. 659

“In these ordinances, Christ meets His people, and by His presence energizes and strengthens them. Even though the hearts and hands that perform the service may be unclean, yet Christ is there to minister to His children. All who come with their faith fixed upon Him will be greatly blessed.” — The Desire of Ages, p. 656

“The ordinance of feet-washing is the appointed preparation for the sacramental service. While pride, variance, and strife for supremacy are cherished, the heart can find no room for the fellowship of Christ. We are not prepared to receive the holy communion of His body and His blood.”
— The Review and Herald, June 14, 1898

1 Cor 10:16 “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing (participation) in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?”

NOTE

By eating the bread (symbol of Christ’s perfect body) and drinking the wine (symbol of Lord’s blood), we express our faith that we were in Christ or “participated” in Christ’s perfect obedience in His body (bread) and in His death (wine) as the only hope of salvation (1Cor 1:30; Rom 6:6-8).

The emblems of the Lord’s Supper themselves make no contribution to our salvation. It is the truth of the gospel hidden behind them that saves us.

John 6:53-56 “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.”

Here Jesus was trying to tell them that whoever identified with His life and death was guaranteed salvation. This means identifying with the life and death of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and publicly confessing this faith through baptism.

The gospel consists of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ. By His birth, His divine zoe-life was united to the condemned bios-life of humanity. This legally qualified Christ to represent and substitute for the fallen human race; then, by His life and death, Christ rewrote human history and changed its legal status from condemnation to justification unto life (Rom 5:18).

Faith, then, is the believers’ response to identifying themselves with the holy history of Christ. To help keep this faith alive in His disciples, Jesus instituted The Lord’s Supper. It reminds the believers that they are in Christ and that their only hope of reaching heaven is to remain faithful to the truth as it is in Him.

To understand the significance of The Lord’s Supper in these terms and yet refuse to participate, is to turn one’s back on Christ, the only hope of salvation.

The devil, whose primary purpose is to destroy faith, tries to cloud the true meaning of the Lord’s Supper. So he has perverted the meaning of Paul’s words:

1 Corinthians 11:27,29 “So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. …For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.”

Satan has led believers to take this statement out of its context and use it to justify non-participation in The Lord’s Supper.

Some have interpreted the phrase “eats or drinks in an unworthy manner” as saying that The Lord’s Supper is reserved only for “good” Christians who have confessed every last sin and are living up to the light they have received, in the Christian walk. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus instituted The Lord’s Supper, and even offered it to Judas (knowing he would betray Him), to encourage discouraged believers not to give up their faith in Him.

The early Christians celebrated The Lord’s Supper by sharing a common loaf of bread and a single cup. Many of the Corinthian Christians were slaves or poor and may not have had breakfast that morning, so when the bread and grape juice were served, they would consume them to satisfy their hunger. In so doing, they failed to realize that this was not a common meal, but a sacred service. It is this misuse of The Lord’s Supper that the apostle Paul is rebuking:

1 Corinthians 11:34 “Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.”

Paul makes it clear that all who are resting in Christ for their salvation should participate in The Lord’s Supper. The fundamental belief, as well as our Church Manual, therefore prohibit preventing any Christian from joining in The Lord’s Supper. In fact, the Church Manual requires that even those under censure by the church for wrongdoing must be allowed to participate in The Lord’s Supper. Yet, in many countries, this injunction is ignored.

Conversation With God (go to Hearing God’s Voice)

“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.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 129

“Everyone needs to have a personal experience in obtaining a knowledge of the will of God. We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us, ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’” Desire of Ages, 363

“Those who decide to do nothing that will displease God, will know, after presenting their case before Him, what course to pursue.”

“Those who make the service of God supreme will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet.”

Country Living

“The time has come when, as God opens the way, families should move out of the cities… into the country, where they can obtain a small piece of land, and make a home for themselves and their children.” Country Living, p. 24

“The time has come when, as God opens the way, families should move out of the cities. The children should be taken into the country. The parents should get as suitable a place as their means will allow. Though the dwelling may be small, yet there should be land in connection with it, that may be cultivated.” Manuscript 115, 1907

“Get out of the cities as soon as possible, and purchase a little piece of land, where you can have a garden, where your children can watch the flowers growing, and learn from them lessons of simplicity and purity.” General Conference Bulletin, March 30, 1903

“As did Enoch, we must work in the cities but not dwell in them.” Manuscript 115, 1903

“The time is near when the large cities will be visited by the judgments of God. After a little while, these cities will be terribly shaken.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 7, p. 83

“Life in the cities is false and artificial. The intense passion for money getting, the whirl of excitement and pleasure seeking, the thirst for display, the luxury and extravagance, all are forces that, with the great masses of mankind, are turning the mind from life’s true purpose.” The Ministry of Healing, p. 364

“It was not God’s purpose that people should be crowded into cities, huddled together in terraces and tenements.” The Ministry of Healing, p. 365

“There is not one family in a hundred who will be improved physically, mentally, or spiritually, by residing in the city. Faith, hope, love, happiness, can far better be gained in retired places, where there are fields and hills and trees.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 310

“Out of the cities, out of the cities!—this is my message. . . . The time is coming when those who choose to remain in the cities will be involved in the general ruin.” Manuscript 115, 1907

“Parents can secure small homes in the country, with land for cultivation, where they can have orchards and where they can raise vegetables and small fruits in the place of flesh meat.” Manuscript 133, 1902

“In the country the children are not as much exposed to the corrupting influences of city life. Here they can have surroundings more favorable to the formation of a right character.” Country Living, p. 12

Cross (death) & Sufferings of Christ (see also Atonement)

“It was not bodily suffering which so quickly ended the life of Christ upon the cross… The fierce temptation that His own Father had forever left Him caused that piercing cry from the cross: ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’” — God’s Amazing Grace, p. 170.

“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 must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary.” — Gospel Workers, p. 315.

“To Paul the cross was the one object of supreme interest. Ever since he had been arrested in his career of persecution against the followers of the crucified Nazarene he had never ceased to glory in the cross.” — Lift Him Up, p. 246.

“Satan with his fierce temptations wrung the heart of Jesus. The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb. Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell Him of the Father’s acceptance of the sacrifice. He feared that sin was so offensive to God that their separation was to be eternal. Christ felt the anguish which the sinner will feel when mercy shall no longer plead for the guilty race.” Desire of Ages, Golgotha

“It was not the spear thrust, it was not the pain of the cross, that caused the death of Jesus. That cry, uttered ‘with a loud voice’ (Matthew 27:50; Luke 23:46), at the moment of death, the stream of blood and water that flowed from His side, declared that He died of a broken heart. His heart was broken by mental anguish. He was slain by the sin of the world.” Desire of Ages, Golgotha

“The withdrawal of the divine countenance from the Saviour in this hour of supreme anguish pierced His heart with a sorrow that can never be fully understood by man.” Desire of Ages, Golgotha

“Never was criminal treated in so inhuman a manner as was the Son of God.” Desire of Ages, Golgotha

“His whole form was convulsed with pain.” Desire of Ages, 734

“The multitude were clamorous for the blood of Jesus. They cruelly scourged Him, and put upon Him an old purple kingly robe, and bound His sacred head with a crown of thorns. They put a reed into His hand, and bowed to Him, and mockingly saluted Him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” They then took the reed from His hand and smote Him with it upon the head, causing the thorns to penetrate His temples, sending the blood trickling down His face and beard. Jesus stood meek and humble before the infuriated multitude, while they offered Him the vilest abuse. They spit in His face—that face from which they will one day desire to hide, which will give light to the city of God and shine brighter than the sun. Christ did not cast upon the offenders an angry look. They covered His head with an old garment, blindfolding Him, and then struck Him in the face and cried out, ‘Prophesy, who is it that smote Thee’?” Early Writings, Trial of Christ

“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…It is the greatest subject that can engage the human mind.”

“The angels suffered with Christ. God Himself was crucified with Him, because Christ was one with the Father.” (The Bible Echo, August 6, 1894).

“God did not change His law, but He sacrificed Himself, in Christ, for man’s redemption. ‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself’ (2Cor 5:19).” The Desire of Ages (Vol. 3, p. 762)

“Pride and self-esteem cannot flourish in the hearts that keep fresh in memory the scenes of Calvary. This world will appear of but little value to those who appreciate the great price of man’s redemption, the precious blood of God’s dear Son.” — Lift Him Up, p. 43.

“All the riches of the world are not of sufficient value to redeem one perishing soul. Who can measure the love Christ felt for a lost world as he hung upon the cross, suffering for the sins of guilty men? This love was immeasurable, infinite.” — Lift Him Up, p. 43.

“So dreadful does sin appear to Him, so great is the weight of guilt which He must bear, that He is tempted to fear it will shut Him out forever from His Father’s love. Feeling how terrible is the wrath of God against transgression, He exclaims, ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death‘… Every step that He now took was with labored effort. He groaned aloud, as if suffering under the pressure of a terrible burden. Twice His companions supported Him, or He would have fallen to the earth.” – DA, Gethsemane.

“The revelation of God’s love to man centers in the cross. Its full significance tongue cannot utter; pen cannot portray; the mind of man cannot comprehend. . .” God’s Amazing Grace, p. 178.

First Scourging: “Pilate was filled with amazement at the uncomplaining patience of the Saviour. He did not doubt that the sight of this Man, in contrast with Barabbas, would move the Jews to sympathy. But he did not understand the fanatical hatred of the priests… Pilate then sent for a scourge, and in the presence of the multitude he scourged Jesus. … This was a most cruel and shameful punishment, but Pilate hoped by this means to save the life of the Prisoner.” The Desire of Ages, p. 733

Second Scourging (after Pilate sentenced Christ to death). The second scourging was the official Roman “verberatio”—the brutal flogging that legally and traditionally preceded crucifixion: “Pilate longed to deliver Him. But he saw that he could not do this, and yet retain his own position and honor… He yielded to the demands of the mob. Rather than risk losing his position, he delivered Jesus up to be crucified. … It was the custom to scourge those who were sentenced to death by crucifixion. This also Jesus endured.” The Desire of Ages, p. 738

Does the Bible Support Two Scourgings?

John 19:1–5: Records Jesus being scourged before the final sentence. Pilate then brings Him out and says, “Behold the man!” (v. 5), clearly using the beating as an argument for His release.

Matthew 27:26 & Mark 15:15: Record that Pilate released Barabbas and, “having scourged Jesus,” delivered Him to be crucified.

The Greek verbs used in these passages can refer to different types of Roman beatings:

Fustigatio (John 19:1) a “corrective” beating to satisfy a crowd (Luke 23:16: “I will therefore chastise him, and release him”).

Verberatio (Matthew/Mark): The horrific, bone-exposing scourging that was the mandatory preliminary to the cross.

“His whole form was convulsed with pain.” Desire of Ages, 734

Death of Sinners Who Rejected God’s Gift of Salvation

“Only in eternity can we rightly estimate the loss of a single soul.” Testimonies for the Church, volume 9, page 189

“It is no arbitrary decree of God that excludes the wicked from heaven; they are shut out by their own unfitness. The glory of God would be to them a consuming fire. They would welcome destruction, that they might be hidden from the face of Him who died to redeem them.” The Great Controversy, page 37

“The destruction of the wicked will be a ‘strange act‘ to Him who is love. But it is in mercy to the universe, and in mercy even to those who are destroyed, that God finally removes those who have fully and determinately chosen the side of rebellion.” The Great Controversy, p. 543

“God is the fountain of life; and when one chooses the service of sin, he separates from God, and thus cuts himself off from life. Christ says, “All they that hate Me love death.” Ephesians 4:18; Proverbs 8:36. By a life of rebellion, Satan and all who unite with him place themselves so out of harmony with God that His very presence is to them a consuming fire. The glory of Him who is love will destroy them.
At the beginning of the great controversy, the angels did not understand this.” DA, Ch. 79.

“The light of the glory of God, which imparts life to the righteous, will slay the wicked.” The Desire of Ages, page 600.

Note: Just as a person who has lived in a dark cave for 40 years would find the noon-day sun agonising and painful to the eyes, the wicked find the presence of God (which is pure love and holiness) to be “consuming fire.” If God “forced” a wicked person into heaven, it would be a place of torture for them. They would hate the music, the conversation, and the atmosphere of self-sacrificing love. The “fire” that destroys the wicked is actually the glory of God’s presence. The same Fire, but Different Result: It can be compared to the influence of the sun. The sun gives life to the living plant, but withers and burns the plant that has no root. It softens wax but hardens clay. To the righteous, God’s glory is a delightful immortal energising bliss; but to the wicked, who have identified themselves with sin, that same glory is a unbearable torture and consuming fire because sin, selfishness and pride cannot exist in the presence of God who is pure agape love. The “unfitness” is the lack of a “spiritual root.” Graham Maxwell in “Can God Be Trusted?”, argued that God’s presence is always a consuming fire to sin. Throughout history, God has had to “veil” or “hide” His glory to keep from accidentally destroying us. In the end, when the “veil” is removed, it is not that God changes into a punisher, but that He simply stops “shielding“ the wicked from the natural reality of His holiness. Their “unfitness” means they no longer have the “protective gear” of a Christ-like character to survive the atmosphere of Heaven. Mervyn Maxwell noted that if the wicked were in Heaven, they would “beg to be allowed to die” to escape the “blazing light of selfless love” that makes their own selfishness feel like a burning weight. Alden Thompson suggests that the wicked have spent a lifetime practicing selfishness. In Heaven where every thought is for the other, the wicked would feel a crushing, claustrophobic pressure. The “fire” is the mental agony of being surrounded by a love they cannot understand and a purity that exposes their own darkness. M.L. Andreasen (The Sanctuary Service) argued that for God to keep a person alive who hates Him would be “eternal mental torture.” By allowing them to perish and return to the dust, God is giving them the only “peace” they are capable of receiving—the peace of non-existence.

“A few, yes, only a few, of the vast number … 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.” —Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, pp. 401, 402

“The wicked are filled with regret, not because of their sin in neglecting God and their fellow men, but because God has conquered. They lament that the result is what it is; but they do not repent of their wickedness.” The Great Controversy, p. 654

“A life of rebellion against God has unfitted them for heaven. Its purity, holiness, and peace would be torture to them; the glory of God would be a consuming fire. They would long to flee from that holy place. They would welcome destruction, that they might be hidden from the face of Him who died to redeem them.” The Great Controversy, p. 543

“Sinners would be miserable in God’s presence; they would endure a despair which the death of the grave would be a relief to end.” Steps to Christ, p. 18

“God does not desire the destruction of any. . . . Yet He will not force the will or the affections of any. He cannot take to heaven those who have no love for it, those who would be miserable in its atmosphere.” Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 235

“To the wicked, the day of God’s coming is a day of darkness, of gloom, of despair. . . . To them the presence of Christ is a consuming fire.” The Review and Herald, November 22, 1892

“Every soul that refuses to become a partaker of the divine nature is a partaker of the attributes of the enemy. . . . He who has not a character that will harmonize with the character of God cannot enter the family of the redeemed.” The Review and Herald, February 10, 1903

Divinity of Christ

“In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived… The divinity of Christ is the believer’s assurance of eternal life“. DA 530.3

“He was equal with God, infinite and omnipotent…. He is the eternal, self-existent Son” (Manuscript 101, 1897).

“Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity, God over all, blessed forevermore.” Lift Him Up 16.3

“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….The existence of Christ before His incarnation is not measured by figures.” Evangelism 615, 616

“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” SDA Bible Commentary 5:1127

Divorce & Remarriage

“Only he who is proved to be miserable and wretched through the violation of the marriage vow, has a divine right to a divorce. The one who has been faithful to the marriage vow is then free to marry again.” Letter 50, 1906

“If the wife is an unbeliever and an opposer, the husband cannot, by the law of God, put her away on this ground alone. In order to be in harmony with the law of Jehovah, he must abide with her, unless she herself chooses to depart.” The Adventist Home, p. 344

“When the marriage vow is broken, and the heart is filled with the presence of another than the one to whom the vow was given, then the marriage is dissolved in the sight of God.” Manuscript 2, 1891

“The marriage tie is sacred, but in this degenerate age it is often broken for very slight reasons. . . . Unless there is a decided change in the character of the one who has wandered, the other is not bound to remain in the same house.” Letter 168, 1901

From The Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual Revised 2015, updated 2016: “Unfaithfulness to the marriage vow has generally been seen to mean adultery or fornication. However, the New Testament word for fornication includes certain other sexual irregularities (1 Cor. 6:9; 1 Tim. 1:9, 10; Rom. 1:24-27). Therefore, sexual perversions, including incest, child sexual abuse, and homosexual practices, are also recognized as a misuse of sexual powers and a violation of the divine intention in marriage. As such they are just cause for separation or divorce. Even though the Scriptures allow divorce for the reasons mentioned above, as well as for abandonment by an unbelieving spouse (1 Cor. 7:10-15), the church and those concerned should make earnest endeavours to effect a reconciliation, urging the spouses to manifest toward each other a Christlike spirit of forgiveness and restoration. The church is urged to relate lovingly and redemptively toward the couple in order to assist in the reconciliation process. In the event that reconciliation is not effected, the spouse who has remained faithful to the spouse who violated the marriage vow has the biblical right to secure a divorce and also to remarry.”

