C - Spirit of Prophecy
A loving, lovable Christian is the most powerful argument in favor of the truth. Have your heart saturated with the holy oil that is emptied from the two olive trees. We want that oil emptied from the olive trees into our hearts every day. Then our tongues will speak forth the praise of our God. Looking unto Jesus, catching the light of His countenance, the light of His righteousness, we can turn deformity & sullenness & our many words of speech, into sound words, & our deformity of character will be removed. 21MR 25
As the dew & the still showers fall upon the withering plants, so let words fall gently when seeking to win men from error. God’s plan is first to reach the heart. We are to speak the truth in love, trusting in Him to give it power for the reforming of the life. The Holy Spirit will apply to the soul the word that is spoken in love. GW 507
Many might be kept from sinful influences if they were surrounded with good associations & had words of kindness & love spoken to them. 4T 364
Love should be seen in the looks & manners & heard in the tones of the voice. ML 84
Love illuminates the countenance & subdues the voice; it refines & elevates the entire man. AH 426
The voice & tongue are gifts from God, & if rightly used, they are a power for God. Words mean very much. They may express love, devotion, praise, melody to God, or hatred & revenge. Words reveal the sentiments of the heart. MS 40, 1896
Every word should be guarded, for we are responsible to God to represent in our lives as far as possible the character of Christ. CG 483
Only by the Lord’s help can we bring our thoughts & words into subjection to the will of Christ. RH Oct. 29, 1901
Let us use the talent of speech aright, speaking only words that will bless & strengthen those who hear. Let us crucify self, that in our hearts may grow up a strong love for Christ & for one another. Believers must bring into their lives a stronger love for one another, a growing interest in one another. 10MR 143
The Lord desires His children to esteem one another as the purchase of the blood of Christ. When they do this they will know what it means to sit together in heavenly places in Christ. Our lips need to be sanctified with a live coal from the altar of God. Then we shall speak words that are elevating, refining, ennobling, words that are filled with the fragrance of Christ’s righteousness, words that are a savor of life unto life. HP 321
The character of Christ was one of unexampled excellence, embracing everything pure, true, lovely, & of good report. We have no knowledge of His ever visiting a party of pleasure or a dance hall, & yet He was the perfection of grace & courtly bearing. Christ was no novice; He was distinguished for the high intellectual powers He possessed even in the morning of His life. Jesus was sinless & had no dread of the consequences of sin. With this exception His condition was as yours. You have not a difficulty that did not press with equal weight upon Him, not a sorrow that His heart has not experienced. His feelings could be hurt with neglect, with indifference of professed friends, as easily as yours. Is your path thorny? Christ’s was so in a tenfold sense. Are you distressed? So was He. How well fitted was Christ to be an example! OHC 59
We have a work to do to resist temptation. Those who would not fall a prey to Satan’s devices must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. 1MCP 107
Our meditations should be such as will elevate the mind. “Whatsoever things are true, ...honest, ...just, ...pure, ...lovely, ...of good report; if there be any virtue, & if there be any praise, think on these things.” Here is a wide field in which the mind can safely range. If Satan seeks to turn it to low & sensual things, bring it back. When corrupt imaginings seek to gain possession of your mind, flee to the throne of grace, & pray for strength from heaven. By the grace of Christ it is possible for us to reject impure thoughts. Jesus will attract the mind, purify the thoughts, & cleanse the heart from every secret sin. CTBH 136
This will require earnest prayer & unceasing watchfulness. We must be aided by the abiding influence of the Holy Spirit, which will attract the mind upward, & habituate it to dwell on pure & holy things. And we must give diligent study to the Word of God. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy Word. “Thy Word,” says the psalmist, “have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” PP 460
As God works upon the heart by His Holy Spirit, man must cooperate with Him. The thoughts must be bound about, restricted, withdrawn from branching out & contemplating things that will only weaken & defile the soul. The thoughts must be pure, the meditations of the heart must be clean, if the words of the mouth are to be words acceptable to heaven, & helpful to your associates. 2MCP 657
He has prepared this living habitation for the mind; it is “curiously wrought,” a temple which the Lord Himself has fitted up for the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. The mind controls the whole man. All our actions, good or bad, have their source in the mind. It is the mind that worships God & allies us to heavenly beings. FE 425
The Holy Spirit represents Jesus Christ. He is our refuge unto whom we can run & be safe. He is always present with the human agent. 19MR 324
