"AS A LITTLE CHILD"

The Father and His children

1 — GOD'S LOVE FOR HIS CHILDREN

Oh, how God loves His children! We will wonder at the vastness of this love through all eternity. That He would stoop down and take us by the hand—and lift us up and transform us. Thank God for His Inexpressible Gift: Jesus Christ.

"It was not enough for the disciples of Jesus to be instructed as to the nature of His kingdom. What they needed was a change of heart that would bring them into harmony with its principles. Calling a little child to Him, Jesus set him in the midst of them; then tenderly folding the little one in His arms He said, 'Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.' The simplicity, the self-forgetfulness, and the confiding love of a little child are the attributes that Heaven values. These are the characteristics of real greatness." Desire of Ages, 437.

"When we cease to worry about the future, and begin to believe that God loves us, and means to do us good, we shall trust Him as a child trusts a loving parent. Then our troubles and torments will disappear, and our will, will be swallowed up in the will of God.

"Through an abiding Christ you will become Christlike in character. The Lord desires you to stand by His side, as a kind, patient, humble son of God." Sons and Daughters of God, 193.

"In that ancient ritual which is the gospel in symbol, no blemished offering could be brought to God's altar. The sacrifice that was to represent Christ must be spotless. The Word of God points to this as an illustration of what His children are to be—'a living sacrifice,' 'holy and without blemish.' " Prophets and Kings, 489.

"God does not bestow help for tomorrow. He does not give His children all the directions for their life journey at once, lest they should become confused. He tells them just as much as they can remember and perform. The strength and wisdom imparted are for the present emergency." Desire of Ages, 313.

"The care of God is over the weakest of His children. No act of cruelty or oppression toward them is unmarked by Heaven. Over all who love and fear Him, His hand extends as a shield; let men beware that they smite not that hand; for it wields the sword of justice." Patriarchs and Prophets, 300.

"God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfil1ing as coworkers with Him." Desire of Ages, 224225.

"Obedience and submission to God's requirements are the conditions given by the inspired apostle by which we become children of God, members of the royal family." 3 Testimonies, 365.

"He is watching over you, trembling child of God. Are you tempted? He will deliver. Are you weak? He will strengthen. Are you ignorant? He will enlighten. Are you wounded? He will heal." Desire of Ages, 329.

"God proposes to accept you as His child and make you a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King, upon conditions that you come out from the world and be separate and touch not the unclean thing. The Monarch of heaven would have you possess and enjoy all that can ennoble, expand, and exalt your being and fit you to dwell with Him forever, your existence measuring with the life of God. " 3 Testimonies, 458.

"Those who accept Christ as their personal Saviour are not left as orphans, to bear the trials of life alone. He receives them as members of the heavenly family; He bids them call His Father their Father. They are His 'little ones,' dear to the heart of God, bound to Him by the most tender and abiding ties. He has toward them an exceeding tenderness, as far surpassing what our father or mother has felt toward us in our helplessness as the divine is above the human." Desire of Ages, 327.

"Christ loves the heavenly beings that surround His throne; but what shall account for the great love wherewith He has loved us? We cannot understand it, but we can know it true in our own experience." Desire of Ages, 327.

"You cannot mingle with worldlings, and partake of their spirit, and follow their example, and be at the same time a child of God. The Creator of the universe addresses you as an affectionate Father. If you separate from the world in your affections, and remain free from its contamination, escaping the corruption that is in the world through lust, God will be your Father, He will adopt you into His family, and you will be His heir. In place of the world, He will give you, for a life of obedience, the kingdom under the whole heavens. He will give you an eternal weight of glory and a life that is as enduring as eternity." 2 Testimonies, 44.

"Through this simple act of believing God, the Holy Spirit has begotten a new life in your heart. You are as a child born into the family of God, and He loves you as He loves His Son." Steps to Christ, 52.

"If we are indeed God's children we shall be harassed and sorely beset, and we need not expect that Satan or those under his influence will treat us well. But there are angels who excel in strength who will be with us in all our conflicts if we will only be faithful. Christ conquered Satan in our behalf in the wilderness of temptation. He is mightier than Satan, and He will shortly bruise him under our feet." 3 Testimonies, 526.

"Wherever a soul reaches out after God, there the Spirit's working is manifest, and God will reveal Himself to that soul. For such worshippers He is seeking. He waits to receive them, and to make them His sons and Daughters." Desire of Ages, 189.

