A - Spirit of Prophecy
The one thing essential for us in order that we may receive & impart the forgiving love of God is to know & believe the love that He has to us. Pr 298
How much the Father loved us we can never compute. There is no standard with which to compare it. Christ was hid in God, & God stood revealed to the world in the character of His Son... Love for a lost world was manifested every day, in every act of His life. 1MCP 249
He pointed His hearers to the Ruler of the universe, under the new name, “Our Father.” He would have them understand how tenderly the heart of God yearned over them. He teaches that God cares for every lost soul; that “like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.” MB 74
All the paternal love which has come down from generation to generation through the channel of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness which have opened in the souls of men, are but as a tiny rill to the boundless ocean when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God. Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it. You may meditate upon it every day of your life; you may search the Scriptures diligently in order to understand it; you may summon every power & capability that God has given you, in the endeavor to comprehend the love & compassion of the heavenly Father; & yet there is an infinity beyond. You may study that love for ages; yet you can never fully comprehend the length & the breadth, the depth & the height, of the love of God in giving His Son to die for the world. Eternity itself can never fully reveal it. Yet as we study the Bible & meditate upon the life of Christ & the plan of redemption, these great themes will open to our understanding more & more. 5T 740
The years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer & still more glorious revelations of God & of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, & happiness increase. GC 678
It is the love of Christ that makes our heaven... His love is like a vast ocean, without bottom or shore. 1MCP 251
From the beginning it has been Satan's studied plan to cause men to forget God, that he might secure them to himself. Therefore, he has sought to misrepresent the character of God, to lead men to cherish a false conception of Him... HP 8
How was God to be rightly represented to the world? How was it to be known that He was a God of love, full of mercy, kindness, & pity? How was the world to know this? God sent His Son, & He was to represent to the world the character of God... HP 11
Christ came to reveal God to the world as a God of love, a God of mercy, tenderness, & compassion. HP 8
We cannot appreciate God unless we take into our souls the great plan of redemption. HP 11
The plan of redemption was arranged in the counsels between the Father & the Son... In His infinite love Christ devised the plan of salvation... In their behalf He says to the Father, Do not impute their sins to them, but lay them on Me. Man is given the privilege of working with God in the saving of his own soul. He is to receive Christ as his personal Saviour & believe in Him. Receiving & believing is his part of the contract. God's love for the fallen race is a peculiar manifestation of love - a love born of mercy; for human beings are all undeserving. Through the gift of His Son He has revealed toward them His infinite love & mercy. HP 12
When our minds are constantly dwelling upon the matchless love of God to the fallen race, we begin to know God, to become acquainted with Him... HP 11
The love existing between the Father & His Son cannot be portrayed. It is measureless. In Christ, God saw the beauty & perfection of excellence that dwells in Himself. Wonder, O heavens, & be astonished, O earth, for God spared not His own Son, but gave Him up to be made sin for us, that those who believe may be made the righteousness of God in Him... Language is too feeble for us to attempt to portray the love of God. We believe it, we rejoice in it, but we cannot comprehend it. Depths, heights, lengths, & breadths of love & wisdom, all passing knowledge, are made known in the plan of salvation. HP 15
Jesus, when upon earth, was the most perfect type of man; & it is the Christian’s joy & comfort that this patient, loving Saviour is to be his King & Judge. We are not inclined to associate kingly glory & judicial authority with the self-denial, patience, love, & forgiveness shown in the life of Christ; yet these attributes qualified the Saviour for his exalted position. The qualities of character which he developed on earth constitute his exaltation in glory. His triumphs were gained by love, not by force. 3SP 256
Love is the basis of godliness. Whatever the profession, no man has pure love to God unless he has unselfish love for his brother. But we can never come into possession of this spirit by trying to love others. What is needed is the love of Christ in the heart. When self is merged in Christ, love springs forth spontaneously. The completeness of Christian character is attained when the impulse to help & bless others springs constantly from within - when the sunshine of heaven fills the heart & is revealed in the countenance. COL 384
When, as erring, sinful beings, we come to Christ & become partakers of His pardoning grace, love springs up in the heart. Every burden is light, for the yoke that Christ imposes is easy. Duty becomes a delight, & sacrifice a pleasure. The path that before seemed shrouded in darkness, becomes bright with beams from the Sun of Righteousness. SC 59
The love of God …is a positive & active principle, a living spring, ever flowing to bless others. When love fills the heart, it will flow out to others, not because of favors received from them, but because love is the principle of action. Cherished in the heart, it sweetens the entire life & sheds its blessing upon all around. It is this, & this only, that can make us the salt of the earth. MB 58
