O - Quotes
"God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." He requires that order & system be observed in the conduct of church affairs today no less than in the days of old. He desires His work to be carried forward with thoroughness & exactness so that He may place upon it the seal of His approval. Christian is to be united with Christian, church with church, the human instrumentality co-operating with the divine, every agency subordinate to the Holy Spirit, & all combined in giving to the world the good tidings of the grace of God. AA 96
There was order in the church when Christ was on the earth, & after his departure, order was strictly observed among the disciples. And now, in these last days, when God is bringing his children into the unity of the faith, there is more real need of order than ever before; for as God seeks to unite his people, Satan & his angels strive to destroy this unity. RH Feb. 16, 1911
Notwithstanding the fact that Paul was personally taught by God, he was ever ready to recognize the authority vested in the body of believers united in church fellowship. When matters of importance arose, he was glad to unite with his brethren in seeking God for wisdom to make right decisions. TT 106
The unity of believers is to be an evidence to the world of the divine power & mission of Christ. This should be the mighty argument to convince the world that Christ is the Son of God, the Redeemer of fallen man. The love existing between believers is to be similar to the love existing between the Father & the Son. And this love in the soul is the evidence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are to love God supremely, & our neighbors as ourselves. It is in the lack of this love that thousands fail, & are found transgressors of the law. Supreme love for God will lead to love for our fellow-men, &the commandment of Christ is, “Love one another as I have loved you,” …We cannot have this love unless Jesus is abiding in the heart by living faith. … This unity & love will exist wherever the Spirit of the Lord abides; heart will be bound to heart, & works of righteousness will appear in the daily life.
…Love is the fruit of genuine sanctification. A true estimate of man is the thing that is lacking in the hearts of many professed followers of Christ. A confession of love, a profession of friendship, is not enough to meet the divine requirement; there must be deeds of kindness, feelings of tenderness, sincere sympathy & love toward our fellowmen. The fruits we bear will reveal the condition of our hearts, & give evidence of our sanctification through the truth. This sanctification takes in not only our greatest, but our smallest actions. The little things done for Christ’s sake, humble acts of kindness, a cheerful disposition to do others good,—this is confession of Christ… In every little matter of life, in your deportment, in your forbearance, patience, long-suffering, you make known to others whether or not you are abiding in the living Vine… The church is made up of persons of different temperaments & of various dispositions; they have come from different denominations; for the Cleaver of truth has separated one here & one there from the great quarry of the world, & in the church of Christ all these various members must be cemented together by the Spirit of God. If the love of Christ is in the hearts of the members of the church, through the abundant grace of Christ, there will be oneness, unity, among brethren. We must close the door of the heart to every suggestion that shall have the least tendency toward keeping us from this state of harmony. …When we cherish unkind thoughts, & harbor suspicions against our brethren, we are cutting ourselves off from the channel of God’s light & love… Satan rejoices when he can create division in the church of God; for weakness follows, & the things that remain are ready to die. …By purity of character, by forbearance, by the manifestation of unselfish love for others, by the peace & joy of heart, the living witnesses for Christ will be made manifest, & will preach effective sermons of the power of Christ in the soul. Thus will genuine sanctification be displayed. ST Apr. 13 1891
The Christian soldier must act in concert, step in concert, with those who are connected with Him. He must not take offense if every other mind does not run in the same channel with His own. Self-restraint is always needed in order to maintain concerted action. 13LtMs, Ms 56, 1898
My husband said, "This meeting is a very solemn one to me. I have felt the presence of God in a special manner. The Spirit of the Lord may abide upon this assembly & yet no element of fanaticism be here. All things may be done decently & in order, for the worship of God. There is order in Heaven, & there should be order upon the earth, especially in regard to the sacred worship of God. Everything in this connection should be done with solemnity & to edification. RH May 25, 1876
The service of Jesus does not consist in outward show simply. It is not a matter of form & ceremonies, of parade, exclamation, gestures, noise, & a display of the commonplace passions. Pure religion consists in keeping the heart & mind in communion with the great Leader, Jesus Christ. It consists in having the inward adorning of a meek & quiet spirit. The indwelling Holy Spirit will give life & tone & style that will not be after the inventions of men, not in imitation of any earthly, human leader, but after the Pattern, Christ…. The religion of Jesus Christ is ever to be distinguished from all other religions by its holiness of character. …Every part of the service of Christ will be characterized by decorum & reverence. The truth of Christ cannot be confined to a certain range, yet it will be active to create for its environment, manners & habits & practices that will be in harmony with its Author. Everything will be done decently & in order. Wild methods & strange freaks & confusion are not authorized by the God of order. ST Aug. 27, 1894