Education

“Our ideas of education take too narrow and too low a range. There is need of a broader scope, a higher design. True education means more than the pursual of a certain course of study. It means more than a preparation for the life that now is. It has to do with the whole being, and with the whole period of existence possible to man. It is the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers.” Education, p. 13

“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.” Education, p. 15

“Every human being, created in the image of God, is endowed with a power akin to that of the Creator—individuality, power to think and to do. . . . It is the work of true education to develop this power, to train the youth to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men’s thought.” Education, p. 17

“The heart is the citadel of the being, and with it the issues of life or death are concerned. Until the heart is surrendered to God, the soul is not safe. . . . The first and most important work of the teacher is to lead the students to give the heart’s affections to Christ.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 511

“He who cooperates with the divine purpose in imparting to the youth a knowledge of God, and molding the character into harmony with His, does a high and noble work. As he awakens a desire to reach God’s ideal, he presents an education that is as high as heaven and as broad as the universe.” Education, p. 19

“True education is not the forcing of instruction on an unready and unreceptive mind. The mental powers must be awakened, the interest aroused.” Education, p. 233

“The science of a pure, wholesome, Christlike life is to be learned in the school of Christ. This education will result in a character that is after the divine similitude.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8, p. 311

“Character building is the most important work ever entrusted to human beings; and never before was its diligent study so important as now.” Education, p. 225

“In the highest sense the work of education and the work of redemption are one, for in education, as in redemption, ‘other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’” Education, p. 30

“The Bible should be the child’s first textbook. From this book, parents are to give wise instruction. The Word of God is to be made the rule of the life.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 108

Eternal Life (Heaven)

“Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. There will be no more tears, no funeral trains. The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick.”

“There every power will be developed, the highest ambitions realized. And still there will arise new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire. 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.”

“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—worlds that thrilled with sorrow at the spectacle of human woe and rang with songs of gladness at the tidings of a ransomed soul.”

“The Lord has given me a view of other worlds. Wings were given me, and an angel attended me from the city to a place that was bright and glorious…. I begged of my attending angel to let me remain in that place. I could not bear the thought of coming back to this dark world again. Then the angel said, ‘You must go back, and if you are faithful, you … shall have the privilege of visiting all the worlds and viewing the handiwork of God.”

“On the mount was a glorious temple, and about it were seven other mountains, on which grew roses and lilies. And I saw the little ones climb, or, if they chose, use their little wings and fly to the top of the mountains, and pluck the never-fading flowers.”

“We do not expect rest here. No, no. The way to heaven is a cross-bearing way … We will not complain… We will rejoice in tribulation and keep in mind the recompense of reward, the ‘far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory’… The curtain has been lifted. I have seen the rich reward laid up for the saints. I have had a taste of the joys of the world to come, and it has spoiled this world for me. My affections, my interests, hopes, my all is in heaven. I long to see the King in His beauty, Him whom my soul loveth.” Reflecting Christ, 350.

“And the years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer and still more glorious revelations of God and of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase. The more men learn of God, the greater will be their admiration of His character.” The Great Controversy, p. 678

“There the loves and sympathies which God Himself has planted in the soul shall 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… these are among the pleasures of the after-life.” The Great Controversy, p. 677

“With undimmed vision they gaze upon the glory of creation—suns and stars and systems, all in their appointed order circling the throne of Deity. Upon all things, from the least to the greatest, the Creator’s name is written, and in all are the riches of His power displayed.” The Great Controversy, p. 677

“The herb, the flower, the tree, will afford subjects for investigation. In all the visible creation, in earth and sea and sky, we shall read the name of God. The musical birds will sing their songs of praise to their Creator.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 189

Evangelism, Witnessing & Service

“Let unbelievers see that the faith we hold makes us better; that it is a living reality, sanctifying the character, transforming the life. ” — Our High Calling, p. 305.

“We are Christ’s witnesses, and we are not to allow worldly interests and plans to absorb our time and attention.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 609.

“If Christ left the ninety and nine that He might seek and save one lost sheep, can we be justified in doing less? Is not a neglect to work as Christ worked, to sacrifice as He sacrificed, a betrayal of sacred trusts, an insult to God?” — The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 370, 371.

“Heavenly angels watch those who are seeking for enlightenment. They cooperate with those who try to win souls to Christ.” The Bible Echo, December 10, 1900

“Let your light shine, and other lights will be kindled. It is the privilege of every soul to be a living channel through which God can communicate to the world the unsearchable riches of Christ.” — God’s Amazing Grace, p. 187.

“There is nothing that Christ desires so much as agents who will represent to the world His Spirit and character. There is nothing that the world needs so much as the manifestation through humanity of the Saviour’s love.” — God’s Amazing Grace, p. 187.

“In presenting the gospel before the court of the Areopagus, Paul met logic with logic, science with science, philosophy with philosophy. Few were led to accept the gospel. Henceforth Paul adopted a different manner of labor. He avoided elaborate arguments and discussion of theories, and in simplicity pointed men and women to Christ as the Saviour of sinners.” — The Ministry of Healing, pp. 214–216.

“Every act of love, every word of kindness, every prayer in behalf of the suffering and oppressed, is reported before the eternal throne, and placed on heaven’s imperishable record.” — Christian Service, p. 222.

“The Saviour was an untiring worker. He did not measure His work by hours. His time, His heart, His strength, were given to labor for the benefit of humanity.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 609.

“The man who loves God does not measure his work by the eight-hour system. He works at all hours, and is never off duty. As he has opportunity, he does good. Everywhere, at all times and in all places, he finds opportunity to work for God. He carries fragrance with him wherever he goes.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 609.

“Those who make no decided effort, but simply wait for the Holy Spirit to compel them to action, will perish in darkness. You are not to sit still and do nothing in the work of God.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 609.

“We must live for Christ minute by minute; then Christ will dwell in us, and when we meet together, His love will be in our hearts, making those who are ready to perish, eager to drink of the waters of life.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 609.

“Our meetings should be made intensely interesting. Let there be no long, dry speeches and formal prayers merely for the sake of occupying the time. All should be ready to act their part with promptness, and when their duty is done, the meeting should be closed. Thus the interest will be kept up to the last. His service should be made interesting and attractive and not be allowed to degenerate into a dry form.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 607.

“In the service of God there is no middle ground. . . . Let none expect to make a compromise with the world, and yet enjoy the blessing of the Lord… Let unbelievers see that the faith we hold makes us better; that it is a living reality, sanctifying the character, transforming the life. . . “ Our High Calling, p. 305

“O how much we need a more intimate acquaintance with the Lord Jesus. . . . We are to tell others of the love of Christ, and in order to do this, we must know by experience what it means to have this love in the heart.” This Day With God, p. 64

Faith & Trust

“Those persons who refuse to move forward until they see every step plainly marked out before them, will never accomplish much; but every man who shows his faith and trust in God by willingly submitting himself to Him, enduring the divine discipline imposed, will become a successful workman for the Master of the vineyard. By submitting to God’s discipline, Moses became a sanctified channel through which the Lord could work. He did not hesitate to change his way for the Lord’s way, even though it did lead in strange paths, in untried ways. No; he placed a very low estimate upon his own qualifications to complete successfully the great work which the Lord had given him. When he started on his commission to deliver the people of God from their bondage, to all human appearances it was a most hopeless undertaking; but he confided in Him with whom all things are possible.” —Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 344

True Saving Faith

“The faith that is unto salvation is not a casual belief, it is not the mere consent of the intellect, it is belief rooted in the heart, that embraces Christ as a personal Saviour, realizing that He can save unto the uttermost all who come unto God by Him.” Selected Messages, Book 1, p. 391

“Saving faith is a transaction by which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God. Genuine faith is life. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which the soul becomes a conquering power.” The Desire of Ages, p. 347

False Faith and Presumption

“Faith is not feeling. ‘Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’ 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.” Gospel Workers, p. 260

“Faith is the hand that touches the heart of infinite love, the hand by which the soul of man is united to the soul of God. But let no one think that he can exercise this faith while he is living in known sin.” The Review and Herald, June 26, 1888

The Relation Between Faith and Works
“Faith and works go hand in hand; they act harmoniously in the work of victory. Works without faith are dead, and faith without works is dead. Works will never save us; it is the merit of Christ that will avail in our behalf; through faith in Him, Christ will make all our imperfect efforts acceptable to God.” Selected Messages, Book 1, p. 348

“True faith will be manifested in good works; for good works are the fruits of faith. As God works in the heart, and man surrenders his will to God, and cooperates with God, he works out in the life what God works in by the Holy Spirit, and there is harmony between the purpose of the heart and the practice of the life.” The Review and Herald, August 4, 1891

Trusting God During Painful Experiences

“Faith takes God at His word, not asking to understand the meaning of the trying experiences that come. But there are many who have little faith. They are always looking for trouble, and they are filled with fear. Every day they are surrounded by the tokens of God’s love, but they do not see them.” The Acts of the Apostles, p. 483

“He who has a knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom He has sent, has a faith that will not fail under trial. This is the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. It is the faith that takes God at His word, and that believes that He will do just as He has said.” The Review and Herald, January 24, 1893

“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 and honor of God supreme, will find perplexities vanish, and a plain path before their feet.” The Desire of Ages, p. 330

Family

“The restoration and uplifting of humanity begins in the home. The work of parents underlies every other. Society is composed of families, and is what the heads of families make it. Out of the heart are ‘the issues of life’; and the heart of the community, of the church, and of the nation, is the household.” The Ministry of Healing, p. 349

“Every Christian home should have rules; and parents should, in their words and in their deportment toward each other, give to their children a precious living example of what they desire them to be.” Child Guidance, p. 17

“The home should be made a Bethel, a holy place. Where Christ is brought into the family, the influence of that home will be a power for good. All will be kindness and love. No sharp, impatient words will be spoken; for the presence of Christ is felt, and it softens and subdues every harsh thought.” The Review and Herald, June 22, 1886

“If we would have our children develop a kind, loving spirit, we must ourselves set them an example. Our words should be pleasant, our countenances cheerful. If the mother has the love of Christ in her heart, it will be revealed in her daily life.” The Signs of the Times, November 14, 1892

“Parents are to a great degree responsible for the mould given to the characters of their children. They should aim at symmetry and proportion. There are few well-balanced minds, because parents are sadly negligent of their duty to stimulate weak traits and repress wrong ones.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 319

“The father is the house-band of the family, binding the members together by the strong, golden cords of affection. He is the priest of the household, standing at the family altar to offer the morning and evening sacrifice of prayer and praise.” The Adventist Home, p. 211

Final Global Deception

“In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the Son of God. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have beheld. His voice is soft yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the sick and claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name. This is the strong delusion…However, Satan is not permitted to counterfeit the manner of Christ’s second coming…When Christ shall make His appearance, it will be with power and great glory, accompanied by millions of glorious angels.” Great Controversy, pp. 624, 625

“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 Great Controversy, p. 624

“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.” The Great Controversy, p. 624

“Satan is not permitted to counterfeit the manner of Christ’s advent. The Saviour has warned His people against deception upon this point, and has clearly foretold the manner of His second coming… ‘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.’ This coming there is no possibility of counterfeiting. It will be universally known—witnessed by the whole world.” The Great Controversy, p. 625

“He 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.” SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, p. 1105

“So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested.” The Great Controversy, p. 593

“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. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise.” The Great Controversy, p. 625

“The spirits of devils will yet appear to them, professing to be beloved relatives or friends, who will declare to them unscriptural doctrines. They will do all in their power to excite sympathy and will work miracles before them to confirm what they declare.” Early Writings, p. 262

“Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive the world… Little by little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece of deception in the development of spiritualism. He has not yet fully carried out his designs; but it will be reached in the last remnant of time.” The Great Controversy, p. 561

Freedom From Condemnation

“If you give yourself to Christ, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned.” (Steps to Christ, p. 62).

“If you accept Christ as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned.”

God’s Providence & Trust

“Many are unable to make definite plans for the future, and this often fills them with anxiety and unrest. Christ in His life on earth made no plans for Himself. He accepted God’s plans for Him, and day by day 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.” — The Ministry of Healing, pp. 478, 479.

“Too many, in planning for a brilliant future, make an utter failure. Let God plan for you. 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.” — The Ministry of Healing, pp. 478, 479.

“When in faith we take hold of His strength, He will change, wonderfully change, the most hopeless, discouraging outlook.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 609.

“Often our plans fail that God’s plans for us may succeed.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 609.

“Know and believe the love that God has to us, and you are secure; Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 609.

“Those who accept the one principle of making the service of God supreme will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 609.

Great Controversy

“The great controversy between Christ and Satan, that has been carried forward for nearly six thousand years, is soon to close; and the wicked one redoubles his efforts to defeat the work of Christ in man’s behalf and to fasten souls in his snares.” The Great Controversy, p. ix

“From the very beginning of the great controversy in heaven it has been Satan’s purpose to overthrow the law of God. It was to accomplish this that he entered upon his rebellion against the Creator, and though he was cast out of heaven he has continued the same warfare upon the earth.” The Great Controversy, p. 582

“Satan is a diligent Bible student. He knows that his time is short, and he seeks at every point to counterwork the work of the Lord upon this earth.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 16

“The last great conflict between truth and error is but the final struggle of the long-standing controversy concerning the law of God. Upon this battle we are now entering—a battle between the laws of men and the precepts of Jehovah, between the religion of the Bible and the religion of fable and tradition.” The Great Controversy, p. 582

“Satan has a thousand-fold more power to tempt today than he had in the past, because he has been practicing for thousands of years, and he is a master of his craft.” The Review and Herald, April 14, 1896

“The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the last movements will be rapid ones.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 11

“Fearful tests are before the people of God. The spirit of war is stirring the nations from one end of the earth to the other. But in the midst of the time of trouble that is coming—a time of trouble such as has not been since there was a nation—God’s chosen people will stand unmoved.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 17

“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.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 406

“The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation.” The Great Controversy, p. 678

“From the minutest atom to the largest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.” The Great Controversy, p. 678

Health, Healing, Diet, Lifestyle, Stimulants

„Many are suffering from ailments of the soul far more than from diseases of the body, and will find no relief until they shall come to Christ.” The Desire of Ages, p. 824

“In many cases of prayer for the healing of the sick, that which is called faith is nothing less than presumption. Many bring disease upon themselves by disregarding the laws of health. If God worked a miracle in restoring their health, He would be encouraging sin. It is labor lost to teach people to look to God as a healer unless they are taught also to lay aside unhealthy practices.” Counsels on Health, p. 373

“Men under the influence of evil spirits will work miracles. They will make people sick by casting their spell, and will then remove the spell, leading others to say that those who were sick have been miraculously healed”. Selected Messages, Book 2, p. 53

„The consciousness of rightdoing is the best medicine for diseased bodies and minds. To have a consciousness that the eyes of the Lord are upon us and His ears open to our prayers is a satisfaction indeed. To know that we have a never-failing Friend is a privilege which words can never express.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, p. 502

“The mind needs to be controlled, for the imagination often brings severe forms of disease”. Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, p. 702

“I was thinking that it was my last speech. All at once, I felt a power come upon me, like a shock of electricity. It passed through my body and up to my head. The people said that they plainly saw the blood mounting to my lips, ears, cheeks, and forehead. Before that large number of people, I was healed, and the praise of God was in my heart and came from my lips in clear tones. A miracle was wrought before that large congregation. I then took my place among the speakers, and bore a testimony such as they had never heard. It was as if one had been raised from the dead.” The Review and Herald, August 19, 1909

”A person whose mind is quiet and satisfied in God is in the pathway to health.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, p. 566

“Christ in them the hope of glory will be health to the body and strength to the soul.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, p. 566

“Many are suffering, and many are going into the grave, because of the indulgence of appetite. They eat what suits their perverted taste, thus weakening the digestive organs and injuring their power to assimilate the food that is to sustain life.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 112

“Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator. These foods, prepared in as simple and natural a manner as possible, are the most healthful and nourishing.” The Ministry of Healing, p. 296

“Meat is not essential for health or strength. . . . Its use excites the animal passions to intense activity and strengthens the lower propensities. When the animal propensities are increased, the intellectual and moral powers are decreased.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 396

“The liability to take disease is increased tenfold by meat eating.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 2, p. 64

“Irregularity in eating destroys the healthful tone of the digestive organs, to the detriment of health and cheerfulness.” The Ministry of Healing, p. 304

“Our bodies are Christ’s purchased property, 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.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 16

“Tea and coffee drinking is a sin, an injurious indulgence, which, like other evils, implements the mind and heart. . . . It is a slow poison.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 3, p. 569

“Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in divine power—these are the true remedies.” The Ministry of Healing, p. 127

“The only safe course is to touch not, taste not, handle not, tea, coffee, wines, tobacco, opium, and alcoholic drinks.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 3, p. 488

“The use of intoxicating liquor dethrones the reason, and hardens the heart against every pure and holy influence.” The Review and Herald, May 8, 1894

“Liquor drinking is a device of the enemy to bring man into his power, to lead him to commit acts that will cause him to lose his soul.” Temperance, p. 30

“The man who has formed the habit of using intoxicants is in a terrible condition. His brain is diseased, his will power is weakened. So far as his own strength is concerned, his appetite is uncontrollable. He cannot be reasoned with or persuaded to deny himself.” The Ministry of Healing, p. 172

“No man who uses intoxicating liquor can be a consistent Christian. He cannot be a growing Christian. His perception is blurred, his sensibilities are deadened, and he cannot discern between sacred and common things.” Temperance, p. 45

“The moderate use of intoxicating drinks is the school in which men are receiving an education for the drunkard’s career.” The Review and Herald, March 25, 1884

“The drunkard is a slave to a perverted appetite. He has bartered his manhood for that which makes him a demon.” Temperance, p. 24

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. . . . Every drop of liquid poison is a step in the way of ruin.” Temperance, p. 32

“Under the influence of intoxicating liquor, men are led to do things which, if they were in their right mind, they would never think of doing.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 441

“The intemperate man has no place in the kingdom of God. He has disqualified himself for the society of the pure and the holy.” Temperance, p. 149

Hearing God’s Voice

John 10:27‌ “My sheep hear My voice”, Lord Jesus says, “and I know them”.