We need a constant sense of the ennobling power of pure thoughts. The only security for any soul is right thinking. As a man “thinketh in his heart, so is he.” The power of self-restraint strengthens by exercise. That which at first seems difficult, by constant repetition grows easy, until right thoughts & actions become habitual. If we will we may turn away from all that is cheap & inferior & rise to a high standard; we may be respected by men & beloved of God. MH 491
God bids us fill the mind with great thoughts, pure thoughts. He desires us to meditate upon His love & mercy, to study His wonderful work in the great plan of redemption. Then clearer & still clearer will be our perception of truth, higher, holier, our desire for purity of heart & clearness of thought. CSA 24
Nothing should be permitted to interrupt our communion with God. If corrupt thoughts are entertained, they will lead to corrupt actions... Every worker for God should be pure in thought. RH Feb. 24, 1891
Our bodies are built up from what we eat & drink, & the character of our spiritual experience depends on what our minds feed upon & assimilate. 2MCP 635
The mind should not be left to wander at random upon every subject that the adversary of souls may suggest. 1MCP 107
We have each of us an individual work to do, to gird up the loins of our minds, to be sober, to watch unto prayer. The mind must be firmly controlled to dwell upon subjects that will strengthen the moral powers. YRP 52
If we keep uppermost in our minds the unkind & unjust acts of others, we shall find it impossible to love them as Christ has loved us; but if our thoughts dwell upon the wondrous love & pity of Christ for us, the same spirit will flow out to others. We should love & respect one another, notwithstanding the faults & imperfections that we cannot help seeing. Humility & self-distrust should be cultivated, & a patient tenderness with the faults of others. This will kill out all narrowing selfishness & make us largehearted & generous. SC 121
We need to be constantly filling the mind with Christ & emptying it of selfishness & sin.... Just as surely as you empty your mind of vanity & frivolity, the vacuum will be supplied with that which God is waiting to give you - His Holy Spirit. Then out of the good treasure of the heart you will bring forth good things, rich gems of thought, & others will catch the words... Your thoughts & affections will dwell upon Christ. RH Mar. 15, 1892
Constant war against the carnal mind must be maintained; & we must be aided by the refining influence of the grace of God, which will attract the mind upward & habituate it to meditate upon pure & holy things. 2T 479
Professed Christians keep altogether too near the lowlands of earth. 6BC 1097
The minds of many take so low a level that God cannot work for them or with them. The current of thought must be changed, the moral sensibilities must be aroused to feel the claims of God. The sum & substance of true religion is to own & continually acknowledge - by words, by dress, by deportment - our relationship to God. Humility should take the place of pride; sobriety, of levity; & devotion, of irreligion & careless indifference. 2MCP 786
When God’s people take their eyes off the things of this world & place them on heaven & heavenly things they will be a peculiar people, because they will see the mercy & goodness & compassion that God has shown to the children of men. His love will call forth a response from them, & their lives will show to those around them that the Spirit of God is controlling them, that they are setting their affections on things above, not on the things of the earth. In thinking of heaven, we may put our imagination to the utmost stretch & think the loftiest thoughts that we are capable of thinking, & our minds will grow weary in the effort to comprehend the breadth & depth & height of the subject. It is impossible for our minds to take in the great themes of eternity. It is impossible for us even to make an effort to understand these things without the effort affecting our whole character for good & having an uplifting influence on our minds. Mar 322
Here the eye of faith is directed to God, to look to the unseen, not upon the things that are now apparent. Faith lives in expectation of a future good; it discerns inexpressible advantages in the heavenly gift. The hope of the future life is an essential part of our Christian faith. When we allow worldly attractions to come in between the soul & God, the world is all we can discern.... Look up higher, fix the eye of faith upon things unseen, & you will become strong in the divine strength. Our faith increases by beholding Jesus, who is the center of all that is attractive & lovely. The more we contemplate the heavenly, the less we see desirable & attractive in the earthly. The more continually we fix the eye of faith on Christ, in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered, the more our faith grows; our hope strengthens, our love becomes more intense & fervent, with the clearness of our spiritual insight, & our spiritual intelligence increases. The more we behold Christ, talk of His merits, & tell of His power, the more fully we shall reflect His image in our own characters & the less we shall submit our minds & affections to the paralyzing influences of the world. The more our minds dwell upon Jesus, the less they will be enveloped in the fog of doubt, & the more easily shall we lay all our trials, all our burdens, upon the Burden Bearer... HP 127