"This is the mystery of godliness. That Christ should take human nature, and by a life of humiliation elevate man in the scale of moral worth with God: that He should carry His adopted nature to the throne of God, and there present His children to the Father, to have conferred upon them an honor exceeding that conferred upon the angels,—this is the marvel of the heavenly universe, the mystery into which angels desire to look. This is love that melts the sinner's heart." Sons and Daughters of God, 22.

"We cannot be half the Lord's and half the world's. We are not God's children unless we are such entirely." Steps to Christ, 44.

" 'If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.' If we have not the light and love of God we are not His children." 3 Testimonies, 529.

"God was to be manifest in Christ, 'reconciling the world unto Himself.' Man had become so degraded by sin that it was impossible for him, in himself, to come into harmony with Him whose nature is purity and goodness. But Christ, after having redeemed man from the condemnation of the law, could impart divine power, to unite with human effort. Thus by repentance toward God and faith in Christ, the fallen children of Adam might once more become 'sons of God.' " Sons and Daughters of God, 12.

"If you have renounced self and given yourself to Christ you are a member of the family of God, and everything in the Father's house is for you. All the treasures of God are opened to you, both the world that now is and that which is to come. The ministry of angels, the gift of His Spirit, the labors of His servants—all are for you. The world, with everything in it, is yours so far as it can do you good. Even the enmity of the wicked will prove a blessing by disciplining you for heaven." Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 110.

"The children of God are those who are partakers of His nature. 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 and 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." Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 75.

"The heart of God yearns over His earthly children with a love stronger than death. In giving up His Son, He has poured out to us all heaven in one gift. The Saviour's life and death and intercession, the ministry of angels, the pleading of the Spirit, the Father working above and through all, the unceasing interest of heavenly beings,—all are enlisted in behalf of man's redemption." Steps to Christ, 21.

"God is love. Like rays of light from the sun, love and light and joy flow out from Him to all His creatures. It is His nature to give. His very life is the outflow of unselfish love.

" 'His glory is His children's good; His joy, His tender Fatherhood.' " Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 77.

"The children of God are not left alone and defenseless. Prayer moves the arm of Omnipotence. Prayer has 'subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire.' " Christ's Object Lessons, 172.

"Before honor is humility. To fill a high place before men, Heaven chooses the worker who, like John the Baptist, takes a lowly place before God. The most childlike disciple is the most efficient in labor for God. The heavenly intelligences can co-operate with him who is seeking, not to exalt self, but to save soul’s. He who feels most deeply his need of divine aid will plead for it; and the Holy Spirit will give unto him glimpses of Jesus that will strengthen and uplift the soul. From communion with Christ he will go forth to work for those who are perishing in their sins. He is anointed for his mission; and he succeeds where many of the learned and intellectually wise would fail." Desire of Ages, 436.

"We may address Him by the endearing name, 'Our Father,' which is a sign of our affection for Him and a pledge of His tender regard and relationship to us. And the Son of God, beholding the heirs of grace, 'is not ashamed to call them brethren,' They have even a more sacred relationship to God than have the angels who have never fallen." My Life Today, 365,

"Forbearance and unselfishness mark the words and deeds of those who are born again to live the new life in Christ." My Life Today, 52.

“Jesus said, Be perfect as your Father is perfect. If you are the children of God you are partakers of His nature, and you cannot but be like Him. Every child lives by the life of his father. If you are God's children, begotten by His Spirit, you live by the life of God." Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 77-78.

"It is the will of God to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life. So we may ask for these blessings, and believe that we receive them, and thank God that we have received them. It is our privilege to go to Jesus and be cleansed." Steps to Christ, 51.

"Christ perfected a righteous character here upon the earth, not on His own account, for His character was pure and spotless, but for fallen man. His character He offers to man if he will accept it. The sinner, through repentance of his sins, faith in Christ, and obedience to the perfect law of God, has the righteousness of Christ imputed to him; it becomes his righteousness, and his name is recorded in the Lamb's book of life. He becomes a child of God, a member of the royal family." 3 Testimonies, 371372.

"The work of these heavenly beings is to prepare the inhabitants of this world to become children of God, pure, holy, undefiled. But men, though professing to be followers of Christ, do not place themselves in a position where they can understand this ministry, and thus the work of the heavenly messengers is made hard." 7 Bible Commentary, 923.