Isaiah 30:21 “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.”

“Those who decide to do nothing that will displease God, will know, after presenting their case before Him, what course to pursue.”

“Those who make the service of God supreme will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet.”

“There are three ways in which the Lord reveals His will to us, to guide us, and to fit us to guide others. How may we know His voice from that of a false shepherd? God reveals His will to us in His word, the Holy Scriptures. His voice is also revealed in His providential workings; and it will be recognized if we do not separate our souls from Him by walking in our own ways. Another way in which God’s voice is heard is through the appeals of His Holy Spirit, making impressions upon the heart, which will be wrought out in the character.” Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 512.

“Nature speaks to our senses without ceasing… The listening ear can hear and understand the communications of God through the things of nature.” Steps to Christ, 85

“God speaks to us through His providential workings and through the influence of His Spirit upon the heart. In our circumstances and surroundings, in the changes daily taking place around us, we may find precious lessons.” Steps to Christ, 87

“God speaks to us in His word. Here we have in clearer lines the revelation of His character, of His dealings with men, and the great work of redemption.” Steps to Christ, 87

“This book (Bible) is the voice of God speaking to us” FE 433

To me, an excellent example of this kind of relationship with God is Sister Elva from Telford church near Wolverhampton, where I used to live and had conversations with her from time to time. She was taking care of a Polish man, Stanislaw, who was addicted to alcohol and smoking.

She took from me a Polish copy of Steps to Christ and gave it to him. However, after some time, he had a stroke and couldn’t even speak or eat; he had to be fed through a tube placed in his stomach in the hospital.

After visiting him, she felt discouraged and prayed, “Lord, why did he go through this experience? Now he can’t even speak.” While she was praying, a voice in her head said, “Yes, he cannot speak, but can he drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes now?”

She then realised that the ordeal he went through was a great blessing for him, because it enabled him to quit drinking and smoking. Consequently, she stopped complaining and started praising God. I am still in contact with Sister Elva, and to me, she is always such a beautiful example of what Christianity should be like.

Hell

“It is beyond the power of the human mind to estimate the evil which has been wrought by the heresy of eternal torment. The religion of the Bible, full of love and goodness, and abounding in compassion, is darkened by superstition and clothed with terror.” The Great Controversy, p. 536

“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… Yet this doctrine has been widely taught and is still embodied in many of the creeds of Christendom.” The Great Controversy, p. 535

“The wicked receive their recompense in the earth. They ‘shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts.’ Some are destroyed as in a moment, while others suffer many days. All are punished ‘according to their deeds.'” The Great Controversy, p. 673

“Satan and all who have joined him in rebellion will be cut off. Sin and sinners will be no more, ‘root and branch.’ Satan the root, and his followers the branches.” The Review and Herald, April 14, 1891

“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.” The Great Controversy, p. 674

“The justice of God is satisfied, and the saints and all the angelic host say with a loud voice, Amen! … When the fire of the last day shall be kindled, then the end will come to all the wicked. They will be as though they had not been.” The Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4, p. 488

“The second death is a death from which there is no awakening. The wicked will be as if they had never been. They have chosen their own destruction, and God gives them what they have sought.” The Faith I Live By, p. 347

Heaven (go to Eternal Life)

Heavenly Records of Deeds

“Opposite each name in the books of heaven is entered with terrible exactness every selfish act, every unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin.” Lift Him Up – Page 327

“Every man’s work passes in review before God and is registered for faithfulness or unfaithfulness. 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 dissimulation.” The Great Controversy, p. 482

“There is a record also of the sins of men. . . . How little does the lighthearted speaker consider that his words are being recorded by the recording angel! How little does the selfish man realize that his neglect of the poor is being entered in the ledger of heaven!” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, p. 384

“The recording angel makes a faithful record of every offering dedicated to God, and put into the treasury, and also of the final result of the means thus bestowed.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 2, p. 518

“Our characters are being bombarded by temptations, but they are also being recorded in the books of heaven. Every deed, however small, has its place in the record.” The Review and Herald, September 16, 1890

“Your life is being recorded in the books of heaven. You may think that your actions are not seen, but they are all written down. You cannot call back one word or one act; but you can repent and be converted.” The Youth’s Instructor, April 12, 1900

“Angels of God are in our assemblies. They are taking a record of our words and our actions. They are noting whether we are growing in grace and in a knowledge of the truth.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 421

“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.” The Great Controversy, p. 483

“The ledger of heaven is accurately kept. Not one act of injustice, not one deed of oppression, is overlooked.” The Review and Herald, March 27, 1888

“The recording angel is following you, and he writes your words and your actions. You are not to live for yourself, but for Him who died for you.” The Youth’s Instructor, August 11, 1886

“The record of the life is not yet closed. We may still, by our actions, determine what the record shall be. If we are faithful, our names will not be blotted out of the book of life.” Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, p. 138

Holiness, Holy

Leviticus 20:26 “And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.”

The word “mine” explains what does it mean to be holy. To be holy to God means to be His, it means that our “heart is completely His” (2 Chron 16:9).

“Holiness is an entire surrender of the will to God.” Ellen White, Acts of the Apostles, p. 51.

Karl Barth: “To be holy is to be claimed by God, to belong to Him.” Church Dogmatics, Vol. IV.2, Section 67 (The Sanctification of the Man).

Jack Sequeira: “Holiness is not a condition we achieve to be saved; it is a fruit of the salvation we have already received in Christ (1 Cor 1:30). It is Christ’s life lived out in the believer through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Beyond Belief: The Gospel of God’s Redeeming Grace, Chapter 7 (The Experience of Salvation).

1 Corinthians 1:30: “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”

Because we died with and in Christ, were already punished in Him (Rom 6:6-8; Romans 7:4, 2Cor 5:14) are delivered from under the first husband (the law) in Jesus (Rom 7:4,6) and are now married with Christ (Rom 7:4), the sin is deprived of power and can’t touch the true believers because they are married with Christ, are one with Him and are constantly covered by His perfect righteousness, perfect obedience and holiness. As a result “there is now no condemnation for us in Christ” (Rom 8:1). So true believers are already holy in Christ, although they may not yet be holy by performance.

However, after giving us this holiness and perfect and constant freedom, Christ leads us back to the same holy immortal law, empowers us with the indwelling Holy Spirit and enables us to keep the same law out of love and no longer out of fear or selfish motivation (“in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter”, Rom 7:6). In this way he enables us to live a holy life. But even the holy life of Christ through Holy Spirit in us does not contribute to our salvation. It only provides evidence that we have truly accepted the salvation in Christ. It is also important to keep in mind that it is a progressive and an ongoing process that will last until our death or return of our Lord.

Holy Spirit (Personality, Divinity)

“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.” (Manuscript 20, 1906; Ev 617.1)

“The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight. The Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested… The Comforter that Christ promised, is the Spirit in all the fulness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour. There are three living persons of the heavenly Trio”. (SpTB07 63.2)

“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”. (Desire of Ages, 671).

“In the great closing work we shall meet with perplexities that we know not how to deal with; but let us not forget that the three great powers of heaven are working, that a divine hand is on the wheel.” (8T, 254).

“They are baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Thus they are united with the three great powers of heaven.” (Letter 129, 1903; Ev 307.3).

“The inworking ministry of the Holy Spirit is our great need. The Spirit is all divine in its agency and demonstration. God wants you to have the gracious spiritual endowment; then you will work with a power that you were never conscious of before. Love and faith and hope will be an abiding presence. You can go forth in faith, believing that the Holy Spirit accompanies you” (Letter 77, 1895; Ev 299.1).

“The eternal heavenly dignitaries – God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit – arming them [the disciples] with more than mortal energy, . . . would advance with them to the work and convince the world of sin” (Manuscript 145, 1901; Ev 616.4)

“We need to realize that the Holy Spirit, who is as much a person as God is a person, is walking through these grounds” (Manuscript 66, 1899)

“The Holy Spirit is a person, for He bears witness with our spirits that we are the children of God.” (Manuscript 20, 1906; Ev 616.6)

“We are to cooperate with the three highest powers in heaven, — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, — and these powers will work through us, making us workers together with God.” (SpTB07 51.1; Ev 617)

Holy Spirit (Sanctification)

“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” The Desire of Ages, 388.

“I shall have strength of brain and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, because I ask in the name of Jesus. Precious Saviour! He gave His life for me. — This Day With God, p. 220.

“It is the work of the Holy Spirit to elevate the taste, to sanctify the heart, to ennoble the whole man.” — Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 60.

“The Spirit of God works in the believer’s soul, enabling him to advance from one line of obedience to another, reaching on from strength to greater strength, from grace to grace in Christ Jesus.” — Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 60.

“The door of the heart must be opened to the Holy Spirit, for this is the sanctifier, and the truth is the medium. There must be an acceptance of the truth as it is in Jesus. This is the only genuine sanctification.” — Reflecting Christ, p. 199.

“It is through the Holy Spirit that every good work is accomplished, and the Spirit is given to glorify, not the receiver, but the Giver.” — Conflict and Courage, p. 365.

“In order to serve Him aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart and renew the mind, giving us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us a willing obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship. It is the fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit every sincere prayer is indited, and such prayer is acceptable to God.” — The Desire of Ages, p. 189.

“The Lord permits trials in order that we may be cleansed from earthliness, from selfishness, from harsh, unchristlike traits of character. He suffers the deep waters of affliction to go over our souls in order that we may know Him and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.” — Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 174, 175.

“The same divine mind that is working upon the things of nature is speaking to the hearts of men and creating an inexpressible craving for something they have not. The things of the world cannot satisfy their longing. The Spirit of God is pleading with them to seek those things that alone can give peace and rest. Through influences seen and unseen, our Saviour is constantly at work to attract the minds of men from the unsatisfying pleasures of sin to the infinite blessings that may be theirs in Him. To all these souls, who are vainly seeking to drink from the broken cisterns of this world, the divine message is addressed, ‘Let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely’ (Revelation 22:17). You who in heart long for something better than this world can give, recognize this longing as the voice of God to your soul. The more you struggle to escape, the more you realize your helplessness. Your motives are impure; your heart is unclean. You see that your life has been filled with selfishness and sin. 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? It is peace that you need – Heaven’s forgiveness 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). It is yours if you will but reach out your hand and grasp it. The Lord says, ‘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); ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you’ (Ezekiel 36:26). You have confessed your sins, and in heart put them away. You have resolved to give yourself to God. Now 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. A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ. Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might. So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self, but look to Christ! Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character… Looking to Christ you are safe“. Steps to Christ.

“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” The Desire of Ages, 388.

The Lord Jesus acts through the Holy Spirit; His representative … What a thought is this! In Christ “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him.” Colossians 2:9-10. Our High Calling, p. 152.

Humanity (Incarnation) of Christ

“He left the glories of heaven, and clothed His divinity with humanity, and subjected Himself to sorrow, and shame, and reproach, abuse, denial, and crucifixion. Though He had all the strength of the passions of humanity, never did He yield to temptation to do that which was not pure and elevating and ennobling.” Signs of the Times, November 21, 1892

“Coming as He did, as a man, to meet and be subjected with all the evil tendencies to which man is heir, working in every conceivable manner to destroy His faith, He made it possible for Himself to be buffeted by human agencies inspired by Satan.” Letter K-303, 1903

“The word that was spoken to Jesus at the Jordan, This is My beloved Son, embraces humanity. God spoke to Jesus as our representative… The Saviour’s glance seems to penetrate heaven as He pours out His soul in prayer. He asks for the witness that God accepts humanity in the person of His Son. With all our sins and weaknesses, we are not cast aside as worthless. ‘He hath made us accepted in the Beloved‘ (Ephesians 1:6). Notwithstanding that the sins of a guilty world were laid upon Christ, notwithstanding the humiliation of taking upon Himself our fallen nature, the voice from heaven declared Him to be the Son of the Eternal.” (Desire of Ages, pages 110-113)

“This love was manifested, but it cannot be comprehended by mortal man. It is a mystery too deep for the human mind to fathom. Christ did in reality unite the offending nature of man with His own sinless nature, because by this act of condescension, He would be enabled to pour out His blood in behalf of the fallen race.” Ms 166, 1898, pp. 9, 10. {17MR 26.3}

“He knows by experience what are the weaknesses of humanity, what are our wants, and where lies the strength of our temptations, for He was ‘in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin‘ (Hebrews 4:15).” (MH 71)

“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” (DA 49)

“By experiencing in Himself the strength of Satan’s temptations, and of human sufferings and infirmities, He would know how to succor those who should put forth efforts to help themselves” (Conf. 78).

“Some realize their great weakness and sin, and become discouraged. Satan casts his dark shadow between them and the Lord Jesus, their atoning sacrifice. They say, It is useless for me to pray. My prayers are so mingled with evil thoughts that the Lord will not hear them. These suggestions are from Satan. In His humanity, Christ met and resisted this temptation, and He knows how to succor those who are thus tempted” (IHP 78).

“We must not think that the liability of Christ to Satan’s temptations degraded His humanity and that He possessed the same sinful, corrupt propensities as man. Christ took our nature, fallen but not corrupted, and would not be corrupted unless He received the words of Satan in place of the words of God” (16MR 182).

“He took upon Himself fallen, suffering human nature, degraded and defiled by sin” (4BC 1147).

“For four thousand years the race had been decreasing in physical strength, in mental power, and in moral worth; and Christ took upon Him the infirmities of degenerate humanity” (DA 117).

“In assuming humanity, Christ took the part of every human being. He was the Head of humanity. A Being divine and human, with His long arm He could encircle humanity, while with His divine arm, He could lay hold of the throne of the Infinite.” Selected Messages, 1:252

Humility of Believers

“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.” Testimonies For The Church 7:17

“Moses received the highest civil and military training. He felt that he was fully prepared for the work of delivering Israel from bondage. But God judged otherwise. His providence appointed Moses forty years of training in the wilderness as a keeper of sheep.” — The Ministry of Healing, pp. 474, 475.

“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.” — The Ministry of Healing, pp. 474, 475.

“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.” — The Ministry of Healing, pp. 474, 475.

“The Bible has little to say in praise of men. All the good qualities that men possess are the gift of God; their good deeds are performed by the grace of God through Christ. It is a perilous thing to praise or exalt men; for if one comes to lose sight of his entire dependence on God, and to trust to his own strength, he is sure to fall.” — Conflict and Courage, p. 365.

“It is impossible for us in our own strength to maintain the conflict; and whatever diverts the mind from God, whatever leads to self-exaltation or to self-dependence, is surely preparing the way for our overthrow. The tenor of the Bible is to inculcate distrust of human power and to encourage trust in divine power.” — Conflict and Courage, p. 365.

“God desired to take His people apart from the world and prepare them to receive His word. From Egypt He led them to Mount Sinai, where He revealed to them His glory. Here was nothing to attract their senses or divert their minds from God; and as the vast multitude looked at the lofty mountains towering above them, they could realize their own nothingness in the sight of God.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 9.