Let none imagine that without earnest effort on their part they can obtain the assurance of God’s love. When the mind has been long permitted to dwell only on earthly things, it is a difficult matter to change the habits of thought. That which the eye sees & the ear hears too often attracts the attention & absorbs the interest. MYP 113
If you have accepted Christ as a personal Saviour, you are to forget yourself, & try to help others. Talk of the love of Christ, tell of His goodness. COL 67
My brother, my sister, is your soul in the love of God? Many of you have a twilight perception of Christ’s excellence, & your soul thrills with joy. You long for a fuller, deeper sense of the Saviour’s love. You long to entwine your affections about him more closely. You are unsatisfied. But do not despair. Give to Jesus the heart’s best & holiest affections. Treasure every ray of light. Cherish every desire of the soul after God. Give yourselves the culture of spiritual thoughts & holy communings. Make haste to obtain a fitness for the mansions which Christ has gone to prepare for all that love him. The day is far spent, the night is at hand. Make haste to ripen for Heaven. Without purity & holiness of heart, we cannot win the crown of immortal glory. RH May 30, 1882
Although there is iniquity all around us, we should not approach it. Do not talk of the iniquity & wickedness that are in the world but elevate your minds & talk of your Saviour. 2MCP 582
In converse with God & in happy contemplation of heavenly things the soul is preparing for heaven & laboring to gather other souls into the fold of Christ. Our Saviour is able & willing to do for us more than we can ask or even think. 5T 49
Our consecration to God must be a living principle, interwoven with the life, & leading to self-denial & self-sacrifice. It must underlie all our thoughts & be the spring of every action. This will elevate us above the world, & separate us from its polluting influence. TDG 94
By faith look upon the crowns laid up for those who shall overcome; listen to the exultant song of the redeemed, Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain & hast redeemed us to God! Endeavor to regard these scenes as real. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, in his terrible conflict with principalities & powers, & spiritual wickedness in high places, exclaimed, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, & the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” The Saviour of the world was revealed to him as looking down from heaven upon him with the deepest interest; & the glorious light of Christ’s countenance shone upon Stephen with such brightness that even his enemies saw his face shine like the face of an angel. If we would permit our minds to dwell more upon Christ & the heavenly world, we should find a powerful stimulus & support in fighting the battles of the Lord. Pride & love of the world will lose their power as we contemplate the glories of that better land so soon to be our home. Beside the loveliness of Christ, all earthly attractions will seem of little worth. MYP 113
All our actions are affected by our religious experience, & if this experience is founded on God & we understand the mysteries of godliness, if we are daily receiving of the power of the world to come, & hold communion with God, & have the fellowship of the Spirit, if we are each day holding with a firmer grasp the higher life, & drawing closer & still closer to the bleeding side of the Redeemer, we shall have inwrought in us principles that are holy & elevating. Then it will be as natural for us to seek purity & holiness & separation from the world, as it is for the angels of glory to execute the mission of love assigned them in saving mortals from the corrupting influence of the world. Will this separation from the world in obedience to the divine command, unfit us for doing the work the Lord has left us? Will it hinder us from doing good to those around us? No; the firmer hold we have on heaven, the greater will be our power of usefulness in the world. TDG 94
Enoch kept the Lord ever before him, & the Inspired Word says that he “walked with God.” He made Christ his constant companion. He was in the world, & performed his duties to the world; but he was ever under the influence of Jesus. He reflected Christ’s character, exhibiting the same qualities of goodness, mercy, tender compassion, sympathy, forbearance, meekness, humility, & love. His association with Christ day by day transformed him into the image of Him with whom he was so intimately connected. Day by day he was growing away from his own way into Christ’s way, the heavenly, the divine, in his thoughts & feelings. He was constantly inquiring, Is this the way of the Lord? His was a constant growth, & he had fellowship with the Father & the Son. This is genuine sanctification. RH Apr. 28, 1891
The fruits of righteousness appear when the soul lives to fulfil his solemn vow to God. It is the duty of every believer to fulfil faithfully his baptismal vows. If earnest perseverance & diligence are needed in order to attain success in temporal matters, how much more important that we make earnest efforts to obtain the heavenly treasure! Bear in mind that they are addressed who have been buried by baptism in the name of the Father & the Son & the Holy Ghost. If you will ever remember that you are dead to worldly interests & attractions, & have risen to seek those things which are above, these heavenly powers are pledged to give you power to walk with Him in newness of life. AUCR Oct. 7, 1907
