B - Spirit of Prophecy
In the 13th chapter of First Corinthians the apostle Paul defines Christlike love. This chapter is an expression of the obedience of all who love God & keep His commandments. It is brought into action in the life of every true believer. SW Jan. 1, 1901
Paul saw that the character of Christ must be understood before men could love Him or view the cross with the eye of faith. AA 273
The apostle meant where there is a cultivation of genuine love for precious souls, it will be exhibited for those most in need of that patience which suffereth long & is kind... FE 279
Give sympathy, give love, & you will find this power will soften & subdue the most wayward & the greatest good will be realized upon your own heart & life. You will feel the subduing influence of the power of that love you exercise & cultivate toward others. You should represent the great Teacher in your sympathy & tender, pitying love. As you love, you will be loved; as you pity, you will receive the same. Love is power. It will have a transforming influence, for it is divine.” Manuscript 2, 1876
The one who stands nearest to Christ will be he who on earth has drunk most deeply of the spirit of His self-sacrificing love, love that “vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, ...seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil” DA 549
And yet how many there are who place the worst possible construction on the words & acts of others... This work is what is called “rejoicing in iniquity.” Love “rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;”... ST Mar. 14, 1892
Love not only bears with others’ faults, but cheerfully submits to whatever suffering or inconvenience such forbearance makes necessary. This love “never faileth.” 5T 169
Christ-like love places the most favorable construction on the motives & acts of others. AA 319
We want to cherish that charity which is not easily provoked, which suffereth long & is kind, which hopeth all things, endureth all things. If this grace be in you, if you are ruled by the spirit of Christ, all who see you will take knowledge of you that you have been with Jesus; & your words & actions will testify that your religion is full of good fruits. RH Sept. 8, 1885
God wants you to let Him manage you, that you may be a lovable Christian. The Lord would have the natural & hereditary traits of character come under the pruning knife. Look steadfastly unto Jesus, that you may catch His spirit & cherish the qualities of Christlike character. Then it will be recognized by all who have any connection with you, that you have learned of Christ His meekness, His affection, His tenderness, His sympathy. Never rest satisfied until you possess a loving & lovable spirit. Your words may come from the good treasure of the heart to strengthen, help, bless, & win all around you... TMK 218
The children of God never forget to do good & to communicate. They have the spirit of Christ; good works are spontaneous with them; for God has transformed their natures by His grace. RH Sept. 8, 1885
Let the words be clean, sanctified, vivifying, & refreshing to all. Be not easily provoked. Let the praise of God be in your hearts & upon your lips... ST Apr. 25, 1900
Like the Master, be full of grace & truth. Jesus was incorruptible, undefiled, yet in His life were mingled gentleness, meekness, benignity, sympathy, & love. The poorest were not afraid to approach Him; they did not fear a rebuff. What Christ was, every Christian should strive to be. In holiness & winsomeness of character He is our model... We should all learn of Christ what it means to be a Christian. Let us learn of Him how to combine firmness, justice, purity, & integrity with unselfish courtesy & kindly sympathy. Thus the character becomes lovable & attractive. The beauty of holiness will disarm scoffers... The heart must receive the divine current, & let it flow out in rich streams of mercy & grace to other hearts. All who would win souls to Christ must be winsome. TMK 218
All heaven rejoices at the redemption of the lost race. Christ rejoiced in the secret consciousness of what He purposed to do for man. He desires to do far more abundantly than we are able to ask or think. The fountain of His inexpressible love is inexhaustible, & it flows toward all those who believe in Him. TMK 107
The soul that loves God loves to draw strength from Him by constant communion with Him. When it becomes the habit of the soul to converse with God, the power of the evil one is broken, for Satan cannot abide near the soul that draws nigh unto God. RH Dec. 3, 1889
Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” His words & deportment are so ennobled, so elevated, that it can in truth be said of him, “He is a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” RH Jan. 12, 1886