“He who beholds Christ in His self-denial, His lowliness of heart, will be constrained to say, as did Daniel, when he beheld One like the sons of men, ‘I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless.’ The independence and self-supremacy in which we glory are seen in their true vileness as tokens of servitude to Satan.” — Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 15.

Immortality of Human Soul & State of the Dead

“Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.” GC 588,1

“The doctrine of the consciousness of the dead, especially the belief that the spirits of the dead return to minister to the living, has prepared the way for modern spiritualism.” The Great Controversy, p. 551

“Many will be confronted by the spirits of devils personating beloved relatives or friends and declaring the most dangerous heresies. These visitants will appeal to our tenderest sympathies and will work miracles to sustain their pretensions.” The Great Controversy, p. 560

“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.” The Great Controversy, p. 545

“Satan has no power to know 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.” The Review and Herald, May 19, 1891

“The Bible clearly teaches that the dead do not go immediately to heaven. They are represented as sleeping until the resurrection.” The Great Controversy, p. 549

“It is a fraud. Instead of the spirits of their departed friends, they are angels of capitalism, who clothe themselves in the appearance of their friends, and talk and act just like them.” Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1, p. 174

“Satan is a cunning foe. And it is not difficult for the evil angels to represent both saints and sinners who have died, and make these representations visible to human eyes. These manifestations will be more frequent as we near the close of time.” The Review and Herald, April 1, 1875

Judgment & Investigative Judgment (see also Sanctuary)

“The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment 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. Otherwise, it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time.” The Great Controversy, p. 488

“We are now living in the great day of atonement. In the typical service, while the high priest was making the atonement for Israel, all were required to afflict their souls by repentance of sin and humiliation before the Lord, lest they be cut off from among the people. In like manner, 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.” The Great Controversy, 489.

“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.” The Great Controversy, 483.

Isaiah 22:13: “The Lord Almighty called you on that day (Day of Atonement) to weep and to mourn, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth. But instead, there is pleasure and gladness, eating of meat and drinking of wine! ‘Let us eat and drink,’ you say, ‘for tomorrow we die (unbelief)!’ Then it was revealed in my hearing by the LORD Almighty, ‘Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, even to your death’.”

“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 examined.” The Great Controversy, 485.

“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.” The Great Controversy, 483.

“The law of God is the standard by which the characters and the lives of men will be tested in the judgment. Says the wise man: ‘Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment.’” The Great Controversy, 482.

In Christ Motif

“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.” (The Review and Herald, April 5, 1906)

Laodicea Message, Lukewarm Believers

“I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and it will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God’s people.” — Early Writings, p. 270

“The message to the church of the Laodiceans is a startling denunciation, and is applicable to the people of God at the present time… They are in a state of carnal security, insomuch that they are ready to say: ‘I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.'” — Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 3, p. 252

“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

“The figure of spewing out of His mouth means that He cannot offer up your prayers or your expressions of love to God. He cannot endorse your teaching of His word or your spiritual work in any wise. He cannot present your religious exercises with the request that blessing be given you.” — Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 408

“The gold that Jesus invites us to buy of Him is gold tried in the fire. It is the gold of faith and love, that has no defiling substance mixed with it.” — Review and Herald, Sept. 16, 1873

“The eyesalve is that spiritual discernment which will enable you to see the wiles of Satan and shun them, to detect sin and abhor it, to see truth and obey it.” — Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 233

“The white raiment is the purity of character, the righteousness of Christ imparted to the sinner. This is indeed a garment of heavenly texture, that can be bought only of Christ for a life of willing obedience.” — Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, p. 88

Note: The above statement doesn’t mean that Ellen White meant that we can buy salvation with deeds, as it would be a heresy, and she herself repeatedly stated that it is impossible because salvation, forgiveness, and Christ’s righteousness are free gifts that can be ours only by faith: “None of us can buy this righteousness by our good works. It is the gift of God, provided for us through the merits of Christ” Signs of the Times, July 4, 1892. Therefore, the expression “willing obedience” in that specific quote refers to the surrender of the soul to Christ’s Lordship. To receive the “garment,” you must be willing to wear it—and wearing Christ’s righteousness inevitably results in a life that seeks to do His will. It is the transaction of a surrendered heart, not the paycheck of a servant. “The grace of God is without money and without price. … The cost of the purchase? It is the yielding up of our own will, the giving of ourselves to Him.” — Manuscript 130, 1899 Ellen White often argued that “genuine faith” and “willing obedience” are inseparable. You cannot truly accept Christ’s righteousness while clinging to a life of rebellion. She is saying that Christ’s righteousness isn’t a “cover-up” for a rebellious life; it is a gift that transforms the life into one of obedience.

There is something much worse than the darkness of sin. It is the black whole of legalism! In Rev 3:16-17 Christ states that He will vomit not the cold sinning members but the lukewarm legalists! ‌Because there is still hope for the cold sinning believers because they know they are wretched, poor, blind and naked, but lukewarm legalists don’t know. They have confidence in the flesh and believe that because they are rich in good works they are better than other members and deserve salvation.

How do we know that lukewarm stands for legalism in Rev 3:16-17?

Well, in Rev 3, there are 3 types of Christian temperatures (hot, cold, and lukewarm), representing 3 different spiritual conditions. And there are also 3 types of Christian works referring to those conditions: hot = works of faith, cold = works of the flesh, lukewarm = works of the law.

Another proof that lukewarm represents legalists is because they don’t know they are hopeless sinners, are naked which means deprived of the spotless robe of Christ’s righteousness and think about themselves as spiritually rich because through years they accumulated many good works and think those works will save them. Legalists are under the curse of the law (Gal 3:10) and Christ will vomit them because He “came to call not the self-righteous but sinners to repentance!”

We must be humble and treat that warning seriously because the SOP says, “I was shown that the shaking would be caused by the streight testimony to the Laodiceans. Some will rise up against it, and this will cause a shaking among God’s people” CCh 338.

Law of God (Commandments) – Changed

“Papal Rome has attempted to change the law of God. The second commandment, forbidding image worship, has been removed from the law, and the fourth commandment was changed to the observance of Sunday – the first instead of the seventh day Sabbath. This was foretold by the prophet: ‘He shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law’ (Dan 7:25). Here the papal power openly sets itself above God.”

“Roman Catholics acknowledge that the change of the Sabbath was made by their church and declare that Protestants by observing the Sunday are recognizing her power. In the Catholic Catechism, this statement is made: ‘The church has substituted Sunday for Saturday; so now we sanctify the first, not the seventh day’.”

“The claim that Christ changed the Sabbath Commandment (from Sabbath to Sunday) is disproved by His own words: ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished’ (Mat 5:17-18).”

“It was because the law was changeless, because man could be saved only through obedience to its precepts, that Jesus was lifted up on the cross. Yet the very means by which Christ established the law Satan represented as destroying it. Here will come the last conflict of the great controversy between Christ and Satan.” Desire of Ages, Ch. 79, It is Finished.

Law of God (see also Perfection, Obedience, Sanctification & Character Development)

“Through Jesus, God’s mercy was manifested to men; but mercy does not set aside justice. The law reveals the attributes of God’s character, and not a jot or tittle of it could be changed to meet man in his fallen condition. God did not change His law, but He sacrificed Himself, in Christ, for man’s redemption. ‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself’ (2Cor 5:19).” – The Desire of Ages (Vol. 3, p. 762)

“On the way from Midian, Moses received a startling and terrible warning of the Lord’s displeasure. An angel appeared to him in a threatening manner, as if he would immediately destroy him. No explanation was given; but Moses remembered that he had disregarded one of God’s requirements . . . he had neglected to perform the rite of circumcision upon their youngest son. He had failed to comply with the condition by which his child could be entitled to the blessings of God’s covenant with Israel; and such a neglect on the part of their chosen leader could not but lessen the force of the divine precepts upon the people. Zipporah, fearing that her husband would be slain, performed the rite herself, and the angel then permitted Moses to pursue his journey. In his mission to Pharaoh, Moses was to be placed in a position of great peril; his life could be preserved only through the protection of holy angels. But while living in neglect of a known duty, he would not be secure; for he could not be shielded by the angels of God.” — Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 255, 256

“I saw that it was impossible for God to alter or change his law, to save lost, perishing man; therefore he suffered his darling Son to die for man’s transgression.” — Supplement to the Christian Experience and Views of Ellen G. White, page 48

“All who love Jesus … keep the commandments … not because they are constrained thus to do, but because they feel averse to everything contrary to the law written in their hearts. They will not feel self-sufficient, but their trust will be in God, who alone is able to keep them from sin and impurity.” — This Day With God, p. 146.

“The Sabbath is a sign of Christ’s power to make us holy. To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.’” — The Desire of Ages, pp. 288, 289.

“Many who bear the name of Christians are serving other gods besides the Lord. Anything which tends to abate our love for God, or to interfere with the service due Him, becomes thereby an idol. Family worship is neglected, secret prayer is 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—nothing less than supreme love to God as well as equal love to our fellow man—can satisfy the claims of the divine law.” — The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1011.

“He who loves God supremely and his neighbor as himself will work with the constant realization that he is a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. Making God’s will his will, he will reveal in his life the transforming power of the grace of Christ. In all the circumstances of life, he will take Christ’s example as his guide.” — Selected Messages, book 1, p. 86.

“All who love Jesus … keep the commandments … not because they are constrained thus to do, but because they … feel averse to everything contrary to the law written in their hearts. They will not feel self-sufficient, but their trust will be in God, who alone is able to keep them from sin and impurity.” —This Day With God, p. 146

“In order to meet the requirement of the law, our faith must grasp the righteousness of Christ, accepting it as our righteousness. Through union with Christ, through acceptance of His righteousness by faith, we may be qualified to work the works of God, to be colaborers with Christ. We can be fitted for heaven only through the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart; for we must have Christ’s righteousness as our credentials if we would find access to the Father. In order that we may have the righteousness of Christ, we need daily to be transformed by the influence of the Spirit, to be a ‘partaker of the divine nature.’ It is the work of the Holy Spirit to elevate the taste, to sanctify the heart, to ennoble the whole man.” —Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 60

Law of God (Role in the Plan of Salvation)

“Sin did not kill the law, but it did kill the carnal mind in Paul. . . . As the sinner looks into the great moral looking glass, he sees his defects of character. He sees himself just as he is, spotted, defiled, and condemned. But he knows that the law cannot in any way remove the guilt or pardon the transgressor. He must go farther than this. The law is but the schoolmaster to bring him to Christ. He must look to his sin-bearing Saviour.” —Selected Messages, book 1, p. 213

Legalism (Salvation By Works)

“There is not a point that needs to be repeated more frequently, or established more firmly in the minds of all than the impossibility of fallen man meriting anything by his own best good works. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone.” Faith and Works, 18,19

“He who is trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility. All that man can do without Christ is polluted with selfishness and sin. It is the grace of Christ alone, through faith, that can make us holy.” — Steps to Christ, p. 60

“As a people, we have preached the law until we are as dry as the hills of Gilboa that had neither dew nor rain. We must preach Christ in the law, and there will be sap and nourishment in the preaching that will be as food to the famishing flock of God.” — Review and Herald, March 11, 1890

“A legal religion is insufficient to bring the soul into harmony with God. The hard, rigid orthodoxy of the Pharisees, destitute of contrition, tenderness, or love, was only a stumbling block to sinners.” — Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 53

“The danger has been presented to me again and again of erecting a human standard, of drifting into legalism, of working out their own righteousness, instead of the righteousness of Christ.” — Faith and Works, p. 91

“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.” — That I May Know Him, p. 246

“There is no safety for us, even for an hour, while we are trusting to our own works. It is the grace of Christ alone, through faith, that can make us holy.” — Selected Messages, Vol. 1, p. 341

“Legalism is a cold, dead, heartless thing. It is the form of godliness without the power.” — The Signs of the Times, November 24, 1890

Looking at Jesus (Not at Ourselves)

“By dwelling upon the love of God and the perfection of Christ‘s character and claiming His righteousness as ours by faith, we are to be transformed into the same image (2 Cor 3:18). Then let us not gather all the unpleasant pictures - the iniquities, corruptions and disappointments, the evidences of Satan’s power to hang in the halls of memory.” Lift Him Up – Page 251

“It is by beholding that we become changed. And as we accommodate our minds to the truths of God’s word, we are brought into a fellowship with Christ.” The Review and Herald, June 21, 1892

“Do not look at yourself. Look to Jesus. He is your only hope. By beholding Him you will be changed into His image.” Letter 11, 1887

“We are not to look at ourselves, but to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. We are to look to Him for strength and for grace.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 19

“The more we look at Jesus, the more we shall see of His loveliness, and the more we shall want to be like Him. But if we look at ourselves, we shall see only our own imperfections.” The Review and Herald, May 30, 1893

“Looking unto Jesus, we obtain brighter and more distinct views of God, and by beholding we become changed. Goodness, love for our fellow men, becomes our natural instinct.” Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 355

“When we look at ourselves, we see nothing but weakness and unworthiness. But when we look at Jesus, we see a complete Saviour, who is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him.” The Signs of the Times, February 14, 1895

“Christ is the center of all our hopes. If we look at ourselves, we shall find only that which will discourage us. But if we look at Jesus, we shall find that which will encourage us.” The Review and Herald, April 12, 1892

“Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, and you will not see the difficulties that surround you. Looking at these difficulties only makes them seem larger.” Letter 25, 1904

“Looking at Christ means looking at His life, His character, His work. It means studying His words and following His example.” The Youth’s Instructor, November 21, 1895

“When you look at yourselves, you see only that which is discouraging. But look at the cross of Calvary. There you will see the love of God, and that love will win your heart.” The Review and Herald, October 4, 1892

Love of God

“The angels suffered with Christ. God Himself was crucified with Him, because Christ was one with the Father.” (The Bible Echo, August 6, 1894).

“God suffered with His Son. In the agony of Gethsemane, the death of Calvary, the heart of Infinite Love paid the price of our redemption.” — Steps to Christ, page 14

“Such is the character of Christ as revealed in His [Christ’s] life. This is the character of God. It is from the Father’s heart that the streams of divine compassion, manifest in Christ, flow out to the children of men.” — Steps to Christ, page 12

“But the great sacrifice was not made to create in the Father’s heart a love for man, not to make Him willing to save. No, no! ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son.’ The Father loves us, not because of the great propitiation, but He provided the propitiation because He loves us.” — Steps to Christ, page 13

“None but the Son of God could accomplish our redemption; for only He who was in the bosom of the Father could declare Him. Only He who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it manifest. Nothing less than the infinite sacrifice made by Christ in behalf of fallen man could express the Father’s love to lost humanity.” — Steps to Christ, page 14

“God is love. His nature, His law, is love. It always has been, and it always will be. The history of the great conflict between good and evil from the time it first began in heaven also reveals God’s unchanging love.”

“The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. 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.”

“It was not the spear thrust, it was not the pain of the cross, that caused the death of Jesus. That cry, uttered ‘with a loud voice’ (Matt. 27:50; Luke 23:46), at the moment of death, and the stream of blood and water that flowed from His side, declared that He died of a broken heart. His heart was broken by mental anguish. He was slain by the sin of the world.” (Desire of Ages, 772)

“Satan in heaven had hated Christ for His position in the courts of God… Yet into the world where Satan claimed dominion God permitted His Son to come, a helpless babe, subject to the weakness of humanity. He permitted Him to meet life’s peril in common with every human soul, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss. The heart of the human father yearns over his son. He looks into the face of his little child, and trembles at the thought of life’s peril. He longs to shield his dear one from Satan’s power, to hold him back from temptation and conflict. To meet a bitterer conflict and a more fearful risk, God gave His only Son, that the path of life might be made sure for our little ones. Herein is love. Wonder, O heavens! and be astonished, O earth!… Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses we shall remember that Jesus left all this for us, that He not only became an exile from the heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss. Then we shall cast our crowns at His feet, and raise the song, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing (Revelation 5:12)’.” (Desire of Ages, 49, 131)

“Do you feel that it is too great a sacrifice to yield all to Christ? Ask yourself the question, What has Christ given for me? The Son of God gave all – life and love and suffering – for our redemption. And can it be that we, the unworthy objects of so great love, will withhold our hearts from Him? He became sin for the race! But what do we give up, when we give all? A sin-polluted heart, for Jesus, to purify, to cleanse by His own blood, and to save by His matchless love! And yet men think it hard to give up all! I am ashamed to hear it spoken of, ashamed to write it.” (Steps to Christ)

Marriage

“How much trouble and what a tide of woe and unhappiness would be saved if men, and women also, would continue to cultivate the regard, attention, and kind words of appreciation and little courtesies of life which kept love alive . . . Many women pine for words of love and kindness and the common attentions and courtesies due them from their husbands…. Every couple who unite their life interest should seek to make the life of each as happy as possible…. In the marriage contract men and women … should do their utmost to control their words of impatience and fretfulness, even more carefully than they did before their marriage, for now their destinies are united for life as husband and wife, and each is valued in exact proportion to the amount of painstaking effort put forth to retain and keep fresh the love so eagerly sought for and prized before marriage.” — In Heavenly Places, p. 206.