"Our God is a tender, merciful Father. His service should not be looked upon as a heartsaddening, distressing exercise. It should be a pleasure to worship the Lord and to take part in His work. God would not have His children, for whom so great salvation has been provided, act as if He were a hard, exacting taskmaster. He is their best friend; and when they worship Him, He expects to be with them, to bless and comfort them, filling their hearts with joy and love. The Lord desires His children to take comfort in His service and to find more pleasure than hardship in His work. He desires that those who come to worship Him shall carry away with them precious thoughts of His care and love, that they may be cheered in all the employments of daily life, that they may have grace to deal honestly and faithfully in all things." Steps to Christ, 103.

"The only way in which we can redeem our time is by making the most of that which remains, by being co-workers with God in His great plan of redemption.

"In him who does this, a transformation of character takes place. He becomes a son of God, a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King. He is fitted to be the companion of the angels." Christ's Object Lessons, 342.

" 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty,' These are the conditions upon which we may be acknowledged as the sons of God—separation from the world, and renunciation of those things which delude, and fascinate, and ensnare.

"The apostle Paul declares that it is impossible for the children of God to unite with worldlings: 'Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.' This does not refer to marriage alone; any intimate relation of confidence and co-partnership with those who have no love for God or the truth is a snare." 5 Testimonies, 13. .

"No man receives holiness as a birthright, or as a gift from any other human being. Holiness is the gift of God through Christ. Those who receive the Saviour become sons of God. They are His spiritual children, born again, renewed in righteousness and true holiness. Their minds are changed. With clearer vision they behold eternal realities. They are adopted into God's family, and they become conformed to His likeness, changed by His Spirit from glory to glory. From cherishing supreme love for self, they come to cherish supreme love for God and for Christ..

"Accepting Christ as a personal Saviour, and following His example of self-denial—this is the secret of holiness." 6 Bible Commentary, 1117.

"When the people of God experience the new birth, their honesty, their uprightness, their fidelity, their steadfast principles, will unfailingly reveal it." Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 251.

"The converting power of God can transform inherited and cultivated tendencies; for the religion of Jesus is uplifting. 'Born again' means a transformation, a new birth in Christ Jesus." Adventist Home, 206.

"The children of the light and of the day are not to gather about them the shades of night and darkness which encompass the workers of iniquity. On the contrary, they are to stand faithfully at their post of duty as light bearers, gathering light from God to shed upon those in darkness. The Lord requires His people to maintain their integrity, touching not—that is, imitating not—the practices of the ungodly." 5 Testimonies, 13-14.

"He wants us to remember our royal birth and high destiny as sons and daughters of God, and have genuine respect for ourselves. He would have all our powers developed, and kept in the best possible condition, that He may fill us with His grace and use us in His service, making us co-workers with Himself for the salvation of souls.

"It is the duty of each student, of each individual, to do all in his power to present his body to Christ, a cleansed temple, physically perfect as well as morally free from defilement,—a fit abode for God's indwelling presence." Fundamentals of Christian Education, 428.

"The change of heart by which we become children of God is in the Bible spoken of as birth." Steps to Christ, 67.

"Man must be emptied of self before he can be, in the fullest sense, a believer in Jesus. When self is renounced, then the Lord can make man a new creature. New bottles can contain the new wine. The love of Christ will animate the believer with new life. In him who looks unto the Author and Finisher of our faith the character of Christ will be manifest." Desire of Ages, 280.

"There is a picture representing a bullock standing between a plow and an altar, with the inscription, 'Ready for either,' ready to toil in the furrow or to be offered on the altar of sacrifice. This is the position of the true child of God,—willing to go where duty calls, to deny self, to sacrifice for the Redeemer's cause." Ministry of Healing, 502.

"Christ has not died for you that you may possess the passions, tastes, and habits of men of the world. It is difficult to distinguish between those who serve God and those who serve Him not, because there is so little difference in character between believers and unbelievers. Ye cannot serve God and Belial. The sons of God belong to a different nation—the empire of purity and holiness. They are the nobility of heaven. The stamp of God is upon them. So evident and perceptible is this that the enmity of the world is aroused against them by the contrast. I call upon everyone who claims to be a son of God never to forget this great truth, that we need the Spirit of God within us in order to reach heaven, and the work of Christ without us in order to give us a title to the immortal inheritance."—Testimonies to Ministers, 241-242.