We shall come close to them till their hearts are warmed by our unselfish interest & love. It is not the power of the man himself, but the power of the Holy Spirit that does the transforming work. MB 36
The heart of man is by nature cold & dark & unloving; whenever one manifests a spirit of mercy & forgiveness, he does it not of himself, but through the influence of the divine Spirit moving upon his heart. MB 21
He does not ask if we are worthy of His love, but He pours upon us the riches of His love, to make us worthy. The Holy Spirit that abides in the soul & is manifest in the life will soften hard hearts & awaken sympathy & tenderness. MB 22
It is the fragrance of our love for our fellow men that reveals our love for God. AA 560
God considers more with how much love we work, than the amount we do. Where love exists, there is power & truth in the life. Love does good & nothing but good. Love is a heavenly attribute. The natural heart cannot originate it. This heavenly plant only flourishes where Christ reigns supreme. SD 49
“He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; & what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, & to love mercy, & to walk humbly with thy God?” From age to age these counsels were repeated by the servants of Jehovah to those who were in danger of falling into habits of formalism & of forgetting to show mercy. PK 326
Paul writes: “If I speak with the tongues of men & of angels, but have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, & know all mysteries, & all knowledge; & if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” It is the duty of the children of God to be all light in the Lord, & scatter blessings upon the path of others. Love must be kept in constant exercise to inspire faith in God, that praise may be called forth from human hearts to God, & that the golden chain of love may bind the hearts of humanity together. ST Sept. 12, 1895
It is the humble, contrite heart that God values. The attributes that He prizes most are purity & love, & these are possessed only by the Christian. SW 10
He whose life is hid with Christ in God will possess the attributes of the divine character, & will be a partaker of the divine nature, making it manifest to the world that God is merciful, full of tender compassion, abundant in grace & truth. The voice of Jesus pleads with men, saying, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me & drink, & the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.” ST Sept. 12, 1895
To be merciful is to treat others better than they deserve. SJ 61
Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful.” Those who possess this attribute are blessed here; a sweet spirit of satisfaction is the reward of the soul who possesses compassion & love. They realize the fulfilment of the promise that “they shall obtain mercy.” The God of heaven sends the angels to encamp around such ones, & to move upon the hard hearts of those with whom they associate. By the manifestation of mercy, they confess to all the world that they are on the Lord’s side. YI Jan. 9, 1896
“Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.” We are continually receiving rich mercies from the hands of God. We are placed in this world, & surrounded by men & women who need our compassion, & we are responsible for putting into exercise the tender mercies of our God. He has richly bestowed upon us His love, & deposited with us His mercy, that we may become stewards of the same, in ministering His love to others. The life & practice of Christ show that the circle for our love should be unlimited. ST Sept. 12, 1895
The merciful are “partakers of the divine nature,” & in them the compassionate love of God finds expression. Christ dwelling in the soul is a spring that never runs dry. Where He abides, there will be an overflowing of beneficence. MB 22
God has an intense desire to relieve the woes of mankind & apply his balsam to their wounds. His love is ever exercised for the needy & oppressed. His heart is full of joy when the sinner breaks with Satan, & looks up to God as to a merciful, sympathizing, loving Father. The Lord is ever active in exercising his mercy; he would have every soul become acquainted with the paternal character of God. In blessing others, they are made glad with the thought that God has not forgotten them, & gratitude springs up in the hearts of those who have been suffering & oppressed. ST Sept. 12, 1895
The merciful “shall obtain mercy.” “The liberal soul shall be made fat: & he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” There is sweet peace for the compassionate spirit, a blessed satisfaction in the life of self-forgetful service for the good of others. HP 238
“Love your enemies,” He bade them; “bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, & pray for them which despitefully use you, & persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven,” 8T 286
He would have us love those who oppress us & do us harm. We must not express in words & acts the spirit they manifest, but improve every opportunity to do them good. UL 220
He who is truly converted will be so filled with the love of God that he will long to impart to others the joy that he himself possesses. 9T 30
The manifestation of hatred never breaks down the malice of our enemies. But love & kindness beget love & kindness in return. He allows the sunshine & the showers to fall upon the just & the unjust, bringing alike worldly prosperity to both. Instead of cursing those who injure him, it is his duty to seek to win them from their evil ways by a kindness similar to that with which Christ treated them who persecuted him. 2SP 224