“Neither husband nor wife is to make a plea for rulership… The wife is to stand by the side of the husband as his equal, sharing all the responsibilities of life.” — The Adventist Home, p. 114

“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.” — The Adventist Home, p. 118

“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 husband and wife are to manifest toward each other.” — Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 7, p. 46.

“Neither the husband nor the wife should attempt to exercise over the other an arbitrary control. Do not endeavor 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.” — The Ministry of Healing, p. 361.

“Let each give love rather than exact it. Cultivate that which is noblest in yourselves, and be quick to recognize the good qualities in each other. The consciousness of being appreciated is a wonderful stimulus and satisfaction.” — The Ministry of Healing, p. 361.

“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.” — The Ministry of Healing, p. 360.

“Let the husband and wife study each other’s happiness, never failing in those small courtesies and little kindly attentions that gladden and brighten the life.” — Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 7, p. 49.

Miscellaneous Quotes

“The Christian life is so difficult to many because they have a divided heart. They are double-minded, which makes them unstable in all their ways.” — Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1138.

“The masses will reject any theory, however reasonable it may be, if it lays a restriction upon the appetite.” — Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1138.

“The worthy poor, who are made poor by misfortune and sickness, deserve your special care and help.” — Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1138.

“The words of the Bible, and the Bible alone, should be heard from the pulpit.” — Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1138.

“Let those who occupy positions of trust rid themselves of the unmerciful spirit which so greatly offends God. Let no one suppose that God has given to men the power of ruling their fellow-men. He will accept the service of no man who hurts and discourages Christ’s heritage.” — Manuscript 42, 1901.

“It is not the opposition of the world that will most endanger us; it is the evil cherished right in our midst that works our most grievous disaster. It is the unconsecrated lives of half-hearted professors that retard the work of the truth, and bring darkness upon the church of God.” — This Day With God, p. 165.

“The servants of Christ are not to act out the dictates of the natural heart. They need to have close communion with God, lest, under provocation, self rise up, and they pour forth a torrent of words that are unbefitting. This is what Satan wants them to do; for these are his methods. It is the spirit of Satan that is revealed in anger and accusing. But God’s servants are to be representatives of Him. The power by which they are to overcome evil is the power of Christ. They are to fix their eyes upon His loveliness.” — The Desire of Ages, p. 353.

“We are in constant danger of becoming self-sufficient, relying upon our own wisdom, and not making God our strength. We are to watch as well as pray.” — Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1138.

“The people of God should be wide awake, not trusting in their own wisdom, but wholly in the wisdom of their Leader. They should set aside days for fasting and prayer.” — Selected Messages, book 3, p. 414.

“But first he must accept the conditions of discipleship. He must give himself unreservedly to God. At the Saviour’s call, John, Peter, Matthew, and their companions ‘left all, rose up, and followed Him.’ The same consecration was required of the young ruler. And in this Christ did not ask a greater sacrifice than He Himself had made. ‘He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.’ The young man had only to follow where Christ led the way.” — Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 392, 393.

“We have before us in the Word of God instances of heavenly agencies working on the minds of kings and rulers, while at the same time satanic agencies were also at work on their minds. Each angel has his particular post of duty, which he is not permitted to leave for any other place. If he should leave, the powers of darkness would gain an advantage.” — Lift Him Up, p. 370.

“There are three ways in which the Lord reveals His will to us, to guide us, and to fit us to guide others. How may we know His voice from that of a false shepherd? God reveals His will to us in His word, the Holy Scriptures. His voice is also revealed in His providential workings; and it will be recognized if we do not separate our souls from Him by walking in our own ways. Another way in which God’s voice is heard is through the appeals of His Holy Spirit, making impressions upon the heart, which will be wrought out in the character.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 512.

“God permits the wicked to reveal their true character, that none who desire to do His will may be deceived concerning them. The righteous are placed in the furnace of affliction, that they themselves may be purified; that their example may convince others of the reality of faith and godliness; and also that their consistent course may condemn the ungodly and unbelieving.” — The Great Controversy, p. 48.

“Had he been immediately blotted out of existence, some would have served God from fear rather than from love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages, he must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, and that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might be forever placed beyond all question.” — Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 42, 43.

“Talk unbelief, and you will have unbelief; but talk faith, and you will have faith.” — Signs of the Times, October 10, 1887.

“Some need to discipline the mind by exercise. They should force it to think. They depend upon someone else to think for them, to solve their difficulties. They refuse to tax the mind with thought, therefore, their inability to remember, to look ahead, will continue. Efforts must be made by every individual to educate the mind.” — Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 344.

“God does not want us to be content with lazy, undisciplined minds, dull thoughts, and loose memories.” — Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 344.

“Men of God must be diligent in study, earnest in the gaining knowledge, never wasting an hour. Through persevering effort they may rise to almost any degree of eminence as Christians, as men of power and influence.” — Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 344.

“Only let the moments be treasured, the time spent in travelling, the moments of waiting for meals, waiting for those who are slow in keeping an appointment, if a book were kept at hand, what might not be accomplished! Careful economy of time, will enable men to acquire knowledge and mental discipline which will qualify them for almost any position of usefulness.” — Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 344.

“Those who would be workers together with God must strive for perfection of every organ of the body and quality of the mind.” — Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 344.

“In order to lead souls to Jesus there must be a knowledge of human nature and a study of the human mind. Much careful thought and fervent prayer are required to know how to approach men and women upon the great subject of truth.” — Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 344.

“Never be afraid of raising the standard too high. Men may have excellent gifts, good ability, splendid qualifications; but one defect, one secret sin indulged, will prove to the character what the worm-eaten plank does to the ship, utter disaster and ruin!” — Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 344.

“Paul carried with him the atmosphere of heaven. All who associated with him felt the influence of his union with Christ. The fact that his own life exemplified the truth he proclaimed, gave convincing power to his preaching. Here lies the power of the truth. The unconscious influence of a holy life is the most convincing sermon that can be given in favour of Christianity. Argument, even when unanswerable, may provoke only opposition; but a godly example has a power that it is impossible wholly to resist.” — The Acts of the Apostles, p. 531.

Mind & Thoughts

“The beginning of yielding to temptation is in the sin of permitting the mind to waver, to be inconsistent in your trust in God. The wicked one is ever watching for a chance to misrepresent God, and to attract the mind to that which is forbidden. If he can, he will fasten the mind upon the things of the world. He will endeavor to excite the emotions, to arouse the passions, to fasten the affections on that which is not for your good; but it is for you to hold every emotion and passion under control, in calm subjection to reason and conscience. Then Satan loses his power to control the mind. The work to which Christ calls us is to the work of progressive conquest over spiritual evil in our characters. Natural tendencies are to be overcome. . . . Appetite and passion must be conquered, and the will must be placed wholly on the side of Christ.” —Our High Calling, p. 87

“The mind of man is to blend with the mind of Christ. This union sanctifies the understanding, giving the thoughts clearness and force. . . .”
—Lift Him Up, p. 229.

“The mind must be restrained, and not allowed to wander. It should be trained to dwell upon heavenly things, and upon everything that will strengthen the moral powers.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 2, p. 562

“Every right impact of the mind, every thought of Jesus, is a step toward the development of a Christlike character.” The Review and Herald, September 1, 1891

“The thoughts must be centered upon God. We must put forth earnest effort to overcome the evil habits of the mind. We must train the thoughts to dwell upon the goodness, the mercy, and the love of God.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 310

“You should bring your mind to the task of thinking, and you will find that it will be strengthened. If you let it run as it will, the thoughts will be of a character that will not give you strength.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 2, p. 188

“The mind is the capital of the body. If the mind is allowed to become narrow and cramped, the whole being will suffer.” Counsels on Health, p. 566

“Our thoughts should be as pure, and our hearts as holy, as the temple in which God dwells.” The Review and Herald, June 12, 1888

“The mind must be stayed upon God, and the thoughts must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” The Youth’s Instructor, September 14, 1893

“Few realize that it is a duty to exercise control over the thoughts and imaginations. It is difficult to keep the undisciplined mind fixed upon profitable subjects.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 544

“The mind needs to be controlled, for the imagination often brings severe forms of disease.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, p. 702

“The more the mind dwells upon these things, the more will the soul be brought into harmony with the will of God.” The Review and Herald, May 3, 1881

Nature of Man

“Man was originally endowed with noble powers and a well-balanced mind. He was perfect in his being, and in harmony with God. His thoughts were pure, his aims holy. But through disobedience, his powers were perverted, and selfishness took the place of love. His nature became so weakened through transgression that it was impossible for him, in his own strength, to resist the power of evil. He was made captive by Satan, and would have remained so forever had not God especially interposed.” Steps to Christ, 17

“Our hearts are evil, and we cannot change them. . . . 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.” Steps to Christ, p. 18

“The natural heart is full of selfishness, and the soul is constantly reaching out for its own gratification.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, p. 496

“By nature the heart is evil, and ‘who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.’ No human invention can find a remedy for the sinning soul.” The Desire of Ages, p. 172

“Selfishness is the essence of depravity, and because human beings have yielded to its power, the opposite of Christian allegiance is seen in the world today.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 7

“The heart of man is by nature cold and chilling and unloving; and whenever any 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.” The Mount of Blessing, p. 21

“Selfishness is the strongest and most general of human impulses, the struggle of the soul between self-satisfied independence and the voluntary surrendering of all to the sovereignty of God.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, p. 472

“It is not the will of God that any should perish, but the natural heart is at enmity with God. It is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” The Review and Herald, June 21, 1892

“Man is by nature corrupt; and if left to himself, he will naturally follow the leadings of his own unconsecrated heart.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 327

“Through the first sin, man’s nature became changed. He became a transgressor, and was at enmity with God. Selfishness took the place of love.” The Review and Herald, February 24, 1874

“Our own efforts, our own personal righteousness, can never bring us into harmony with God. The heart must be born again.” The Signs of the Times, November 15, 1891

Perfectionism Based on Confidence in the Flesh

“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. 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.” —The Faith I Live By, p. 140

Perfection, Obedience, Sanctification & Character Development (see also: Work of Holy Spirit; Law of God)

“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.” —The Faith I Live By, p. 140

“We do not expect rest here. No, no. The way to heaven is a cross-bearing way … We will not complain… We will rejoice in tribulation and keep in mind the recompense of reward, the ‘far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory’. I crave the suffering part. I would not go to heaven without suffering if I could, and see Jesus who suffered so much for us to purchase for us so rich an inheritance; and to see the martyrs who laid down their lives for the truth, and the sake of Jesus. No, no. Let me be perfected through sufferings. I long to be a partaker with Christ of His sufferings, for if I am, I know I shall be a partaker with Him of His glory. Jesus is our pattern. Let us study to have our lives as near like Christ’s as possible.
My soul cries out after the living God. My very being longs after Him. Oh, for to reflect His lovely image perfectly! Oh, for to be wholly consecrated to Him! Oh, how hard it is for dear self to die. I long to see the King in His beauty, Him whom my soul loveth.” — Reflecting Christ, p. 350.

“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.” —The Faith I Live By, p. 140

“In this life and in eternity, complete perfection—spiritual, intellectual, physical, and social—will never be fully attained, for that would mean the end of the possibility of growth. However, perfection in the sense of victory over sin is available to all through Christ. Above all, God requires of us moral perfection.” — Sabbath School Lessons for the third quarter of 1994, p. 50.

“We are workers together with God in presenting the perfection of His character in humanity. . . Oh, how much we need to know Jesus and our heavenly Father that we may represent Him in character!” — God’s Amazing Grace, p. 229.

“Even the thoughts must be brought into subjection to the will of God. Our imagination was not given us to be allowed to run riot and have its own way, without any effort at restraint and discipline. If the thoughts are wrong, the feelings will be wrong; and the thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character… We need to place a high value upon the right control of our thoughts, for such control prepares the mind and soul to labor harmoniously for the Master. It is necessary for our peace and happiness in this life that our thoughts center in Christ. ‘As a man thinketh, so is he’ (Prov 23:7). Evil thoughts destroy the soul. Unless a determined effort is made to keep the thoughts centered on Christ, grace cannot reveal itself in the life. Every thought must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. All the habits must be brought under God’s control. We are to bring our minds into harmony with His mind. His truth will sanctify us, body and soul and spirit, and we shall be enabled to rise above temptation. The control of the thoughts, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, will give control of the words.” —In Heavenly Places, p. 164

“The control of the thoughts, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, will give control of the words.” — In Heavenly Places, p. 164.

“We need to place a high value upon the right control of our thoughts, for such control prepares the mind and soul to labor harmoniously for the Master.” — In Heavenly Places, p. 164.

“It is necessary for our peace and happiness in this life that our thoughts center in Christ. ‘As a man thinketh, so is he.’ Evil thoughts destroy the soul.” — In Heavenly Places, p. 164.

“All selfishness must be overcome… Yes, God will reward every man according to his works.” — This Day With God, p. 220.

“The work to which Christ calls us is to the work of progressive conquest over spiritual evil in our characters. Natural tendencies are to be overcome.” — Our High Calling, p. 87.

“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!” — The Acts of the Apostles, p. 312.

“God can make the humblest followers of Christ more precious than fine gold, if they yield themselves to His transforming hand.” — Christ Triumphant, p. 94.

“No victory you can gain will be so precious as that gained over self. Selfish ambition, desire for supremacy, will die when Christ takes possession of the affections.” — Christ Triumphant, p. 94.

“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.” — The Faith I Live By, p. 140.

“Even one wrong trait of character, one sinful desire cherished, will eventually neutralize all the power of the gospel. Every indulgence of that desire strengthens the soul’s aversion to God.” — Steps to Christ, pp. 30, 31.

“There will be no stopping place, no point which we can reach and say, I have fully attained. Sanctification is the result of lifelong obedience.” — The Acts of the Apostles, p. 561.

“When Christ abides in the soul, the thought of reward is not uppermost. This is not the motive that actuates our service. Love to God and to our fellow men should be our motive.” — Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 398.

“As a representative of Christ, you must have the all-pervading power of godliness. You must be hid in Jesus. You are not safe unless you hold the hand of Christ. You must guard against everything like presumption and cherish that spirit that would rather suffer than sin.” — Christ Triumphant, p. 94.

“He who seeks to serve others by self-denial and self-sacrifice will be given the attributes of character that commend themselves to God, and develop wisdom, true patience, forbearance, kindness, compassion. This gives him the chiefest place in the kingdom of God.” — Reflecting Christ, p. 200.

“You cannot change your heart, but God promises to do it for you through Christ. You believe that promise, confess your sins and give yourself to God. Do not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say, ‘I believe it is so, not because I feel it, but because God has promised’. Each morning you must surrender all your plans to Him. Day by day, give your life into God’s hands, and your life will be moulded more and more after the life of Christ. You are not let your mind dwell upon self, but let it dwell upon Christ’s love and upon the beauty and the perfection of His character”. – Steps to Christ

Prayer, Watching & Communion With God

„Satan knows that all whom he can lead to neglect prayer and the searching of the Word of God, will be overcome by his attacks. Therefore, he invents every possible device to engross the mind.”

“Few pray all night, as did our Saviour, or devote hours in the day to prayer.”

“Those who decide to do nothing that will displease God, will know, after presenting their case before Him, what course to pursue.”

“Those who make the service of God supreme will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet.”

“Everyone needs to have a personal experience in obtaining a knowledge of the will of God. We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us, ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’” The Desire of Ages, p. 363.

“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 is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted, and the health of the soul be preserved… Neglect the exercise of prayer, or engage in prayer sporadically, as seems convenient, and you lose your hold on God.”

“Satan watches eagerly to find Christians off their guard (unprotected). O that the followers of Christ would remember that eternal vigilance (constant alertness, watchfulness) is the price of eternal life.”

“Tell them that when they feel that they have sinned, and cannot pray, it is then the time to pray.”

“How many men of great natural abilities and high scholarships have failed when placed in positions of responsibility, while those of feebler intellect, with less favorable surroundings, have been wonderfully successful. The secret was: The former trusted to themselves, while the latter united with Him who is wonderful in counsel and mighty in working to accomplish what He will.”

“I saw that every prayer which is sent up in faith from an honest heart will be heard of God and answered, and the one that sent up the petition will have the blessing when he needs it most, and it will often exceed his expectations. Not a prayer of a true saint is lost if sent up in faith from an honest heart.”