2 — ADOPTION AND HEIRSHIP

How kindly our heavenly Father is, to grant us to become His sons and daughters, to adopt us into the heavenly family and, one day soon, take us to heaven to be with Him forever.

"Faith lifts up the repenting soul to share the adoption of the sons of God." Education, 151.

"Divine sonship is not something that we gain of ourselves. Only to those who receive Christ as their Saviour is given the power to become sons and daughters of God. The sinner cannot, by any power of his own, rid himself of sin. For the accomplishment of this result. he must look to a higher Power. John exclaimed, 'Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.' Christ alone has power t6 cleanse the heart. He who is seeking for forgiveness and acceptance can say only, 'Nothing in my hand I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling.' But the promise of sonship is made to all who 'believe on His name,' Every one who comes to Jesus in faith will receive pardon." Sons and Daughters of God, 12.

"People think it a privilege to see a royal personage, and thousands go great distances to see one. How much greater privilege it is to be sons and daughters of the Most High. What greater privilege could be conferred on us than to be given entrance into the royal family?

"In order to become the sons and daughters of God, we must separate from the world. 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' the Lord says, 'and I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters.' " Sons and Daughters of God. 8.

" 'I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters. .' What a promise is here made upon condition of obedience! . . He promises to be a Father unto you. Oh, what a relationship is this! higher and holier than any earthly tie. If you make the sacrifice, if you have to forsake father, mother, sisters. brothers, wife, and children for Christ's sake, you will not be friendless. God adopts you into His family; you become members of the royal household, sons and daughters of the King who rules in the heaven of heavens." Sons and Daughters of God. 14.

"God is our Father, a tender parent, solicitous for His spiritual children. He is pledged to be the protector, counsellor, guide, and friend, of all who are obedient to Him." Sons and Daughters of God. 14.

“All who enter into a covenant with Jesus Christ become by adoption the children of God. They are cleansed by the regenerating power of the Word, and angels are commissioned to minister unto them. They are baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. They pledge themselves to become active members of His church in the earth. They are to be dead to all the allurements of worldly desires; but in conversation and godliness, they are through sanctification of the Spirit to exert a living influence for God.

"'Heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, what an exalted, dignified position! Separate and distinct from the world. secure from the wily snares of Satan! By their baptismal vows, God's professed followers have pledged themselves to stand in opposition to evil. The enemy of souls will work with all craft to corrupt their minds. He will seek to introduce his methods into their service for the Master. But there is safety for them if they will heed the injunction: 'Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil' " Sons and Daughters of God, 15.

"To what greater honor could we aspire than to be called the children of God? What greater rank could we hold, what greater inheritance could we find, than that which comes to those who are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ?" Sons and Daughters of God, 15.

"God is pleased when we keep our faces turned toward the Sun of Righteousness. . When we are in trouble and pressed down with anxieties, the Lord is near, and He bids us cast all our care upon Him, because He cares for us . . He comes to all His children in their affliction. In time of danger He is their refuge. In sorrow, He offers them joy and consolation." Sons and Daughters of God, 19.

"As a father takes his son into partnership in his business, so the Lord takes His children into partnership with Himself." Sons and Daughters of God. 324.

"The price paid for our redemption, the infinite sacrifice of our heavenly Father in giving His Son to die for us, should give us exalted conceptions of what we may become through Christ. As the inspired apostle John beheld the height, the depth, the breadth of the Father's love toward the perishing race, he was filled with adoration and reverence; and, failing to find suitable language in which to express the greatness and tenderness of this love, he called upon the world to behold it. 'Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.' 1 John 3:1. What a value this places upon man! Through transgression the sons of man become subjects of Satan. Through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ the sons of Adam may become the sons of God. By assuming human nature, Christ elevates humanity. Fallen men are placed where, through connection with Christ, they may indeed become worthy of the name 'sons of God.' "Such love is without a parallel. Children of the heavenly King! Precious promise! Theme for the most profound meditation! The matchless love of God for a world that did not love Him! The thought has a subduing power upon the soul and brings the mind into captivity to the will of God. The more we study the divine character in the light of the cross, the more we see mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness blended with equity and justice, and the more clearly we discern innumerable evidences of a love that is infinite and a tender pity surpassing a mother's yearning sympathy for her wayward child." Steps to Christ, 15.