His love received, will make us, in like manner, kind & tender, not merely toward those who please us, but to the most faulty & erring & sinful. It is not earthly rank, nor birth, nor nationality, nor religious privilege, which proves that we are members of the family of God; it is love, a love that embraces all humanity. Even sinners whose hearts are not utterly closed to God’s Spirit, will respond to kindness; while they may give hate for hate, they will also give love for love. But it is only the Spirit of God that gives love for hatred. To be kind to the unthankful & to the evil, to do good hoping for nothing again, is the insignia of the royalty of heaven, the sure token by which the children of the Highest reveal their high estate. MB 75
God requires every heart to be filled with pure, clean, sanctified, Christlike love. …Christ declares, “Without me ye can do nothing.” Then open the door of the heart & let Jesus in. He is the great worker as well as the law-giver. …Let your swelling, struggling heart break for the longing it has for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 1888 1700
You should feel when you arise in the morning, & when you go out upon the street, & when you come in, that Jesus loves you, that He is by your side. TMK 183
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, & with all thy soul, & with all thy mind... Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” God will accept nothing less than this. CT 345
Christ delighted in the earnest desire of Mary to do the will of her Lord. He accepted the wealth of pure affection which His disciples did not, would not, understand. The desire that Mary had to do this service for her Lord was of more value to Christ than all the precious ointment in the world, because it expressed her appreciation of the world’s Redeemer. It was the love of Christ that constrained her. The matchless excellence of the character of Christ filled her soul. That ointment was a symbol of the heart of the giver. It was the outward demonstration of a love fed by heavenly streams until it overflowed. The work of Mary was just the lesson the disciples needed to show them that the expression of their love for Him would be pleasing to Christ. He had been everything to them, & they did not realize that soon they would be deprived of His presence, that soon they could offer Him no token of their gratitude for His great love. Their afterknowledge gave them a true sense of the many things they might have done for Jesus expressive of the love & gratitude of their hearts... When Jesus was no longer with them, ...they began to see how they might have shown Him attentions that would have brought gladness to His heart. They no longer cast blame upon Mary, but upon themselves. Oh, if they could have taken back their censuring, their presenting the poor as more worthy of the gift than was Christ! They felt the reproof keenly as they took from the cross the bruised body of their Lord. DA 564-565
Without the exercise of this love, the highest profession of faith is mere hypocrisy. 1SM 218
Obedience – the service & allegiance of love – is the true sign of discipleship... SC 61
When Christ was living on the earth, how surprised His associates would have been, if, after becoming acquainted with Him, they had heard Him speak one word of accusation, of fault-finding, or of impatience. Let us never forget that those who love Him are to represent Him in character. HDL 31
In this last meeting with His disciples, the great desire which Christ expressed for them was that they might love one another as He had loved them. Again & again He spoke of this. “These things I command you,” He said repeatedly, “that ye love one another.” His very first injunction when alone with them in the upper chamber was “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you,” To the disciples this commandment was new; for they had not loved one another as Christ had loved them. He saw that new ideas & impulses must control them; that new principles must be practiced by them; through His life & death they were to receive a new conception of love. The command to love one another had a new meaning in the light of His self-sacrifice. The whole work of grace is one continual service of love, of self-denying, self-sacrificing effort. During every hour of Christ’s sojourn upon the earth, the love of God was flowing from Him in irrepressible streams. All who are imbued with His Spirit will love as He loved. LHU 298
We lose much by not dwelling constantly upon the character of Christ. Manuscript 16, 1890
When as individual members of the church, you love God supremely & your neighbor as yourself, there will be no need of labored efforts to be in unity, for there will be oneness in Christ as a natural result. 11MR 266
We must continue in the love of Christ. We must keep that love aglow on the altar of the heart, & this love, thus kept burning, will increase our love for one another. ST Dec. 28, 1891
The great obstruction to your work will be the disregard of the tenderness of Christ in dealing with one another... GCB Feb. 25, 1895
God would have his servants always appear at their best, both at home & in society; & where Jesus reigns in the heart, there will be sweet love, & we shall be tender & true to one another. It takes special watchfulness to keep the affections alive, & our hearts in a condition where we shall be sensible of the good that exists in the hearts of others. ...As we have a proper realization of our own mistakes & failures, the mistakes of others will sink into insignificance. RH Feb. 24, 1891
Take Jesus as your standard. Imitate His life. Fall in love with His character. Walk as Christ walked. A new spring will be given to your intellectual faculties, a large scope to your thoughts, when you bring your powers into vigorous contact with eternal things which are intrinsically grand & great. OHC 59
The spirit of Christ in the heart is like a spring in the desert, flowing to refresh all & making those who are ready to perish, eager to drink of the water of life. SC 77