After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the disciples went forth to proclaim a risen Saviour, their one desire the salvation of souls. They rejoiced in the sweetness of communion with saints. They were tender, thoughtful, self-denying, willing to make any sacrifice for the truth’s sake. In their daily association with one another they revealed the love that Christ had commanded them to reveal. By unselfish words & deeds they strove to kindle this love in other hearts. RH Feb. 25, 1904
Heart-work reveals itself in actions. Those who appreciate truth & righteousness will show their zeal by their efforts to give the light to others. Those who are chosen vessels must reflect the character of Christ. Through these the grace of Christ from the river of the water of life flows in rich, pure streams, enabling them to bless all with whom they come in contact. God calls upon every true worker to be an ambassador of love. RH Apr. 12, 1898
Those who are of the household of faith should never neglect the assembling of themselves together; for this is God's appointed means of leading His children into unity, in order that in Christian love & fellowship they may help, strengthen, & encourage one another. My brethren & sisters, if you would come together for prayer-meetings, if, after confession of sin & humiliation of soul, you would have a love-feast, every heart filled with true love for his brethren, you would see the salvation of God. BTS Feb. 1, 1910
Make earnest & determined efforts to be to every meeting possible. The divine direction is, Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is, but so much the more as you see the day approaching. You are to be found among the little few who meet to worship God; the help of every soul who loves the truth is needed to bear testimony of the truth... Every jot of influence from Christ’s soldiers is now called for on the Lord’s side. Where two or three are assembled together in my name, there am I in the midst & that to bless. Then if we allow ourselves to be hindered by supposed excuses, the enemy will have a hand in creating circumstances so that we shall not be present where Jesus meets to bless His worshipers. We must not be careless & negligent in exercising faith, in maintaining a principle to be in the assembly of the saints & be the Lord’s witnesses & have a testimony to bear that is uplifting, full of courage & hope & victory. 7Lt Ms Lt 37 1891
If brethren would meet together once or twice a week, & with humble minds, feeling their weakness & realizing their defects, would then ask the Lord to enlighten their understanding & fill their hearts with His love, examining not one another, but the Scriptures, Satan would be defeated. 11MR 261
...see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently... 1 Peter 1:22
The ability to give a reason for our faith is a good accomplishment, but if the truth does not go deeper than this, the soul will never be saved. The heart must be purified from all moral defilement. OHC 142
“God is love: & he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, & God in him.” Unless love is cherished in the soul, & that continually, Christ does not abide in the heart... The heart that is filled with the grace of Christ will be made manifest by its peace & joy; & where Christ abides, the character will become purified, elevated, ennobled, & glorified. YI Nov. 8, 1894
Love cannot live without action, & every act increases, strengthens, & extends it. Love will gain the victory when argument & authority are powerless. It is diffusive in its nature & quiet in its operation, yet strong & mighty in its purpose to overcome great evils. It is melting & transforming in its influence, & will take hold of the lives of the sinful & affect their hearts when every other means has proved unsuccessful. Jesus was the Prince of Peace. He came into the world to bring resistance & authority into subjection to Himself. Wisdom & strength He could command, but the means He employed with which to overcome evil were the wisdom & strength of love. Pure love is simple in its operations, & is distinct from any other principle of action. 2T 135-136
If the Spirit of God is received into the heart, it will mold the character into forms of beauty; it will give a loveliness of disposition that will identify the receiver with Jesus. RH Jan. 13, 1891
Christ has shown His great love for us by giving His life that we should not perish in our sins, that He might clothe us with His salvation. If this divine love is cherished in our hearts, it cements & strengthens our union with those of like faith. “He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, & God in him.” The strengthening of our love for our brethren & sisters strengthens our love for Christ. This principle of love for God & for those for whom Christ died, needs to be quickened by the Holy Spirit & cemented with brotherly kindness, tenderness; it needs to be strengthened by acts which testify that God is love. This union, which joins heart with heart, is not the result of sentimentalism, but the working of a healthful principle. Faith works by love, & purifies the soul from all selfishness. Thus the soul is perfected in love. And having found grace & mercy through Christ’s precious blood, how can we fail to be tender & merciful? HP 110