"The new birth is a rare experience in this part 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,' Psalm 103: 13. Such a conception of God was never given to the world by any religion but that of the Bible. Heathenism teaches men to look upon the Supreme Being as an object of fear rather than of love, a malign deity to be appeased by sacrifices, rather than a Father pouring upon His children the gift of His love. Even the people of Israel had become so blinded to the precious teaching of the prophets concerning God that this revelation of His paternal love was as an original subject, anew gift to the world." Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 74.

" 'I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters. "

What a promise is here made upon condition of obedience! . . He promises to be a Father unto you. Oh, what a relationship is this! higher and holier than any earthly tie. If you make the sacrifice, if you have to forsake father, mother, sisters, brothers, wife, and children for Christ's sake, you will not be friendless. God adopts you into His family; you become members of the royal household, sons and daughters of the King who rules in the heaven of heavens." Sons and Daughters of God, 14.

"As a father takes his son into partnership in his business, so the Lord takes His children into partnership with Himself." Sons and Daughters of God, 324.

Spirit of prophecy:

A Blueprint for coming to God

This book is primarily about deepening our walk with God. But there are those who need to come to Him in conversion. Indeed, we are told that we should die anew each day.

The following statements reveal that conversion is not supposed to be a beginning of the process of putting away sin,—but rather, for the most part, the entire work. For, in the new birth, man becomes a new creature in Christ.

The reason many Christians keep working to get rid of sin—is because some keep slipping back into it while others never really made the separation to begin with.

"Through the cross the sinner was drawn from the stronghold of sin, from the confederacy of evil, and at every approach to the cross his heart relents and in penitence he cries, 'It was my sins that crucified the Son of God,' At the cross he leaves his sins, and through the grace of Christ his character is transformed. The Redeemer raises the sinner from the dust, and places him under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

"As the sinner looks upon the Redeemer, he finds hope, assurance, and joy. Faith takes hold of Christ in love. Faith works by love, and purifies the soul." l Selected Messages, 349.

1 — HAVE YOU BEEN CONVERTED?

"Many who profess the faith know not what true conversion is. They have no experience in communion with the Father through Jesus Christ, and have never felt the power of divine grace to sanctify the heart. Praying and sinning, sinning and praying, their lives are full of malice, deceit, envy, jealousy, and self-love. The prayers of this class are an abomination to God. True prayer engages the energies of the soul and affects the life." 4 Testimonies, 534-535.

"I saw that unless there is an entire change in the young, a thorough conversion, they may despair of heaven. From what has been shown me, there are not more than half of the young who profess religion and the truth who have been truly converted. If they had been converted they would bear fruit to the glory of God. Many are leaning upon a supposed hope Without a true foundation. The fountain is not cleansed, therefore the streams proceeding from that fountain are not pure. Cleanse the fountain, and the streams will be pure. If the heart is right, your words, your dress, your acts, will all be right. True godliness is lacking. I would not dishonor my Master so much as to admit that a careless, trifling, prayerless person is a Christian. No; a Christian has victory over his besetments, over his passions. There is a remedy for the sin-sick soul. That remedy is in Jesus. Precious Saviour! His grace is sufficient for the weakest; and the strongest must also have His grace or perish.

"I saw how this grace could be obtained. Go to your closet, and there alone plead With God: 'Create in me a clean heart, 0 God; and renew a right spirit Within me.' Be in earnest, be sincere. Fervent prayer availeth much, Jacoblike, wrestle in prayer. Agonize, Jesus, in the garden, sweat great drops of blood; you must make an effort. Do not leave your closet until you feel strong in God; then watch, and just as long as you watch and pray you can keep these evil besetments under, and the grace of God can and will appear in you." 1 Testimonies, 158.

"Seek the Lord With all your heart. . Beg of God to work in you a thorough reformation, that the fruits of His Spirit may dwell in you, and you shine as lights in the world. . Does Satan tell you that you cannot enjoy salvation, full and free? Believe him not.

"I saw that it is the privilege of every Christian to enjoy the deep movings of the Spirit of God. A sweet, heavenly peace will pervade the mind, and you will love to meditate upon God and heaven. You will feast upon the glorious promises of His Word. But know first that you have begun the Christian course. Know that the first steps are taken in the road to everlasting life. Be not deceived. I fear, yea, I know, that many of you know not what religion is. You have felt some excitement, some emotion, but have never seen sin in its enormity. You have never felt your undone condition and turned from your evil ways with bitter sorrow. You have never died to the world. You still love its pleasures; you love to engage in conversation on worldly matters. But when the truth of God is introduced, you have nothing to say. . The truth of God does not dwell in you." 1 Testimonies, 159.