The Lord is dishonored with anything that is done in connection with his service, in a lax, slipshod manner. RH Sept. 25, 1894
Heaven & holy angels are working to unite, to bring into the unity of the faith, into the one body. Satan opposes this & is determined to scatter & divide & bring different sentiments, that the prayer of Christ may not be answered: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, & I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” Jesus designed that the faith of His people should be one. If one goes forth preaching one thing, & another differing with him preaches something else, how can those who believe “through their word” be one? There will be difference of sentiments. T1 326-327
Angels work harmoniously. Perfect order characterizes all their movements. The more closely we imitate the harmony & order of the angelic host, the more successful will be the efforts of these heavenly agents in our behalf. If we see no necessity for harmonious action, & are disorderly, undisciplined, & disorganized in our course of action, angels, who are thoroughly organized & move in perfect harmony, cannot work for us successfully. ...Those who have the unction from on high will in all their efforts encourage order, discipline, & union of action, & then the angels of God can co-operate with them. ...Satan well knows that success can only attend order & harmonious action. He well knows that everything connected [with] heaven is in perfect order, that subjection & thorough discipline mark movements of the angelic host. It is his studied effort to lead professed Christians just as far from Heaven’s arrangement as he can; therefore he deceives even the professed people of God, & makes them believe that order & discipline are enemies to spirituality; that the only safety for them is to let each pursue his own course & to remain especially distinct from bodies of Christians who are united, & are laboring to establish discipline & harmony of action. ...I was shown that it is Satan’s special work to lead men to feel that it is God’s order for them to strike out for themselves & choose their own course, independent of their brethren. T1 649-650
The things you have described ... the Lord has shown me would take place just before the close of probation. Every uncouth thing will be demonstrated. There will be shouting, with drums, music, & dancing. The senses of rational beings will become so confused that they cannot be trusted to make right decisions. And this is called the moving of the Holy Spirit. Mar 234
In the character of Christ there was no discord of any kind. And this must be our experience. Our lives must be controlled by the principles that controlled His life. Hvn 91
God is not glorified by those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light being untidy, careless, & slovenly. We want to copy the heavenly Pattern as far as order & neatness are concerned, &, if heaven is desirable & attractive, I want that my premises shall be attractive in their simplicity & order. We all need to consider that thoroughness, neatness, & order should prevail among those who love & fear God, for in this we are recommending our faith. TDG 331
It is of great importance in the work of character building that students who attend our colleges be taught to take up the work that is appointed them, throwing off all inclination to sloth. They need to become familiar with the duties of daily life. They should be taught to do their domestic duties thoroughly & well, with as little noise &confusion as possible. Everything should be done decently & in order. The kitchen & all other parts of the building should be kept sweet & clean. Books should be laid aside till their proper season, & no more study should be taken than can be attended to without neglecting the household duties. The study of books is not to engross the mind to the neglect of home duties upon which the comfort of the family depends. AH 88
In no case should women nurses give treatment or massage & packs to men, or men to women. Let everything in the bathroom be done decently & in order. 14LtMs, Ms 185, 1899
Amid the scenes of daily life, character is developed & made manifest. But wherever Christlike religion is manifested, it will work a blessing, & every detail of life will be made fragrant by the influence of the divine Spirit. RH Oct. 8, 1895
The Lord requires all who enter his service to be consecrated & converted daily, as vessels unto honor. Simplicity will be their true eloquence. The heart that is under the molding of the Spirit of truth is full of holy sentiments. It possesses the meekness & lowliness of Christ, & a veneration for the pure, the merciful, the upright, who possess sterling integrity, combined with the most tender sympathy for humanity. Such a one places true goodness before greatness. He has a mental culture that is in harmony with the character of Christ. Such a man will possess eloquence that is of a superior order. RH Mar. 22, 1898
The man who loves God meditates on the law of God day & night. He is instant in season & out of season. He bears the fruit of a branch vitally connected with the Vine. As he has opportunity, he does good; & everywhere, at all times & in all places, he finds opportunity to work for God. He is one of the Lord’s evergreen trees; & he carries fragrance with him wherever he goes. A wholesome atmosphere surrounds his soul. The beauty of his well-ordered life & godly conversation inspires faith & hope & courage in others. This is Christianity in practice. Seek to be an evergreen tree. ML 50