The followers of Christ are to be the light of the world; but God does not bid them make an effort to shine. He does not approve of any self-satisfied endeavor to display superior goodness. He desires that their souls shall be imbued with the principles of heaven; then, as they come in contact with the world, they will reveal the light that is in them. Their steadfast fidelity in every act of life will be a means of illumination. MH 36
Those who seek to correct others should present the attractions of Jesus. They should talk of his love & compassion, present his example & sacrifice, reveal his Spirit... Let your conversation be with grace, for Christ is listening to the words you speak. Let compassion for one another be blended with all you say, then you will reveal the character of Christ. The manners of Christ were gentle & unassuming. ST Jul. 1 1889
Of the seed that fell into good ground the Saviour said, This “is he that heareth the word, & understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, & bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” “That on the good ground are they, which, in an honest & good heart, having heard the word, keep it, & bring forth fruit with patience.” He has an honest heart who yields to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. He confesses his guilt, & feels his need of the mercy & love of God. CSA 24
The germination of the seed represents the beginning of spiritual life, & the development of the plant is a beautiful figure of Christian growth. As in nature, so in grace; there can be no life without growth. The plant must either grow or die. As its growth is silent & imperceptible, but continuous, so is the development of the Christian life. At every stage of development our life may be perfect; yet if God’s purpose for us is fulfilled, there will be continual advancement. As the plant takes root in the soil, so we are to take deep root in Christ. As the plant receives the sunshine, the dew, & the rain, we are to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit. The work is to be done “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” If we keep our minds stayed upon Christ, He will come unto us “as the rain, as the latter & former rain unto the earth.” By constantly relying upon Christ as our personal Saviour, we shall grow up into Him in all things who is our head. Christ is seeking to reproduce Himself in the hearts of men; & He does this through those who believe in Him. The object of the Christian life is fruit bearing - the reproduction of Christ’s character in the believer, that it may be reproduced in others. COL 65, 67
It is not enough that they are trees in the garden of God. They are to answer His expectation by bearing fruit. CSA 70
As you receive the Spirit of Christ the Spirit of unselfish love & labor for others you will grow & bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your convictions deepen, your love be made perfect. More & more you will reflect the likeness of Christ in all that is pure, noble, & lovely. Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, & Christ would come to gather the precious grain. Christ’s servants are grieved as they see true & false believers mingled in the church. They long to do something to cleanse the church. Like the servants of the householder, they are ready to uproot the tares. But Christ says to them, “Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest.” The tares & the wheat are to grow together until the harvest; & the harvest is the end of probationary time. The teaching of this parable is illustrated in God’s own dealing with men & angels. Satan is a deceiver. When he sinned in heaven, even the loyal angels did not fully discern his character. This was why God did not at once destroy Satan. Had He done so, the holy angels would not have perceived the justice & love of God. A doubt of God’s goodness would have been as evil seed that would yield the bitter fruit of sin & woe. Therefore the author of evil was spared, fully to develop his character. Through long ages God has borne the anguish of beholding the work of evil, He has given the infinite Gift of Calvary, rather than leave any to be deceived by the misrepresentations of the wicked one; for the tares could not be plucked up without danger of uprooting And shall we not be as forbearing toward our fellow men as the Lord of heaven & earth is toward Satan? The Redeemer does not want to lose one soul; His experience with Judas is recorded to show His long patience with perverse human nature; And He bids us bear with it as He has borne. He has said that false brethren will be found in the church till the close of time. the precious grain. COL 67, 69, 71, 72
Be patient with their imperfections, as God is patient with you in your imperfections, bearing with you, watching over you, that you may bring forth fruit unto His glory. CG 185
Wherever there is an impulse of love & sympathy, wherever the heart reaches out to bless & uplift others, there is revealed the working of God’s Holy Spirit. COL 385
Christ is represented by the Holy Spirit; & when this Spirit is appreciated, when those controlled by the Spirit communicate to others the energy with which they are imbued, an invisible chord is touched which electrifies the whole. SW Nov. 28, 1905