"True conversion is a radical change. The very drift of the mind and bent of the heart should be turned and life become new again in Christ." 4 Testimonies, 17.

" 'For 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. That which was objectionable in the character is purified from the soul by the love of Jesus. All selfishness is expelled, all envy, all evil-speaking, is rooted out, and a radical transformation is wrought in the heart." Review and Herald, July 22, 1890.

2 — EVIDENCES OF GENUINE CONVERSION

"Conversion is a change of heart, a turning from unrighteousness to righteousness. Relying upon the merits of Christ, exercising true faith in Him, the repentant sinner receives pardon for sin. As he ceases to do evil and learns to do well, he grows in grace and in the knowledge of God. He sees that in order to follow Jesus he must separate from the world; and, after counting the cost, he looks upon all as loss if he may but win Christ. He enlists in His army and bravely and cheerfully engages in the warfare, fighting against natural inclinations and selfish desires and bringing the will into subjection to the will of Christ. Daily he seeks the Lord for grace. and he is strengthened and helped. Self once reigned in his heart, and worldly pleasure was his delight. Now self is dethroned, and God reigns supreme. His life reveals the fruit of righteousness. The sins he once loved he now hates. Firmly and resolutely he follows in the path of holiness. This is genuine conversion." In Heavenly Places, 20.

"The heart of him who receives the grace of God overflows with love for God and for those for whom Christ died. Self is not struggling for recognition. . If his motives, words, or actions are misunderstood or misrepresented, he takes no offense, but pursues the even tenor of his way. He is kind and thoughtful, humble in his opinion of himself, yet full of hope, always trusting in the mercy and love of God." Christ's Object Lessons, 101-102.

"There are very many who claim to serve God, but who have no experimental knowledge of Him. Their desire to do His will is based upon their own inclination, not upon the deep conviction of the Holy Spirit. Their conduct is not brought into harmony with the law of God. They profess to accept Christ as their Saviour, but they do not believe that He will give them power to overcome their sins. They have not a personal relation with a living Saviour, and their characters reveal defects both hereditary and cultivated." Christ's Object Lessons, 48.

"Many who profess to follow Christ have not genuine religion. They do not reveal in their lives the fruit of true conversion. They are controlled by the same habits. the same spirit of fault-finding and selfishness, which controlled them before they accepted Christ.

"No one can enter the city of God who has not a knowledge of genuine conversion. In true conversion the soul is born again. A new spirit takes possession of the temple of the soul. A new life begins. Christ is revealed in the character." Review and Herald July 30, 1901.

"The experimental knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom He has sent, transforms man into the image of God. It gives to man the mastery of himself, bringing every impulse and passion of the lower nature under the control of the higher powers of the mind." Christ's Object Lessons. 114.

"Conversion is a work that most do not appreciate. It is not a small matter to transform an earthly, sin-loving mind and bring it to understand the unspeakable love of Christ, the charms of His grace, and the excellency of God, so that the soul shall be imbued with divine love and captivated with the heavenly mysteries. When he understands these things, his former life appears disgusting and hateful. He hates sin, and breaking his heart before God, he embraces Christ as the life and joy of the soul. He renounces his former pleasures. He has a new mind, new affections, new interest, new will; his sorrows, and desires, and love are all new. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, which have heretofore been preferred before Christ, are now turned from, and Christ is the charm of his life, the crown of his rejoicing. Heaven, which once possessed no charms, is now viewed in its riches and glory; and he contemplates it as his future home, where he shall see, love, and 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 and 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. and his deeds are brought to this rule and tested. He trembles at the commands and threatenings which it contains, while he firmly grasps its promises and strengthens his soul by appropriating them to himself. The society of the most godly is now chosen by him, and the wicked, whose company he once loved, he no longer delights in. He weeps over those sins in them at which he once laughed. Self-love and vanity are renounced, and he lives unto God, and is rich in good works. This is the sanctification, which God requires. Nothing short of this will He accept." 2 Testimonies, 294-295.

"God loves His obedient children. He has a kingdom prepared, not for disloyal subjects, but for His children whom He has tested and tried in a world marred and corrupted by sin. As obedient children, we have the privilege of relationship with God. 'If children,' He says, 'then heirs' to an immortal inheritance." 6 Bible Commentary, 1077.