If you draw close to Jesus…If you will only watch, continually watch unto prayer, if you will do everything as if you were in the immediate presence of God, you will be saved from yielding to temptation, & may hope to be kept pure, spotless, & undefiled till the last. If you hold the beginning of your confidence firm unto the end, your ways will be established in God, & what grace has begun, glory will crown in the kingdom of our God. GW 128
“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
When we see those who profess Christianity manifesting the old carnal desires in word & action, we may know that they are not in Christ, that the transforming grace of Christ has not touched the soul, molded the character, & cleansed the defilement of the heart.... LHU 238
When a man is converted to God, a new moral taste is supplied, a new motive power is given, & he loves the things that God loves; for his life is bound up by the golden chain of the immutable promises to the life of Jesus. Love, joy, peace, & inexpressible gratitude will pervade the soul, & the language of him who is blessed will be, “Thy gentleness hath made me great” (Psalm 18:35). YRP 64
The power of God is working, like the leaven, to subdue the entire being. Even the thoughts are brought into captivity to the will of Christ. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.” As the leaven, though hidden in the flour, & deposited only in one place, brings all surrounding it under the leavening process, so the working of truth continues secretly, silently, steadily, to pervade all the faculties of the soul. And there is sure to follow a holy influence. A consistency will run through the whole life, showing it to be a work of the heart. RH Sept. 21, 1897
So spiritual is the character of God’s work upon the human heart that receives it that it makes every one a new creature without destroying or weakening any capability God has given to man. It purifies every attribute fit for connection with the divine nature. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit, & when man is born from above, a heavenly peace pervades the soul. 1MCP 14
All who have a sense of their deep soul poverty, who feel that they have nothing good in themselves, may find righteousness & strength by looking unto Jesus. The Lord can do nothing toward the recovery of man until, convinced of his own weakness, & stripped of all self-sufficiency, he yields himself to the control of God. Then he can receive the gift that God is waiting to bestow. From the soul that feels his need, nothing is withheld. He has unrestricted access to Him in whom all fullness dwells. FLB 136
Let none, then, regard their defects as incurable. God will give faith & grace to overcome them. GC 489
When sin struggles for the mastery in your soul, & burdens the conscience, look to the Saviour. His grace is sufficient to subdue sin. Let your grateful heart, trembling with uncertainty, turn to Him. Lay hold on the hope set before you. Christ waits to adopt you into His family. His strength will help your weakness; He will lead you step by step. Place your hand in His, & let Him guide you. Never feel that Christ is far away. He is always near. His loving presence surrounds you. Seek Him as One who desires to be found of you. He desires you not only to touch His garments, but to walk with Him in constant communion. MH 85
2The Lord knows the thoughts & purposes of man, & how easily He can melt us! How His Spirit, like a fire, can subdue the flinty heart! How He can fill the soul with love & tenderness! How He can give us the graces of His Holy Spirit, & fit us to go in & out, in laboring for souls! CS 189
Who is sufficient for these things? "My grace is sufficient for thee" is the assurance of the Great Teacher. If you leave Him out of the question, seeking not His aid, hopeless indeed is your task. But in His wisdom & strength you may nobly succeed. CT 167
"My grace is sufficient for thee" …Catch the inspiration of the words, & never, never talk doubt & unbelief. Be energetic. There is no half-&-half service in pure & undefiled religion. CT 359
Of our own selves we can do nothing; but through Christ we can do all things. ...It is our privilege at all times to draw strength & encouragement from His blessed promise, "My grace is sufficient for you." Ev 98
Every one who seeks to do well in his own finite strength, will find his efforts a failure; but those who accept Christ by faith, will find Him a personal Saviour. 1If you have failed at any time, falling into temptation, it is because you did not make God your strength, because you did not have the faith that works by love & purifies the soul. FE 292-294
“Abundant grace has been provided that the believing soul may be kept free from sin.” TR 48
The religion of Christ is not what many think it is, nor what their lives represent it to be. ...When he sees a weakness in his character, it is not enough to confess it again & again; he must go to work with determination & energy to overcome his defects by building up opposite traits of character. He will not shun this work because it is difficult. Untiring energy is required of the Christian; but he is not obliged to work in his own strength; divine power awaits his demand. Every one who is sincerely striving for the victory over self, will appropriate the promise, "My grace is sufficient for thee." Through personal effort, joined with the prayer of faith, the soul is trained. Day by day the character grows into the likeness of Christ, & finally, instead of being the sport of circumstances, instead of indulging selfishness, & being carried away by light & trifling conversation, the man is master of his thoughts & words. It may cost a severe conflict to overcome habits which have been long indulged, but we may triumph through the grace of Christ. "By their fruits ye shall know them" is his own standard of judging character. GW92 420
Our great Teacher, in His lessons to erring, fallen man, presents the life-giving power of His grace, declaring that through this grace men & women may live the new life of holiness & purity. YRP 70