Those who have this Spirit are earnest workers together with God... They speak words of solid sense, & from the treasury of the heart bring forth pure, sacred things, after the example of Christ. GW 286-288
Profession is as nothing in the scale. It is character that decides destiny. COL 74
Without the spirit of love, no one can be like Christ. 2T 169
Not by its name, but by its fruit, is the value of a tree determined. DA 107
“As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” He who is united to Christ is accepted in the Beloved. That soul is dear to the heart of God. The benefits of this union will be manifest. The child of God, abiding in Christ, will have the character of Christ. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Wherever a soul is united to Christ, there is love. ...Without love, everything else profiteth nothing; for it cannot possibly represent Christ, who is love. ST Dec. 28, 1891
One branch is not to borrow its sustenance from another. Our life must come from the parent vine. It is only by personal union with Christ, by communion with Him daily, hourly, that we can bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit... Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness, all depend on our union with Christ & the degree of faith we exercise in Him. SD 290
All who are grafted into the parent stock will have a vital union with the living vine. They will love that which Christ loves; their taste will be identical with His. Jesus plainly stated that when we treasure up his words & do them, we give evidence that we have that genuine love which makes us one with the Father... The Spirit of Jesus fills the Christian with His love, His obedience, His joy. ST Dec. 28, 1891
The love of Jesus who can comprehend it? Infinitely more tender & self-denying than a mother’s love! MYP 115
Love is a heavenly attribute. The natural heart cannot originate it. This heavenly plant only flourishes where Christ reigns supreme. SD 49
The divine love emanating from Christ never destroys human love, but includes it... Human love can never bear its precious fruit until it is united with the divine nature & trained to grow heavenward. AH 99
These clusters of Christian graces will grow upon the Christian tree. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” 12MR 295
Paul seeks to impress upon our minds the fact that the foundation of all acceptable service to God, as well as the very crown of the Christian graces, is love; & that only in the soul where love reigns will the peace of God abide. SL 87
No human power can put unselfish love in the heart of man; only Christ can do this. He alone can give heavenly wisdom, & this He does in response to our expressed desire to be led by His pure Spirit. Those who submit their will to the will of God will grow in grace... The fruits of the Spirit will be seen in their life, & the efficiency of the Spirit be seen in their works. RH Jul. 8, 1909
When people respond to the drawing of Christ & view Jesus as the royal Sufferer on the cross of Calvary, they enter into oneness with Christ, they become the elect of God, not by works of their own, but through the grace of Christ; for all their good works are wrought through the power of the Spirit of God. All is of God, & not of themselves... FH 292
The power of Christ alone can work the transformation in heart & mind that all must experience who would partake with him of the new life in the kingdom of God. RH Feb. 24, 1910
Those who have love bear fruit unto holiness, & in the end everlasting life. 7BC 952
There will be no place in the heavenly courts for anything save sympathy & love, kindness & goodness. Mercy, long-suffering, & tender compassion are the attributes of the character of Christ. RH Nov. 30, 1897
In this world we are to shine in good works. The Lord requires His people who handle sacred things to be alone with God, to reflect the principles of heaven in every business transaction, to reflect the light of God’s character, God’s love, as Christ reflected it. [As we look] unto Jesus, all our lives will be aglow with that wondrous light. Every part of us is to be light; then whichever way we turn, light will be reflected from us to others... RC 273
Shall we consider that we are capable of fashioning our lives & characters to enter into the portals of glory? We cannot do it. We are dependent every moment upon the Spirit of God operating upon us & upon our children. SD 32