Benevolence is one precious trait of character which needs to be cultivated & strengthened by continual exercise. RH Oct. 31, 1878
Men who live & work for God will possess patience, humility, & meekness, coupled with a reverent, sacred dignity, reflected from the character of Christ. They will manifest simplicity & tenderness, propriety of conduct, & purity of motive & action, which are not earth-born. The Spirit of the Holy One dwells in their hearts, & directs their conduct. And the Divine Presence within, shining forth in the life & character, gives them influence with their fellow-men. This sacred presence must be an abiding power with all who work for God, or he will not accept their labors. ST Oct. 14, 1880
No one of us can in our own strength represent the character of Christ; but if Jesus lives in the heart, the spirit dwelling in him will be revealed in us; all our lack will be supplied. ST Jan. 4, 1883
Only when selfishness is dead, when strife for the supremacy is banished, when gratitude fills the heart, & love makes fragrant the life, - it is only then that Christ is abiding in the soul, & we are recognized as laborers together with God. COL 402
The character of the Christian is to be a reproduction of the character of Christ. The same love, the same grace, the same unselfish benevolence, seen in his life, is to characterize the lives of his followers. RH Apr. 18, 1912
Righteousness is holiness, likeness to God, & “God is love.” It is conformity to the law of God, for “all thy commandments are righteousness” & “love is the fulfilling of the law.” Righteousness is love, & love is the light & the life of God. We receive righteousness by receiving Him. Not by painful struggles or wearisome toil, not by gift or sacrifice, is righteousness obtained; but it is freely given to every soul who hungers & thirsts to receive it. No human agent can supply that which will satisfy the hunger & thirst of the soul. But Jesus says,... “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; & he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” The more we know of God, the higher will be our ideal of character & the more earnest our longing to reflect His likeness. A divine element combines with the human when the soul reaches out after God & the longing heart can say, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” The continual cry of the heart is, “More of Thee,” & ever the Spirit’s answer is, “Much more.” All may come to Him, & receive of His fullness. FLB 109
“Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write… “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” …they neglected to cherish Christ’s compassion & tenderness. Self, as manifested in hereditary traits of character, spoiled the principles of the grand, good works that identified the members of the Ephesus church as Christians. The Lord Jesus must needs show them that they had lost that which was everything to them. 7BC 956
O that all would look to Jesus & find in him all that precious love & affection which they fail to find in any human being!... But in Christ discontent will be healed by immeasurable love. The soul can find satisfaction in Christ. Jesus says, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, & drink.” Our hearts are melted by contemplating his great love in giving us Jesus, his priceless gift. We receive Jesus, as we appreciate the love of God. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” RH Jun. 4, 1895
He who “bore our griefs & carried our sorrows” has an interest in us. His mercy is over all the children of men. His goodness & love are inexhaustible. His work in our behalf never ceases. And in life & character the Christian is bound up with Christ in His plans of mercy for humanity. His character is to be a reproduction of the character of Christ. The unselfish, self-sacrificing life of Jesus is to be copied by every soul who loves the Redeemer. PUR Jul. 14, 1904
Oh, that all could look on Jesus, & learn what is love! Purity & divine compassion shine forth in his character. ST Aug. 10, 1891
“God is love” is written upon every soul who will receive the superscription. Jesus, the Majesty of heaven will unite all souls to Himself who will permit Him to bind them to His great heart of infinite love. 10LtMs Lt 92 1895
The officers who were sent to Jesus came back with the report that never man spoke as He spoke. But the reason for this was that never man lived as He lived. Had His life been other than it was, He could not have spoken as He did. His words bore with them a convincing power, because they came from a heart pure & holy, full of love & sympathy, benevolence & truth. It is our own character & experience that determine our influence upon others. In order to convince others of the power of Christ’s grace, we must know its power in our own hearts & lives. The gospel we present for the saving of souls must be the gospel by which our own souls are saved. Only through a living faith in Christ as a personal Saviour is it possible to make our influence felt in a skeptical world. If we would draw sinners out of the swift-running current, our own feet must be firmly set upon the Rock, Christ Jesus. By the power of His grace manifested in the transformation of character the world is to be convinced that God has sent His Son as its Redeemer. No other influence that can surround the human soul has such power as the influence of an unselfish life. The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving & lovable Christian. HDL 7, 8