“It is not always necessary to bow 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.” Ministry of Healing, 510-511.

“Ask, then; ask, and ye shall receive. Ask for humility, wisdom, courage, increase of faith. To every sincere prayer an answer will come. It may not come just as you desire, or at the time you look for it; but it will come in the way and at the time that will best meet your need. The prayers you offer in loneliness, in weariness, in trial, God answers, not always according to your expectations, but always for your good.” Gospel Workers, 258

“Prayer is the answer to every problem in life. It puts us in tune with divine wisdom which knows how to adjust everything perfectly. So often we do not pray in certain situations, because from our stand point the outlook is hopeless. But nothing is impossible with God.” — Review and Herald, October 7, 1865.

“They had prayed as they heard the strong cries of the sufferer. They did not intend to forsake their Lord, but they seemed paralyzed by a stupor which they might have shaken off if they had continued pleading with God. They did not realize the necessity of watchfulness and earnest prayer in order to withstand temptation“. – DA, Gethsemane.

“We should be often in prayer. The outpouring of the Spirit of God came in answer to earnest prayer.” — Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 289.

“Perseverance in prayer has been made a condition of receiving. We must pray always if we would grow in faith and experience. Unceasing prayer is the unbroken union of the soul with God, so that life from God flows into our life; and from our life, purity and holiness flow back to God.” Steps to Christ, 97, 98.

“There is necessity for diligence in prayer; let nothing hinder you. Make every effort to keep open the communion between Jesus and your own soul. Seek every opportunity to go where prayer is wont to be made.” Steps to Christ, pp. 97, 98.

“Satan watches eagerly to find Christians off their guard. O that the followers of Christ would remember that eternal vigilance is the price of eternal life. Self must die, and Christ must be enthroned in the heart as all and in all. The thoughts must be stayed on Him… Have Seventh-day Adventists forgotten the warning given in the sixth chapter of Ephesians? We are engaged in a war against the hosts of darkness. Unless we follow our Leader closely, Satan will obtain the victory over us.” —The Upward Look, p. 200

“We should pray in the family circle, and above all we must not neglect secret prayer, for this is the life of the soul. It is impossible for the soul to flourish while prayer is neglected.” — Steps to Christ, pp. 97, 98.

“Pray in your closet, and as you go about your daily labor let your heart be often uplifted to God. It was thus that Enoch walked with God. These silent prayers rise like precious incense before the throne of grace. Satan cannot overcome him whose heart is thus stayed upon God.” — Steps to Christ, pp. 97, 98.

“Prayer is the answer to every problem in life. So often we do not pray, because from our standpoint the outlook is hopeless. But nothing is impossible with God. Nothing is so entangled that it cannot be remedied.”

“Our heavenly Father has thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing.”

“No habit is so deep rooted that it cannot be overcome; no one is so weak that he cannot be strong; no one is so ill that he cannot be healed. No mind is so dull that it cannot be made brilliant. If we trust God, He will supply. Let us stop rehearsing the difficulty but trust God for healing, love and power”.

“We must be much in prayer if we would make progress in the divine life.”

Prophetic Warnings & Last-Day Events

“As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third message, but have not been sanctified through it, abandon their position, and take refuge under the banner of the powers of darkness. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular side.” — Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, ch. 33.

“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. When Sabbath-keepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are the most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports and insinuations to stir up the rulers against them.” — Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, ch. 33.

“We who know the truth should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 28.

“When secular rulers unite with ministers of religion to dictate in matters of conscience, then it will be seen who really fear and serve God. When the darkness is deepest, the light of a godlike character will shine the brightest. When every other trust fails, then it will be seen who have an abiding trust in Jehovah. And while the enemies of truth are on every side, watching the Lord’s servants for evil, God will watch over them for good. He will be to them as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” — The Acts of the Apostles, p. 431.

Righteousness By Faith In Christ Alone

“We can be fitted for heaven only through the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart; for we must have Christ’s righteousness as our credentials if we would find access to the Father.” — Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 60.

“In order that we may have the righteousness of Christ, we need daily to be transformed by the influence of the Spirit, to be a ‘partaker of the divine nature’.” — Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 60.

“There is not a point that needs to be dwelt upon more earnestly, repeated more frequently, or established more firmly in the minds of all than the impossibility of fallen man meriting anything by his own best good works. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone.” — Faith and Works, p. 18.

“We do not earn salvation through our obedience; for salvation is the free gift of God, to be received by faith. But obedience is the fruit of faith.”

“Christ gave Himself to a shameful, agonizing death to save the perishing. Oh, Christ is able, willing, and longing to save all who will come to Him!”

“The message of Christ’s righteousness is to sound from one end of the earth to the other. … This is the glory of God which closes the work of the third angel.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 19.

“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.” — Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 456.

“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.” — The Faith I Live By, p. 140.

“By accepting Christ as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, you are accounted righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned!” — Steps to Christ, p. 62.

Sabbath

“The Sabbath is a sign of Christ’s power to make us holy (Ezekiel 20:12) . . . To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight… And every object in nature repeats His invitation, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28.)”—The Desire of Ages, pp. 288, 289.

“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.” —Desire of Ages, 289.

“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.” — Desire of Ages, 288–289.

“Now Jesus rested from the work of redemption. . . . With this scene the day upon which Jesus rested is forever linked.” —Desire of Ages, 769.

“The Lord says: ‘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.'” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, 350. (Quoting Ezekiel 20:12)

“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.” — The Great Controversy, p. 452

Salvation of Those Who Had No or Little Knowledge of Truth

“In the day of final judgment, many will be accepted who have had but little light, and who have followed the path that they thought was right… They will be surprised to see that their efforts, though small, were seen and accepted by God.” The Desire of Ages, page 638

“Those whom Christ commends in the judgment may have known little of theology, but they have cherished His principles. Through the influence of the divine Spirit they have been a blessing to those about them. Even among the heathen are those who have cherished the spirit of kindness; before the words of life had fallen upon their ears, they have befriended the missionaries, even ministering to them at the peril of their own lives. Among the heathen are those who worship God ignorantly, those to whom the light is never brought by human instrumentality, yet they will not perish.” The Desire of Ages, page 638

“There are those who have lived up to all the light they had, and who will be saved. But if they had had the light that shines upon us, they would have been required to walk in it. God will not condemn any for not following light that they never had.” Testimonies for the Church, volume 2, page 691

“The Lord is not pleased with the present state of things. . . . He has a people in the Catholic Church, and in the various Protestant churches, who are more true to the light and are doing the very best they know how to do, than many who claim to believe the present truth, and He will just as surely accept them as He accepts us.” Manuscript 63, 1905

“God has many precious souls who have not yet bowed the knee to Baal. They have not had the light, and they are doing the best they can with the light they have. They are in the churches, and they are in the world. We must not be narrow in our ideas.” Review and Herald, June 17, 1890

“Our Heavenly Father does not require of us that which we cannot do. He takes into account the circumstances and the surroundings of each soul. He knows the temptations that are brought to bear upon us, and He will judge us accordingly.” Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, page 311

“Among the confused churches, there are many who are the children of God, and they are to be called out. Many who have not heard the message of the third angel will be saved because they have lived up to the light they had.” Manuscript 14, 1898

“None will be condemned for not following light which they never had, and which they could not obtain. But many refuse to obey the light which they might have had if they had used the means within their reach.” Testimonies for the Church, volume 2, page 123

“The Lord accepts every sincere, struggling soul that is reaching out for more light, even though that soul may be in deep error.” Letter 20, 1894

Sanctuary

“Revelation 11:19 – This apartment was opened only upon the great Day of Atonement for the cleansing of the sanctuary. Therefore the announcement that the temple of God was opened in heaven and the ark of His testament was seen points to the opening of the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844 as Christ entered there to perform the closing work of the atonement.” Great Controversy, p. 433.

“The sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ’s work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth. It opens to view the plan of redemption, bringing us down to the very close of time, and revealing the triumphant issue of the contest between righteousness and sin.” The Great Controversy, p. 488

“The correct understanding of the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary is the foundation of our faith.” Evangelism, p. 221

“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.” The Great Controversy, p. 489

“We are in the great day of atonement, and the sacred work of Christ for the people of God that is going on at the present time in the heavenly sanctuary should be our constant study.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 520

“I know that the sanctuary question stands in righteousness and truth, just as we have held it for so many years. It is the enemy that leads the minds off on side-tracks.” Gospel Workers, p. 303

“Light is shining from the sanctuary above, and we must move in harmony with this light if we would be successful in our work.” The Review and Herald, January 21, 1890

“As a people, 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.” The Review and Herald, November 9, 1886

“The sanctuary in heaven is the citadel of our faith. If the people of God lose their hold on this truth, they will be swept away by the delusions of the last days.” Manuscript 76, 1903

“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.” The Signs of the Times, July 4, 1892

“Each individual was to “afflict” his soul, search his heart, and put away every sin, spend much time in prayer and fasting… If he failed to keep the day of atonement … he was cut off from among the people of God. Likewise, the individual who, during the investigative judgment, thinks that Christ will plead his case while he himself ignores the work of ‘afflicting the soul’ will find that his name is blotted out from the book of life. We are saved by faith in our High Priest, but faith without works is dead (James 2:17,20)” (Stephen Haskell, The Cross and its Shadow, p. 221). Isaiah 22:13: “The Lord Almighty called you on that day (Day of Atonement) to weep and to mourn, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth. But instead, there is pleasure and gladness, eating of meat and drinking of wine! ‘Let us eat and drink,’ you say, ‘for tomorrow we die (unbelief)!’ Then it was revealed in my hearing by the LORD Almighty, ‘Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, even to your death’.”

Satan (Lucifer)

“God was not responsible for the entrance of sin. Sin is an intruder, for whose presence no reason can be given. It is mysterious, unaccountable; to excuse it is to defend it. Could a cause or excuse for it be found, it would cease to be sin”.

“So long as all created beings acknowledged the allegiance of love, there was perfect harmony throughout the universe… 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… But a change came over this happy state. There was one who perverted the freedom that God had granted to His creatures. Sin originated with him who had been most honored of God and was highest in power and glory among the inhabitants of heaven. Lucifer, ‘son of the morning,’ was holy and undefiled. ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and beauty… You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you” (Ezekiel 28:12-15)… Little by little, Lucifer came to indulge the desire for self-exaltation.”

God had the ability to create Lucifer without free will and the ability to rebel against Him, yet He could not do this because without free will and choice it is impossible to love. The only type of service God can accept is the service of true and uncompelled love based on the freedom of choice. Unfortunately, both Lucifer and our first parents abused the freedom of choice given by God.

Second Coming of Christ

“Soon our eyes were drawn to the east, for a small black cloud had appeared, about half as large as a man’s hand, which we all knew was the sign of the Son of man. We all in solemn silence gazed on the cloud as it drew nearer and became lighter, glorious, and still more glorious, till it was a great white cloud. The bottom appeared like fire; a rainbow was over the cloud; while around it were ten thousand angels, singing a most lovely song; and upon it sat the Son of man. His hair was white and curly and lay on His shoulders; and upon His head were many crowns. His feet had the appearance of fire; in His right hand was a sharp sickle; in His left, a silver trumpet. His eyes were as a flame of fire, which searched His children through and through. Then all faces gathered paleness, and those that God had rejected gathered blackness. Then we all cried out, ‘Who shall be able to stand? Is my robe spotless?’ Then the angels ceased to sing, and there was some time of awful silence, when Jesus spoke: ‘Those who have clean hands and pure hearts shall be able to stand; My grace is sufficient for you.’ At this our faces lighted up, and joy filled every heart. And the angels struck a note higher and sang again, while the cloud drew still nearer the earth.” —Early Writings, p. 15

“When the protection of human laws shall be withdrawn from those who honor the law of God, there will be a simultaneous movement for their destruction. It will be determined to strike in one night a decisive blow…It is at midnight that God manifests His power for the deliverance of His people. Signs and wonders follow in quick succession. The wicked look with terror and amazement upon the scene. 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’.”

“At Christ’s second coming all the precious dead, from righteous Abel to the last saint that dies, shall awake to glorious, immortal life.”

“Christ, in the wilderness of temptation (27 AD) overcame on the sinner’s behalf, four thousand years after Adam turned his back upon the light of his home.”

“For six thousand years Satan has struggled to maintain possession of the earth. Now God’s original purpose in its creation is accomplished. The saints shall take the kingdom, and possess it forever.”

“Confusion fills the world, and a great terror is soon to come upon human beings. The end is very near. God’s people should be preparing for what is to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise.”

“Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation.”

Sin (Sinfulness, go to Human Nature, Selfishness)

“The sin which is indulged to the greatest extent, and which separates us from God and produces so many contagious spiritual disorders, is selfishness. There can be no returning to the Lord except by self-denial. Of ourselves we can do nothing; but, through God strengthening us, we can live to do good to others, and in this way shun the evil of selfishness.” —Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 132

Sin (Origin)

Sin (Why Was Sin Permitted)

“Had Lucifer been immediately blotted out of existence, others would have served God from fear rather than love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed. For the good of the entire universe through eternity, he was allowed to fully develop his principles to be seen in their true light. The history of rebellion with its horrible results will be an eternal safeguard to all holy beings to prevent them from following Lucifer’s example”.

“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.” The Great Controversy, p. 493

“It was because of this free will that sin was possible. But God did not create sin. He only made the laws that govern the universe, and these laws are laws of liberty.” The Review and Herald, September 14, 1897

“It was God’s purpose to place things upon an eternal basis of security, and in the councils of heaven it was decided that time must be given for Satan to develop the principles which were the foundation of his system of government. He had claimed that these were superior to God’s principles. Time was given for the working of Satan’s principles, that they might be seen by the heavenly universe.” The Desire of Ages, p. 759

“Satan’s rebellion was to be a lesson to the universe through all coming ages, an eternal testimony to the nature and terrible results of sin. 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.” The Great Controversy, p. 499

“The whole universe must see the deceiver unmasked. He must be allowed to develop his character… The inhabitants of all worlds must see that the law of God is perfect, and that the penalty for its transgression is death.” The Signs of the Times, July 23, 1902

“Had he [Satan] been immediately blotted out of existence, some would have served God from fear rather than from love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated.” The Great Controversy, p. 499

“When the great controversy is ended, then the holy universe will be forever shielded from apostasy. The nature of sin and the results of its development will have been so fully made manifest that the inhabitants of all worlds will never again be tempted to turn from their allegiance to God.” The Great Controversy, p. 504

Spirit of Prophecy (Ellen White)

“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.” Selected Messages, book 1, page 32

“The Lord has seen fit to give me a view of the needs and errors of His people. As painful as it has been to me, I have faithfully set the reasons and errors before the persons, as the Spirit of God presented them to me.” Testimonies for the Church, volume 1, page 73

“My commission embraces the work of a helpmeet for every laborer in the cause of God. I am to instruct, to warn, to correct, to encourage, and to strengthen the hands of those who are in the work of the Lord.” Selected Messages, book 1, page 33

“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.” Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, page 67

“If you lessen the confidence of God’s people in the testimonies He has sent them, you are rebelling against God as certainly as were Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.” Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, page 66

“The Spirit of God has been upon me, and I have been compelled to speak the words given me, whether men would hear or whether they would forbear.” Selected Messages, book 1, page 27

“The light that I have received has been given me from the Lord. I have been instructed to give this light to the people. I have been told that I must not keep it to myself, but that I must give it to the people in every place.” Letter 84, 1909

“My work is to speak the truth, and to speak it with no uncertain sound. I have been instructed that I must not allow my words to be manipulated or changed. I must give the message just as it has been given to me.” Manuscript 27, 1906

“I have no light that the Lord has not given me. I am only a channel through which the Lord works to communicate His will to His people.” Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, page 661

“Whether or not my life is spared, my writings will constantly speak, and their work will go forward as long as time shall last.” Selected Messages, book 1, page 55

“The best evidence of the authenticity of the Testimonies is to be found in their fruits. What have they done for the people? What is their influence upon the heart and life? This is the test that Christ has given. ‘By their fruits ye shall know them.'” Manuscript 16, 1894

“I have no light that the Lord has not given me. I am only a channel through which the Lord works to communicate His will to His people.” Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, page 661

“God is either teaching His church, reproving their wrongs and strengthening their faith, or He is not. 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.” Testimonies for the Church, volume 4, page 230

“I am instructed to say to those who endeavor to give a wrong representation of my work, that I am the Lord’s messenger, and that my message is for the people. I am not to be hindered in my work by those who engage in suppositions regarding its nature.” Letter 301, 1905

“If the Testimonies speak not according to the word of God, reject them. Christ and Belial cannot agree. For Christ’ sake do not confuse the minds of the people with human sophistry and skepticism, and make of none effect the work that the Lord would do.” Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, page 691