The religion of Christ in the heart is the wellspring of life. It is the living water that Christ will give to every thirsting soul that asks Him. There are many who keep religion in practice far from the soul temple, & their faith is not in Jesus Christ... The heavenly Guest should be invited to occupy the throne of the soul, to control every impulse of the mind, & to bring even the thoughts into subjection to Jesus Christ... I go to my heavenly Father as a child in need goes to his temporal earthly father. We know that God must be interested in us, as the earthly parent is interested in his child, but to a much larger degree. I place myself as His child, & in simple faith ask for the small favors as I would ask for larger gifts, believing the Lord hears the simple, contrite prayer. I keep saying in my heart, He loves me, He wants my love, & He wants me to be happy. I render thanks unto my heavenly Father for His blessing, after seeking the Lord in prayer... “No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” “For the Lord God is a sun & shield: the Lord will give grace & glory.” “O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.” I will appropriate His promises to myself, & will be glad in the Lord & ever praise His holy name. TMK 143
All need to understand the process of conversion. The fruit is seen in the changed life. The men who humble themselves even as a little child are the men who will be taught by God. The Lord is not dependent on any man’s talents; for He is the Source of all perfect gifts. The very humblest man, if he loves & fears God, is the possessor of heavenly gifts. The Lord can use such a man, because he does not strive to work himself according to his own standard. He works with fear & trembling lest he will spoil the pattern. His life is an expression of the life of Christ. We must constantly cherish meekness & humility, if we would possess the spirit of Christ. Conversion is a work that most do not appreciate. It is not a small matter to transform an earthly, sin-loving mind & bring it to understand the unspeakable love of Christ, the charms of His grace, & the excellency of God, so that the soul shall be imbued with divine love & captivated with the heavenly mysteries. When he understands these things, his former life appears disgusting & hateful. He hates sin, &, breaking his heart before God, he embraces Christ as the life & joy of the soul. He renounces his former pleasures. He has a new mind, new affections, new interest, new will; his sorrows, & desires, & love are all new... Heaven, which once possessed no charms, is now viewed in its riches & glory; & he contemplates it as his future home, where he shall see, love, & praise the One who hath redeemed him by His precious blood. The works of holiness, which appeared wearisome, are now his delight. The Word of God, which was dull & uninteresting, is now chosen as his study, the man of his counsel. It is as a letter written to him from God, bearing the inscription of the Eternal. His thoughts, his words, & his deeds are brought to this rule & tested. He trembles at the commands & threatenings which it contains, while he firmly grasps its promises & strengthens his soul by appropriating them to himself. FLB 138, 139
Many feel that their faults of character make it impossible for them to meet the standard that Christ has erected, but all that such ones have to do is to humble themselves at every step under the mighty hand of God. 2MCP 787
He will work by His Spirit through the mind He has put in man, if man will only give Him a chance to work & will recognize His dealings. 5T 724, 725
Christ is ready to impart all heavenly influences. He knows every temptation that comes to man, & the capabilities of each. The Lord has fullness of grace to bestow on every one that will receive of the heavenly gift. The Holy Spirit will bring the God-entrusted capabilities into Christ's service, & will mold & fashion the human agent according to the divine Pattern. Letter 71, 1893
The Holy Spirit is our efficiency in the work of character building, in forming characters after the divine similitude. When we think ourselves capable of molding our own experience, we make a great mistake. We can never of ourselves obtain the victory over temptation. But those who have genuine faith in Christ will be worked by the Holy Spirit. The soul in whose heart faith abides will grow into a beautiful temple for the Lord. He is directed by the grace of Christ. Just in proportion as he depends on the Holy Spirit's teaching he will grow. The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul. We do not now see Christ & speak to Him, but His Holy Spirit is just as near us in one place as another. It works in & through every one who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of the Spirit reveal the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. TMK 57
In the human heart the seeds of truth are to be sown, that the life may bear the beautiful fruit of the Spirit. God’s impress on the mind is to mold it into graceful symmetry. MYP 211
The lives of those who are connected with God are fragrant with deeds of love & goodness. The sweet savor of Christ surrounds them; their influence is to elevate & bless. RH Aug. 24, 1886