It is the atmosphere of grace which surrounds the soul of the believer, the Holy Spirit working upon mind & heart, which makes him a savor of life unto life & enables God to bless his work. MTC 118
While the Lord has not promised His people exemption from trials, He has promised that which is far better. He has said, “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” If you are called to go through the fiery furnace for His sake, Jesus will be by your side even as He was with the faithful three in Babylon. Those who love their Redeemer will rejoice at every opportunity of sharing with Him humiliation & reproach. The love they bear their Lord makes suffering for His sake sweet. MB 30
What wonderful lessons we shall learn as the result of depending constantly on the sufficiency of Christ. He who is learning these lessons need not depend on another's experience. He has the witness in himself, & his experience is the actual knowledge that Christ is all-sufficient, faithful, & powerful. HP 297
No man who has the true ideal of what constitutes a perfect character will fail to manifest the sympathy & tenderness of Christ. The influence of grace is to soften the heart, to refine & purify the feelings, giving a heaven-born delicacy & sense of propriety. MB 135
The cause of division or discord in the church is separation from Christ. The secret of unity is union with Christ. Christ is the great Center. We shall approach one another just in proportion as we approach the Center. United with Christ, we shall surely be united with our brethren in the faith. 15MR 301
Not only will we reveal the fact that we love God, but will, in accordance with His holy character, live a pure, perfect life. OFC 287
The character of Christ is without spot or stain, & we should be like our Lord. …Do we retaliate when others injure us? Jesus did not; when he was reviled, he reviled not again. RH Jan. 26, 1891
He asks, Will they represent My character? …Those whom I will acknowledge in the courts of heaven must be without spot & wrinkle. 7BC 969
There is no excuse for sinning. A holy temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child of God. FLB 44
Repentance is one of the first fruits of saving grace. YRP 70
True repentance is more than sorrow for sin. It is a resolute turning away from evil. PP 557
Repentance is an intense hatred of sin in all its forms. BEcho Nov. 5, 1894
True repentance is a sorrow for sins committed, & forsaking a sinful life by turning to the Lord with full purpose of heart. ST Jan. 27, 1876
repentance is a daily, continued exercise, lasting until mortality is swallowed up of life. ST Nov. 26, 1894
We have a serious, solemn work to do for ourselves to cleanse our own souls from spot & stain if we will stand before the Son of man when He shall appear, acquitted of Him. …To cut loose from every one who errs & does not follow our own ideas is not doing as Christ is doing for us. We are all fallible, & we need pity, forbearance, kindly consideration, & sympathetic love for those with whom we are connected. We are all unworthy of the love & confidence of God. TMK 186
No one can be omnipotent, but all can cleanse themselves from filthiness of the flesh & spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. God requires every soul to be pure & holy. Now that you have given yourself to Jesus, do not draw back, do not take yourself away from Him, but day by day say, “I am Christ’s; I have given myself to Him;” & ask Him to give you His Spirit, & keep you by His grace. Some seem to feel that they must be on probation, & must prove to the Lord that they are reformed, before they can claim His blessing. But they may claim the blessing of God even now. They must have His grace, the Spirit of Christ, to help their infirmities, or they cannot resist evil. FLB 140-141
It is the grace that Christ implants in the soul that creates the enmity against Satan. Without this grace, man would continue the captive of Satan, a servant ever ready to do his bidding. The new principle in the soul creates conflict where hitherto had been peace. The power which Christ imparts, enables man to resist the tyrant & usurper. Whenever a man is seen to abhor sin instead of loving it, when he resists & conquers those passions that have held sway within, there is seen the operation of a principle wholly from above. The Holy Spirit must be constantly imparted to man, or he has no disposition to contend against the powers of darkness. TMK 16
The honored of the world, the so-called great & wise men, could not comprehend the character of Christ. But to fishermen & publicans it had been given to see the Invisible. From time to time, as they surrendered to the Holy Spirit’s power, the disciples’ minds were illuminated. They realized that the mighty God, clad in the garb of humanity, was among them. Often as He had presented the Old Testament Scriptures, & showed their application to Himself, they had been lifted into a heavenly atmosphere. HLv 333
As your soul yearns after God, you will find more & still more of the unsearchable riches of His grace. As you contemplate these riches you will come into possession of them & will reveal the merits of the Saviour’s sacrifice, the protection of His righteousness, the fullness of His wisdom, & His power to present you before the Father “without spot, & blameless.” 2 Peter 3:14. AA 567
Those who are workers together with God will just as surely represent the character of Christ as Christ represented the character of His Father while in this world. MM 24
All that makes men manly or women womanly is reflected from the character of Christ. MYP 394
There is a great work to be done for many of us. Our minds & characters must become as the mind & character of Christ. HS 138
Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. LDE 39