“The Spirit of God has been upon me, and I have been compelled to speak the words given me, whether men would hear or whether they would forbear.” Selected Messages, book 1, page 27

“While in vision, I was not aware of anything that was taking place around me. I had no breath, and as I was coming out of vision, I would take a deep breath, and then everything would be dark for a while.” Letter 38, 1888

“While in vision, I do not breathe. I am unconscious of anything that is passing around me. I am in the presence of Jesus and the angels.” Manuscript 16, 1894

“When I come out of vision, I have no desire to live in this world. Everything looks so dark and cold. The first thing I do is to take a long, deep breath.” Manuscript 4, 1883

“I have been in vision many times, and in every instance I have been unconscious of anything that was passing around me. I have had no breath.” Letter 2, 1874

“The first thing I would realize was a deep breath, and then I would begin to breathe naturally. Everything would seem so dark, and I would feel that I was in a strange world.” Letter 3, 1847

J. N. Loughborough, an early Adventist leader and eyewitness to many of Ellen White’s visions, provided detailed descriptions of the physical phenomena she exhibited. Below are his accounts regarding her lack of breathing and her physical state: “The time Mrs. White is in this condition has varied from fifteen minutes to one hundred and eighty [three hours]. During this time the heart and pulse continue to beat, the eyes are always wide open, and seem to be gazing at some far-distant object… While she is in vision, her breathing entirely ceases. No breath ever escapes her nostrils or lips when in this condition. This has been proved by many witnesses, among them physicians of skill, and themselves unbelievers in the visions, on some occasions being appointed by a public congregation for the purpose… She does not breathe, yet her pulse beats regularly. Her countenance is pleasant, and the color of her face as florid as in her natural state… When she comes out of this condition, her first three breaths are like that of a newborn child’s first breath. Her eyes then close for a time, and it is sometimes hours and even days after she comes out of this condition before she recovers her natural sight.” The Great Second Advent Movement, page 204-205. “In passing into vision she gives three enrapturing shouts of ‘Glory!’… For about four or five seconds she seems to drop down like a person in a swoon, or one having lost his strength; she then seems to be instantly filled with superhuman strength, sometimes rising at once to her feet and walking about the room. I have been present when physicians have examined her while in this state… it has been proved many times by tightly holding the nostrils and mouth with the hand, and by putting a looking glass before them so close that any escape of the moisture of the breath would be detected. In this condition she often speaks words and short sentences, yet not the slightest breath escapes.” Rise and Progress of the Seventh-day Adventists, page 123-124

I. Butler: “She is perfectly unconscious of everything passing around her. She does not breathe, yet her heart continues to perform its natural functions. Her eyes are always open, and she seems to be gazing with intense interest upon some object.” Review and Herald, June 9, 1874

Dr. Drummond was a physician and a First-day Adventist preacher who had previously claimed that Ellen White’s visions were merely the result of “mesmerism” (hypnotism). He boasted that he could bring her out of a vision himself: “Brother White… invited anyone who wished to do so to come forward and examine her. Dr. Drummond, a physician… who (before he saw her in vision) had declared her visions to be of mesmeric origin… stepped forward, and after a thorough examination, turned very pale, and remarked, ‘She doesn’t breathe!'” M. G. Kellogg, M.D., December 28, 1890. Dr. Drummond: “I have seen her in vision, and I have examined her condition. I have held my hand over her mouth and nostrils, and I am satisfied that she does not breathe. Her pulse is regular, and her face has a natural color.” Testimony at Battle Creek, 1850s.

During a vision in Parkville, a local physician named Dr. Brown was invited to examine her. He had previously stated that her visions were simply a spiritualist phenomenon and that he could easily “control” the person in such a state: “Before he had nearly completed his examination, he turned deadly pale, and as he left she arose to her feet… He was asked, ‘Doctor, what do you find?’ He replied, ‘She does not breathe,’ and as he left the house, he said, ‘It is a phenomenon that I cannot understand.'” J. N. Loughborough, The Great Second Advent Movement, page 211.

T. Bourdeau, who was an unbeliever at the time, decided to perform a more aggressive test to see if she was secretly inhaling or exhaling: “To satisfy my mind as to whether she breathed or not, I first put my hand on her chest sufficiently long to know that there was no more heaving of the lungs than there would have been had she been a corpse. I then took my hand and placed it over her mouth, pinching her nostrils between my thumb and forefinger, so that it was impossible for her to exhale or inhale air, even if she had desired to do so. I held her thus with my hand about ten minutes, long enough for her to suffocate under ordinary circumstances; she was not in the least affected by this ordeal.” D. T. Bourdeau, February 4, 1891.

Ellen White’s supporters, such as J.N. Andrews and G.I. Butler, frequently used the Daniel 10:17 reference to explain her condition to skeptics: “The phenomena of her visions are in every respect similar to those of the prophets of the Bible. Daniel says: ‘There remained no strength in me, neither was there breath left in me.’ Daniel 10:17. This is exactly the case with Sister White.” J.N. Andrews, Review and Herald, 1874.

“We have seen her in vision many times… The most remarkable thing about it is that she does not breathe. This is a Bible sign of a true prophet, as seen in the case of Daniel.” G.I. Butler, Review and Herald, June 9, 1874.

Outside of Biblical prophets like Daniel, there are very few documented cases of individuals remaining alive without breathing for extended periods during religious trances. Ellen White’s case, however, is unique because of the specific medical examinations performed by sceptical physicians.

William Foy (1818–1893) was a contemporary of Ellen White and a Millerite preacher who received visions shortly before her. Witnesses described his physical state in terms very similar to hers: “Foy’s first vision lasted about nine and a half hours. During this time, he was observed to have no breath, though his heart continued to beat. He remained in a state of physical exhaustion for some time after coming out of the vision.” (The Unknown Prophet, Delbert Baker). Foy was a tall, eloquent Black man. In 1842, he had two visions (one lasting 12.5 hours) in which he did not breathe. He was shown the rewards of the faithful and the judgment. Why no more visions? Foy’s mission was specific to the period leading up to the 1844 Great Disappointment. He fulfilled his task of encouraging the Millerites. He never claimed a lifelong prophetic office like Ellen White. What happened after? He moved to Maine and continued as a Free Will Baptist pastor. While he did not join the Seventh-day Adventist denomination (partly because he lived in remote areas), he remained a dedicated Christian until his death. Ellen White’s attended his lectures as a teenager. She wrote: “I have had interviews with him… He was a man of excellent character, and he was highly esteemed by all who knew him.” Letter 37, 1890.

Hazen Foss (1818–1893) also received visions similar to Ellen White’s just before the 1844 disappointment. Witnesses noted the same “supernatural” physical signs: “Foss was in vision for several hours. During these times, he did not breathe and was completely oblivious to his surroundings, exhibiting a state of supernatural strength and the absence of respiratory action.” (Adventist Heritage, “Foy and Foss”). Foss was a talented, well-educated white young man. The Millerite movement after the Great Disappointment of October 22, 1844, was being mocked as “fanaticism.” He dreaded the loss of his reputation. According to Ellen White, “he was a young man of fine appearance, and had received a good education. He was proud, and the cross of being a messenger for God, and of relating the visions to the people, was too great for him to bear.” Life Sketches, page 182 (1880 edition). The physical nature of the visions (falling prostrate, not breathing) was often viewed by the public as a form of madness or “mesmerism.” Foss did not want to be associated with these strange manifestations. He admitted to Ellen White that he was “proud and self-sufficient” and that he could not endure the thought of being looked upon as a “fanatic.” Foss was shown the journey of the Advent people to the New Jerusalem. Because the expected date of Christ’s return (October 22) had passed and Jesus had not come, he found the visions confusing and difficult to reconcile with his own expectations. He doubted the message because it didn’t align with his desired outcome. Foss was not just hesitant; he was willfully resistant. He was warned twice by God that if he did not relate the vision, the burden would be taken from him. After his second refusal, he was told in a vision: “If you refuse to obey this message, the burden will be taken from you and given to one of the weakest of the weak.” Even after this warning, his pride won out. He called a meeting to finally relate the vision, but when he stood up, his mind went blank. He cried out, “It is gone from me! I can say nothing! The Spirit of the Lord has left me!” He lived for 50 more years but lived in deep spiritual darkness. He remained a skeptic and had no interest in religion for the rest of his life. Ellen White recorded his warning to her after he heard her relate her first vision (which was identical to his). He said to her: “The Lord has given you a message… Do not refuse to obey God, for it will be at the peril of your soul. I am a lost man. You are chosen of God; be faithful in doing your work.” Life Sketches, page 183 (1880 edition).

Why did Ellen White become the primary messenger? Ellen White herself commented on why the work fell to her, whom she called “the weakest of the weak.” “I am instructed that the Lord has not given my brethren the work that He has given me… If I had been more capable, I might have been more self-sufficient. But the Lord has seen fit to use a weak instrument, that the glory might be His.” Selected Messages, book 1, page 34.

Sufferings of Believers

“We do not expect rest here. No, no. The way to heaven is a cross-bearing way … We will not complain… We will rejoice in tribulation and keep in mind the recompense of reward, the ‘far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory’. I crave the suffering part. I would not go to heaven without suffering if I could, and see Jesus who suffered so much for us to purchase for us so rich an inheritance; and to see the martyrs who laid down their lives for the truth, and the sake of Jesus. No, no. Let me be perfected through sufferings. I long to be a partaker with Christ of His sufferings, for if I am, I know I shall be a partaker with Him of His glory. Jesus is our pattern. Let us study to have our lives as near like Christ’s as possible.
My soul cries out after the living God. My very being longs after Him. Oh, for to reflect His lovely image perfectly! Oh, for to be wholly consecrated to Him! Oh, how hard it is for dear self to die. The curtain has been lifted. I have seen the rich reward laid up for the saints. I have had a taste of the joys of the world to come, and it has spoiled this world for me. My affections, my interests, hopes, my all is in heaven. I long to see the King in His beauty, Him whom my soul loveth.” — Reflecting Christ, p. 350.

“The trials of life are God’s workmen, removing the impurities and roughness from our character. Their hewing, squaring, and polishing, their burnishing and refining, is a painful process; it is hard to be pressed down to the grinding wheel. But the stone is brought forth prepared to fill its place in the heavenly temple.” Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 10

“Our heavenly Father measures and weighs every trial before He permits it to come upon the believer. He considers the circumstances and the strength of the one who is to stand under the proving and test of God, and He never permits the temptations to be greater than the capacity of resistance.” Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, 310

“God’s work of refining and purifying the soul must go on until His servants are so humbled, so dead to self, that when called into active service, they may have an eye single to the glory of God. … The purification of God’s people cannot be accomplished without suffering.” Review and Herald, April 10, 1894

“The very trial that taxes our faith the most severely and makes it seem as though God had forsaken us, is to lead us more clearly to Him, that we may lay all our burdens at the feet of Christ, and experience the peace which He will give us in exchange.” Review and Herald, April 17, 1894

“All who in this world render true service to God or man receive a preparatory training in the school of sorrow. The weightier the trust and the higher the service, the closer is the test and the more severe the discipline.” Education, 151

“In order for us to be purified, the fire of affliction must kindle upon us, and our will must be brought into conformity to the will of God. In order to be conformed to the image of our Saviour we pass through a most painful process of refining.” Letter 9, 1873

“The difficulties we have to encounter may be very much lessened by that meekness which hides itself in Christ. If we possess the humility of our Master, we shall rise above the slights, the rebuffs, the annoyances to which we are daily exposed, and they will cease to cast a gloom over the spirit.” The Desire of Ages, 301

“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 coworkers with Him.” The Desire of Ages, 224

“Every blow that destroys an idol, every providence that weakens our hold upon earth and fastens our affections more firmly upon God, is a blessing. The pruning may be painful for a time, but afterward it ‘yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness.'” My Life Today, 92

“It is only by long, persevering effort, sore discipline, and stern conflict, that we shall overcome. We know not one day how strong will be our conflict the next. So long as Satan reigns, we shall have self to subdue, besetting sins to overcome; so long as life shall last, there will be no stopping place.” Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, 610

Sufferings of Christ (go to Cross of Christ)

“Never was criminal treated in so inhuman a manner as was the Son of God.” Desire of Ages, Golgotha

“His whole form was convulsed with pain.” Desire of Ages, 734

“The angels suffered with Christ. God Himself was crucified with Him, because Christ was one with the Father.” (The Bible Echo, August 6, 1894).

Does the Bible Support Two Scourgings?

Matthew 27:26 & Mark 15:15: Record that Pilate released Barabbas and, “having scourged Jesus,” delivered Him to be crucified.

The Greek verbs used in these passages can refer to different types of Roman beatings:

Fustigatio (John 19:1) a “corrective” beating to satisfy a crowd (Luke 23:16: “I will therefore chastise him, and release him”).

Verberatio (Matthew/Mark): The horrific, bone-exposing scourging that was the mandatory preliminary to the cross.

“His whole form was convulsed with pain.” Desire of Ages, 734

Death of Sinners Who Rejected God’s Gift of Salvation

“Only in eternity can we rightly estimate the loss of a single soul.” Testimonies for the Church, volume 9, page 189

“The light of the glory of God, which imparts life to the righteous, will slay the wicked.” The Desire of Ages, page 600.

“Sinners would be miserable in God’s presence; they would endure a despair which the death of the grave would be a relief to end.” Steps to Christ, p. 18

“To the wicked, the day of God’s coming is a day of darkness, of gloom, of despair. . . . To them the presence of Christ is a consuming fire.” The Review and Herald, November 22, 1892

Stewardship, Tithes & Offerings

“The system of tithes and offerings was intended to impress the minds of men with a great truth—that God is the source of every blessing to His creatures, and that to Him man’s gratitude is due for the good gifts of His providence.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 525

“God has made men His stewards. The property which He has placed in their hands is the means that He has provided for the spread of the gospel.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 245

“Of all our income we should make the first-fruits an offering to God. This is the first of all our duties to Him.” The Review and Herald, February 9, 1886

“The man who will rob God of the tithe and offerings is making a mistake for which he will have to pay. He is closing the door to the blessing of God.” The Review and Herald, December 23, 1902

“Liberality is a duty, not a matter of convenience. We are to give to the cause of God, not from our abundance merely, but from our necessity.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, p. 474

“I was shown that the recording angel makes a faithful record of every offering dedicated to God, and put into the treasury, and also of the final result of the means thus bestowed. The eye of God takes cognizance of every farthing devoted to His cause, and of the willingness or reluctance of the giver. The motive in giving is also chronicled. Those self-sacrificing, consecrated ones who render back to God the things that are His, as He requires of them, will be rewarded according to their works. Even though the means thus consecrated be misapplied, so that it does not accomplish the object which the donor had in view,—the glory of God and the salvation of souls,—those who made the sacrifice in sincerity of soul, with an eye single to the glory of God, will not lose their reward.” Testimonies for the Church 2:518,519

“The colporteur work should not be loosely conducted. Those who are laboring in this line should be just as carefully selected as are the men who are selected for the ministry… This is a work that should be done. The tithe should be used to support those who give their whole time to this work.” Manuscript 105, 1902

“There are some who have a burden to distribute our literature, and who give their whole time to this work. This is a good work, and those who give their whole time to it should be supported. If there is a surplus of tithe in our conferences, let it be used to support these workers.” Letter 167, 1901

“The canvasser should not be discouraged… if he is a converted man, he is just as much a minister of God as is the man who preaches the word in the desk. The tithe should be used to support those who are doing this work.” Manuscript 7, 1901

“Tithe is sacred, reserved by God for Himself. It is to be brought into His treasury to be used to sustain the gospel laborers in their work.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 249

“There are ministers’ wives, Sisters Starr, Haskell, Wilson and Robinson, who have been devoted, earnest, whole-souled workers, giving Bible readings and praying with families, helping by personal efforts just as successfully as their husbands. These women give their whole time, and are told that they receive nothing for their labors because their husbands receive their wages. I tell them to go forward and all such decisions will be reversed. The Word says, ‘The laborer is worthy of his hire.’ When any such decision as this is made, I will, in the name of the Lord, lift my voice. I will feel it my duty to create a fund from my tithe money, to pay these women who are giving such whole-hearted service as some of our ministers are giving.” Manuscript 43, 1898

“Institutions that are God’s instruments to carry forward His work on the earth must be sustained. Churches must be erected, schools established, and publishing houses furnished with facilities for doing a great work in the publication of the truth to be sent to all parts of the world. These institutions are ordained of God and should be sustained by tithes and liberal offerings. As the work enlarges, means will be needed to carry it forward in all its branches.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, p. 464

“I have been instructed to do this, and as the money is not withheld from the Lord’s treasury, it is not a matter that should be commented upon… I have supplied their needs from the tithe, as God has instructed me to do. And if any person shall say to me, Sister White, will you appropriate my tithe where you know it is most needed, I shall say, Yes, I will; and I have done so. I commend those sisters who have placed their tithe where it is most needed to help to do a work that is being left undone.” Manuscript Release, Vol. 2, p. 99

“The tithe should be used to support those who give their whole time to this work… The colporteur work should not be loosely conducted. Those who are laboring in this line should be just as carefully selected as are the men who are selected for the ministry.” Manuscript 105, 1902

“There are exceptional cases where poverty is so scathing that in order to secure the humble homes of the self-sacrificing women who are giving their whole time to the work of the ministry, the tithe has been used. This is not to be a common practice, but a special case.” Letter 267, 1905

“Unworthy ministers may receive some of the means thus raised, but dare anyone, because of this, withhold from the treasury and brave the curse of God? I dare not. I pay my tithe gladly and freely, saying, as did David, “Of Thine own have we given Thee.” A selfish withholding from God will tend to poverty in our own souls. Act your part, my brethren and sisters. God loves you, and He stands at the helm. If the conference business is not managed according to the order of the Lord, that is the sin of the erring one. The Lord will not hold you responsible for it if you do what you can to correct the evil. But do not commit sin yourselves by withholding from the Lord His own property.” 2SAT 74.4

Surrender, Consecration, Submission, Complete Dependence On God, Self-Denial

“In the service of God there is no middle ground. . . . Let none expect to make a compromise with the world, and yet enjoy the blessing of the Lord.” — Our High Calling, p. 305.