The regenerated man has a vital connection with Christ. As the branch derives its sustenance from the parent stock, &, because of this, bears much fruit, so the true believer, united with Christ, reveals in his life the fruits of the Spirit. The branch becomes one with the vine; storm can not carry it away; frost can not destroy its vital properties. Nothing is able to separate it from the vine. It is a living branch, & it bears the fruit of the vine. So with the believer. By good words & good actions, he reveals the character of Christ. RH Sept. 18, 1900
Mildness, gentleness, forbearance, long-suffering, being not easily provoked, bearing all things, hoping all things, enduring all things - these are the fruit growing upon the precious tree of love, which is of heavenly growth. This tree, if nourished, will prove to be an evergreen. Its branches will not decay, its leaves will not wither. It is immortal, eternal, watered continually by the dews of heaven. 2T 134
Christ is still speaking of the higher cleansing as illustrated by the lower. He who came from the bath was clean, but the sandaled feet soon became dusty, & again needed to be washed. So Peter & his brethren had been washed in the great fountain opened for sin & uncleanness. Christ acknowledged them as His. But temptation had led them into evil, & they still needed His cleansing grace. When Jesus girded Himself with a towel to wash the dust from their feet, He desired by that very act to wash the alienation, jealousy, & pride from their hearts. This was of far more consequence than the washing of their dusty feet. With the spirit they then had, not one of them was prepared for communion with Christ. Until brought into a state of humility & love, they were not prepared to partake of the paschal supper, or to share in the memorial service which Christ was about to institute. Their hearts must be cleansed. Pride & self-seeking create dissension & hatred, but all this Jesus washed away in washing their feet. Looking upon them, Jesus could say, “Ye are clean.” Now there was union of heart, love for one another. A change of feeling was brought about. They had become humble & teachable... None should exclude themselves from the Communion because some who are unworthy may be present. Every disciple is called upon to participate publicly, & thus bear witness of accepting Christ as a personal Saviour. It is at these, His own appointments, that Christ meets His people, & energizes them by His presence. DA 646
Just so surely as they give evidence of the fruits of the Spirit in heart & life & character, souls will be reached & saved. RH Mar. 11, 1909
The words we speak, our daily deportment, are the fruit growing upon the tree... RC 306
The harvest of life is character, & it is this that determines destiny, both for this life & for the life to come. The harvest is a reproduction of the seed sown. Every seed yields fruit after its kind. So it is with the traits of character we cherish. CG 162
John did not teach that salvation was to be earned by obedience; but that obedience was the fruit of faith & love. AA 563
If we have the love of Christ in our souls, as a natural consequence we shall have all the other graces, - “joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance,” & “against such there is no law.” The law of God does not condemn & hold in bondage those who have these graces, because they are obeying the requirements of that law. They are law-keepers, & therefore they are not under the bondage of the law. SW Dec. 4, 1906
These precious graces are but the principles of God’s law carried out in the life. SL 80
Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. It was the same Jesus who commanded that love should be the ruling principle in the old dispensation, that commanded that love should be the ruling principle in the hearts of his followers in the New Testament. The working out of the principle of love is true sanctification. Those who walk in the light will be the children of the light, & will diffuse light to those who are around them in kindness, in affection, in unmistakable love. YI Nov. 8, 1894
Enlightened by His Spirit, the believer sees no virtue or merit in himself. There is naught but deformity. But he beholds Jesus, & the glory of the Redeemer manifested in His atoning sacrifice, & His justifying Righteousness, His fulness of grace, not only to pardon but to sanctify, fills his whole soul with admiration of the holiness & love of God; & in contemplating this goodness & mercy & love, he becomes transformed in character. PrT Dec. 29, 1892
Wherever there is union with Christ there is love. Whatever other fruits we may bear, if love be missing, they profit nothing. Love to God & our neighbor is the very essence of our religion. Purity & love shine forth in the character, meekness & truth control the life. The very expression of the countenance is changed. Christ abiding in the soul exerts a transforming power, & the outward aspect bears witness to the peace & joy that reign within. We drink in the love of Christ, as the branch draws nourishment from the vine. If we are grafted in Christ, if fiber by fiber we have been united with the Living Vine, we shall give evidence of the fact by bearing rich clusters of living fruit. RC 104