The members of the church will cherish love & unity, & be as one great family. Then we shall bear the divine credentials to the world, that will testify that God has sent His Son into the world. Christ has said, “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one for another”. The divinity of Christ is acknowledged in the unity of the children of God. No provision has been made for Christians to draw apart from each other. By our unity & love we are to reveal the character of Christ. 11MR 266
Sin has extinguished the love that God placed in man’s heart. The work of the church is to rekindle this love. The church is to co-operate with God by uprooting selfishness from the human heart, placing in its stead the benevolence that was in man’s heart in his original state of perfection. WM 14
When men are bound together, not by force or self-interest, but by love, they show the working of an influence that is above every human influence. Where this oneness exists, it is evidence that the image of God is being restored in humanity, that a new principle of life has been implanted. It shows that there is power in the divine nature to withstand the supernatural agencies of evil, & that the grace of God subdues the selfishness inherent in the natural heart. LHU 298
In our home we have no dissension, no words of impatience. My workers are different in temperament, & their ways & manners are different, but we blend in action & stand united in spirit, seeking to help & strengthen one another. We know that we cannot afford to be a variance because we differ in temperament. We are God’s little children, & we ask Him to help us to live, not to please ourselves & to have our own way, but to please & glorify Him. Ev 102
Christians are to cultivate self-restraint, love, forbearance, & unity one to another by the cords of brotherly love. Thus they will together exercise faith, hope, & love toward God; they will have tender consideration for all of like precious faith, & will draw toward those who love God. There will be fellowship such as the world knows not of. RH Nov. 27, 1894
Many people may be brought together in a unity of religious faith whose opinions, habits, & tastes in temporal matters are not in harmony; but if they have the love of Christ glowing in their hearts, & are looking forward to the same heaven as their eternal home, they may have the sweetest & most intelligent communion together, & a unity the most wonderful. Our hearts should ever be open to kindly sympathy, & all aglow with the love that Jesus had for all his brethren... GW92 400
If we would be true lights in the world, we must manifest the loving, compassionate spirit of Christ. To love as Christ loved means that we must practice self-control. It means that we must show unselfishness at all times & in all places. It means that we must scatter round us kind words & pleasant looks. These cost the giver nothing, but they leave behind a precious fragrance. Their influence for good cannot be estimated. Not only to the receiver, but to the giver, they are a blessing; for they react upon him. Genuine love is a precious attribute of heavenly origin, which increases in fragrance in proportion as it is dispensed to others... ML 80
Wherever the Saviour went the benignity of his countenance, & his gentle, kindly manner won the love & confidence of children. 3SP 26
Life is not made up of great sacrifices & wonderful achievements, but of little things. Kindness & love & courtesy are the marks of the Christian... Letter 16, May 15, 1886
The strongest & noblest characters are built on the foundation of patience, love, & submission to God’s will. AA 319
"All things work together for good to them that love God”. Could your eyes be opened, you would see your heavenly Father bending over you in love; & could you hear His voice it would be in tones of compassion to you who are prostrate with suffering & affliction. Stand fast in His strength; there is rest for you. HP 272
When trials & tribulations come to you know that they are sent in order that you may receive from the Lord of glory renewed strength & increased humility, so that He may safely bless & support & uphold you. ML 185
Adversity & trial will only give them an opportunity to show the sincerity of their faith & love. TMK 257
All that has perplexed us in the providences of God will in the world to come be made plain. The things hard to be understood will then find explanation. The mysteries of grace will unfold before us. Where our finite minds discovered only confusion & broken promises, we shall see the most perfect & beautiful harmony. We shall know that infinite love ordered the experiences that seemed most trying. As we realize the tender care of Him who makes all things work together for our good, we shall rejoice with joy unspeakable & full of glory... AH 542
The Father’s presence encircled Christ, & nothing befell Him but that which infinite love permitted for the blessing of the world. Here was His source of comfort, & it is for us. HDL 30
God loves the followers of Christ as He loves His only-begotten Son. 1MCP 250
He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ. Whatever comes to him comes from the Saviour, who surrounds him with His presence. Nothing can touch him except by the Lord’s permission. All our sufferings & sorrows, all our temptations & trials, all our sadness & griefs, all our persecutions & privations, in short, all things work together for our good. All experiences & circumstances are God’s workmen whereby good is brought to us. HDL 30
The apostle Paul, who had received many revelations from the Lord, met difficulties from various sources, & amidst all his conflicts & discouragements, he did not lose his confidence & trust in God. Under the special tuition of the Holy Spirit, his judgment was purified, refined, elevated, sanctified. The devising of human beings & of the enemy against him, were to him a means of discipline & education, & he declares that thus he gained most excellent knowledge, because he made the Lord Jesus his dependence. BTS Nov. 1, 1903