“We do not expect rest here. No, no. The way to heaven is a cross-bearing way … We will not complain… We will rejoice in tribulation and keep in mind the recompense of reward, the ‘far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory’. I crave the suffering part. I would not go to heaven without suffering if I could, and see Jesus who suffered so much for us to purchase for us so rich an inheritance; and to see the martyrs who laid down their lives for the truth, and the sake of Jesus. No, no. Let me be perfected through sufferings. I long to be a partaker with Christ of His sufferings, for if I am, I know I shall be a partaker with Him of His glory. Jesus is our pattern. Let us study to have our lives as near like Christ’s as possible.
My soul cries out after the living God. My very being longs after Him. Oh, for to reflect His lovely image perfectly! Oh, for to be wholly consecrated to Him! Oh, how hard it is for dear self to die. The curtain has been lifted. I have seen the rich reward laid up for the saints. I have had a taste of the joys of the world to come, and it has spoiled this world for me. My affections, my interests, hopes, my all is in heaven.
I long to see the King in His beauty, Him whom my soul loveth.” — Reflecting Christ, p. 350.

“The Son of God gave all – life and love and suffering – for our redemption. And can it be that we, the unworthy objects of so great love, will withhold our hearts from Him? He became sin for the race! But what do we give up, when we give all? A sin-polluted heart, for Jesus to cleanse by His own blood! And yet men think it hard to give up all! I am ashamed to hear it, ashamed to write it.” – Steps to Christ

“If you trust in your own strength and wisdom, you will surely fail. God calls for complete and entire consecration, and anything short of this He will not accept.” — Christ Triumphant, p. 94.

“God can make the humblest followers of Christ more precious than fine gold, if they yield themselves to His transforming hand… In many cases God can do little with men and women of learning, because they feel no need of leaning upon Him who is the source of all wisdom. . . . If you trust in your own strength and wisdom, you will surely fail. God calls for complete and entire consecration, and anything short of this He will not accept. There are many people whom God could have used in poverty—He could have made them useful there, and crowned them with glory hereafter—but prosperity ruined them. They were dragged down to the pit, because they forgot to be humble—forgot that God was their strength—and became independent and self-sufficient… As a representative of Christ, you must have the all-pervading power of godliness. You must be hid in Jesus. You are not safe unless you hold the hand of Christ. You must guard against everything like presumption and cherish that spirit that would rather suffer than sin. No victory you can gain will be so precious as that gained over self. Selfish ambition, desire for supremacy, will die when Christ takes possession of the affections.” —Christ Triumphant, p. 94

“The history of Joseph and Daniel is an illustration of what God will do for those who yield themselves to Him and with the whole heart seek to accomplish His purpose. But such a noble character is the result of self-discipline, of the subjection of the lower to the higher nature—the surrender of self for the service of love to God and man.” —Education, p. 57

“God can make the humblest followers of Christ more precious than fine gold, if they yield themselves to His transforming hand.” — Christ Triumphant, p. 94.

“Those who desire to be transformed in mind and character are not to look to men, but to the divine Example. God gives the invitation, ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.’ By conversion and transformation men are to receive the mind of Christ.” — That I May Know Him, p. 134.

“Self must die, and Christ must be enthroned in the heart as all and in all. The thoughts must be stayed on Him…” — The Upward Look, p. 200.

“The surrender of the will is represented as plucking out the eye or cutting off the hand. Often it seems to us that the surrender of the will to God is to consent to go through life maimed or crippled. But it is better, says Christ, for self to be maimed, wounded, crippled, if thus you may enter into life.” — Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 61.

“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. 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.” — The Signs of the Times, May 26, 1890.

“Unless a determined effort is made to keep the thoughts centered on Christ, grace cannot reveal itself in the life. Every thought must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. All the habits must be brought under God’s control.” — In Heavenly Places, p. 164.

“Appetite and passion must be conquered, and the will must be placed wholly on the side of Christ.” — Our High Calling, p. 87.

Sunday Law

“The prophecy of Revelation 13 declares that the power represented by the beast with lamblike horns shall cause the world to worship the papacy—symbolized by the beast…This prophecy will be fulfilled when the United States shall enforce Sunday observance, which papal Rome claims as the acknowledgment of her supremacy. Then we may know that the time has come for the marvellous working of Satan and that the end is near.”

“Protestantism shall give the hand of fellowship to the Roman power. Then there will be a law against the Sabbath of God’s creation, and then God will do His ‘strange work’ on the earth.”

“The union (between Catholicism and Protestantism) will not, however, be effected by a change in Catholicism, for Rome never changes. She claims infallibility. It is Protestantism that will change.”

Tithes & Offerings (go to Stewardship)

“The colporteur work should not be loosely conducted. Those who are laboring in this line should be just as carefully selected as are the men who are selected for the ministry… This is a work that should be done. The tithe should be used to support those who give their whole time to this work.” Manuscript 105, 1902

“There are some who have a burden to distribute our literature, and who give their whole time to this work. This is a good work, and those who give their whole time to it should be supported. If there is a surplus of tithe in our conferences, let it be used to support these workers.” Letter 167, 1901

“The canvasser should not be discouraged… if he is a converted man, he is just as much a minister of God as is the man who preaches the word in the desk. The tithe should be used to support those who are doing this work.” Manuscript 7, 1901

Unity & Love Among Believers

“We are not all the same, but we are all to have the same spirit that dwelt in Christ. Christ abiding in the soul will not quarrel with Christ in another soul. If our will is under the control of Christ’s will, how can we be at variance with our brethren? If we are at variance, we may know that it is because self needs to be crucified. We must have the faith that works by love.” — This Day With God, p. 262.

“I urge our people to cease their criticism and evil-speaking, and go to God in earnest prayer, asking Him to help them to help the erring. Let them link up with one another and with Christ.” — Reflecting Christ, p. 200.

“Let us make Christ’s prayer (John 17) the rule of our life. We are to pray for union, and then live in such a way that God can answer our prayers.” — Reflecting Christ, p. 200.

“Perfect oneness—a union as close as the union existing between the Father and the Son—this is what will give success to the efforts of God’s workers.” — Reflecting Christ, p. 200.

“Complete union with Christ and with one another is absolutely necessary to the perfection of believers. Christ’s presence by faith in the hearts of believers is their power, their life. It brings union with God. ‘Thou in me.’ Union with God through Christ makes the church perfect.” — Reflecting Christ, p. 200.

“Christ has said, ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.’” — Reflecting Christ, p. 200.

“If we love God with all the heart, we must love His children also. No matter how many good qualities we may have, if the soul is not baptized with the heavenly grace of love to God and one another, we are deficient in true goodness and unfit for heaven, where all is love and unity.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 223.

“Those who love God cannot harbor hatred or envy. When the heavenly principle of eternal love fills the heart, it will flow out to others, not merely because favors are received of them, but because love is the principle of action and modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions, subdues enmity, and elevates and ennobles the affections.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 223.

“True, heaven-born love is not selfish and changeable. It is not dependent on human praise. The heart of him who receives the grace of God overflows with love for God and for those for whom Christ died. Self is not struggling for recognition. He does not love others because they love and please him, because they appreciate his merits, but because they are Christ’s purchased possession.” — Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 101, 102.

“If his motives, words, or actions are misunderstood or misrepresented, he takes no offense, but pursues the even tenor of his way. He is kind and thoughtful, humble in his opinion of himself, yet full of hope, always trusting in the mercy and love of God.” — Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 101, 102.

Use of Time

“Every moment of our time is precious. The precious talents lent us of God are to be employed in His service.” — This Day With God, p. 220.

“Day by day they are deciding a question of life and death, deciding whether they will have eternal life or eternal destruction. And yet men and women professing to serve the Lord are content to occupy their time and attention with matters of little importance. If they were consecrated to the work of the Master, every hand would be engaged in service.” —This Day With God, p. 326

“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.” Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 342

“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.” Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 342

“We are accountable for the time that we have lost, and we are also accountable for the time that we have not used to the best advantage.” The Review and Herald, April 21, 1896

“Squandering time is squandering the Lord’s money. Every moment is the Lord’s, and should be used to His glory.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, p. 451

“He who is a follower of Christ will not be found squandering his time in idle conversation or in any other way that will not be for the glory of God.” The Youth’s Instructor, August 31, 1893

“We have no time to lose. We know not how soon our probation may close. Eternity stretches before us. The curtain is about to be lifted.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8, p. 314

“Time is a talent given us of God, and it should be used for the purpose for which it was given. It is not to be used in seeking our own pleasure, but in doing the will of God.” The Review and Herald, November 14, 1893

“The habit of idling away time is a sin that will surely be punished. We should be diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” The Youth’s Instructor, September 7, 1893

“If we would be successful in our work, we must be careful of our time. We must not allow ourselves to be hindered by trifles.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 181

“Let every moment be used in a way that will be for the glory of God. We are to be workers together with Him, and we should be diligent in our work.” The Review and Herald, January 2, 1900

Watchfulness & Spiritual Warfare

“Satan is devising many plans to occupy minds and to divert attention from the truths essential to salvation. In every city his agencies are busily organizing into parties those who are opposed to the law of God. But God’s faithful messengers are to advance fearlessly and victoriously, never ceasing their warfare until every soul within their reach shall have received the message of truth for this time.” — The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 218–220.

“Satan watches eagerly to find Christians off their guard. O that the followers of Christ would remember that eternal vigilance is the price of eternal life.” — The Upward Look, p. 200.

“Have Seventh-day Adventists forgotten the warning given in the sixth chapter of Ephesians? We are engaged in a war against the hosts of darkness. Unless we follow our Leader closely, Satan will obtain the victory over us.” — The Upward Look, p. 200.

“Evil angels in the form of men will talk with those who know the truth.” — Selected Messages, book 3, p. 411.

“Evil angels in the form of believers will work in our ranks to bring in a strong spirit of unbelief… These powers of evil will assemble in our meetings, not to receive a blessing, but to counterwork the influences of the Spirit of God.” — Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, pp. 504, 505.

“The only safeguard against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. It is because selfishness exists in our hearts that temptation has power over us.” — Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 118, 119.

“Christ will never abandon the soul for whom He has died. The soul may leave Him and be overwhelmed with temptation, but Christ can never turn from one for whom He has paid the ransom of His own life.” — Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 118, 119.

“To us, as to Peter, the word is spoken, ‘Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.’ Live in contact with the living Christ, and He will hold you firmly by a hand that will never let go.” — Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 118, 119.

“Know and believe the love that God has to us, and you are secure; that love is a fortress impregnable to all the delusions and assaults of Satan.” — Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 118, 119.

“When Christ took human nature upon Him, He bound humanity to Himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself. Satan will constantly present allurements to induce us to break this tie—to choose to separate ourselves from Christ. Here is where we need to watch, to strive, to pray, that nothing may entice us to choose another master; for we are always free to do this.” — Steps to Christ, p. 72.

“Satan’s plan of temptation is always the same. While everything moves prosperously, men think that they have faith. But when suffering, disaster, or disappointment comes, they lose heart. A faith that is dependent on circumstances and surroundings, that lives only when everything goes smoothly, is not a genuine faith.” — Letters and Manuscripts, vol. 11, Letter 49a, 1896, par. 3, 4.

Witnessing (go to Evangelism)

Word of God & Study

“The time will come when many will be deprived of the written Word. But if this Word is printed in the memory, no one can take it from us.” — Manuscript Releases, vol. 20, p. 64.

“Study the Word of God. Commit its precious promises to memory so that, when we shall be deprived of our Bibles, we may still be in possession of the Word of God.” — Manuscript Releases, vol. 10, p. 298.

“Several times each day precious, golden moments should be consecrated to prayer and the study of the Scriptures, if it is only to commit a text to memory, that spiritual life may exist in the soul.” — Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 459.

“If we have some spare time, we will not go to a magazine to read some foolish, trifling, lying story, but we will find something in the Word to commit to memory.” Watchman, September 15, 1909, par. 6.

“None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict.” — The Great Controversy, p. 593.

“Let the more important passages of Scripture be committed to memory. Though at first the memory be defective, it will gain strength by exercise, so that after a time you will delight thus to treasure up the words of truth. And the habit will prove a most valuable aid to spiritual growth.” — Child Guidance, p. 511.

“To read a certain number of chapters daily without careful thought as to the meaning of the sacred text, is a work of little profit. We cannot obtain wisdom without earnest attention and prayerful study.” — Review and Herald, October 9, 1883, par. 2.

“The creative energy that called the worlds into existence is in the word of God. This 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. It transforms the nature and re-creates the soul in the image of God.” — Education, p. 126.

“The Bible must be made the foundation for all study” (FE 451).

“A familiarity with the Word of God is our only hope. Those who diligently search the Scriptures will not accept Satan’s delusions as the truth of God” (GC 625).

“The Bible should be read every day. It is the correct standard of right and wrong and of moral principle” (SI, March 20, 1884, 177).

“This book is the voice of God speaking to us” (FE 433).

“The true principles of psychology are found in the Holy Scriptures” (ML 176).

“Apart from Christ, science is misleading and philosophy is foolishness” (IMM 97).

“All the philosophies of human nature have led to confusion and shame when God has not been recognized as all in all” (8T 322).

“Men consider themselves wiser than the Word of God, wiser even than God; and instead of planting their feet on the immovable foundation, and bringing everything to the test of God’s word, they test that word by their own ideas of science and nature, and if it seems not to agree with their scientific ideas, it is discarded as unworthy of credence” (ST, March 27, 1844, 1).

Victory Over Sin

“Through divine strength, the weakest saint is more than a match for Satan and all his angels. Therefore Satan’s step is noiseless … and his batteries (weapon) masked. Man has in himself no power to oppose effectual resistance to evil. It is only as Christ abides in him by living faith that man may face the terrible foe. Every other means of defence is utterly vain.”

“Subduing self and looking to Jesus is an everyday work. The Lord will never forsake the soul that trusts in Him and seeks His aid. The crown of eternal life is placed only upon the brow of the overcomer.
If you would be a saint in heaven you must first be a saint on earth. The traits of character you cherish in life will not be changed by death or by the resurrection. You will come up from the grave with the same disposition you manifested in your home and in society. Jesus does not change the character at His coming. The work of transformation must be done now. Our daily lives are determining our destiny.”

“The same divine mind that is working upon the things of nature is speaking to the hearts of men and creating an inexpressible craving for something they have not. The things of the world cannot satisfy their longing. The Spirit of God is pleading with them to seek those things that alone can give peace and rest. Through influences seen and unseen, our Saviour is constantly at work to attract the minds of men from the unsatisfying pleasures of sin to the infinite blessings that may be theirs in Him. To all these souls, who are vainly seeking to drink from the broken cisterns of this world, the divine message is addressed, ‘Let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely’ (Revelation 22:17). You who in heart long for something better than this world can give, recognize this longing as the voice of God to your soul. The more you struggle to escape, the more you realize your helplessness. Your motives are impure; your heart is unclean. You see that your life has been filled with selfishness and sin. 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? It is peace that you need – Heaven’s forgiveness 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). It is yours if you will but reach out your hand and grasp it. The Lord says, ‘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); ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you’ (Ezekiel 36:26). You have confessed your sins, and in heart put them away. You have resolved to give yourself to God. Now 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. A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ. Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might. So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self, but look to Christ! Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character… Looking to Christ you are safe“. – Steps to Christ.