"When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience." Desire of Ages, 668.

3 — GODLY SORROW WORKETH REPENTANCE

“Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. The greater the sinner's guilt. the more he needs the Saviour. His heart of divine love and sympathy is drawn out most of all for the one who is most hopelessly entangled in the snares of the enemy." Ministry of Healing, 89-90.

"He yearns with intense desire to relieve the woes of men and to apply His balsam to their wounds. It is true that God 'will by no means clear the guilty,' but He would take away the guilt." Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 22.

"God reveals to us our guilt that we may flee to Christ. and through Him be set free from the bondage of sin, and rejoice in the liberty of the sons of God. In true contrition we may come to the foot of the cross, and there leave our burdens." Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 10.

"When Jesus has taken away the burden of sin that is crushing the soul, you will experience the blessedness of the peace of Christ." Our High Calling. 131.

"He came to their aid when they felt their lost and perishing condition. When weary and heavyladen with sin, they turned unto Him. He removed their burden of guilt and sin, took away their sorrow and mourning. and turned the whole current of their affections. The things they once loved, they now hate; and the things they hated. they now love." 1 Testimonies, 160.

"None need despair because of the inherited tendencies to evil, but when the Spirit of God convicts of sin, the wrongdoer must repent and confess and forsake the evil." 6 Bible Commentary, 1120.

"As soon as we consent to give sin up, to acknowledge our guilt, the barrier is removed, between the soul and the Saviour." l Selected Messages, 325,

"In laying off burdens, let us not forget to lay self at the feet of Christ.

"Hand yourself over to Jesus, to be molded and fashioned by Him, that you may be made vessels unto honor, Your temptations, your ideas, your feelings, must all be laid at the foot of the cross. Then the soul is ready to listen to words of divine instruction. Jesus will give you to drink of the water which flows from the river of God. Under the softening and subduing influence of His Spirit your coldness and listlessness will disappear. Christ will be in you a well of water, springing up into everlasting life." In Heavenly Places. 107.

"The only reason that we have not remission of sin is that we have not acknowledged to Him whom we have wounded by our transgressions, whom we have pierced by our sins, that we are at fault and in need of mercy. The confession that is the outpouring of the inmost soul will find its way to the heart of infinite pity; for the Lord is nigh unto him that is of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." l Selected Messages, 326.

"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." Matthew 5:4.

"The mourning here brought to view is true heart sorrow for sin . . God reveals to us our guilt that we may flee to Christ, and through Him be set free from the bondage of sin . . In true contrition we may come to the foot of the cross and there leave our burdens." Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 9-10.

"The humble and broken heart, subdued by genuine repentance, will appreciate something of the love of God and the cost of Calvary; and as a son confesses to a loving father, so will the truly penitent bring all his sins before God. And it is written, 'If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Steps to Christ, 41.

"Sins not repented of are sins not forgiven. Those who think themselves forgiven for sins of which they have never felt the sinfulness and over which they have never felt contrition of soul, only deceive themselves." Our High Calling, 82.

"A repentance such as this, is beyond the reach of our own power to accomplish; it is obtained only from Christ, who ascended up on high, and has given gifts unto men." Steps to Christ, 25,

"There is great need today of just such sincere, heartfelt repentance and confession. Those who have not humbled their souls before God in acknowledging their guilt have not yet fulfilled the first condition of acceptance. If we have not experienced that repentance, which is not to be repented of, and have not confessed our sin with true humiliation of soul and brokenness of spirit, abhorring our iniquity, we have never sought truly for the forgiveness of sin; and if we have never sought we have never found the peace of God." 5 Testimonies, 636,

4 — REPENT AND TURN AWAY FROM SIN

"We cannot meet Christ in peace with one sin unrepented of, unconfessed, and unforsaken." Review and Herald, March 17,1891.

"Repentance includes sorrow for sin, and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life." Steps to Christ, 23.

"Repentance is the first step that must be taken by all who would return to God. No one can do this work for another. We must individually humble our souls before God and put away our idols. When we have done all that we can do, the Lord will manifest to us His salvation." Patriarchs and Prophets, 590,

"The heart must be yielded to God—must be subdued by divine grace—before man's repentance can be accepted." Patriarchs and Prophets, 587.

"Repentance is turning from self to Christ; and when we receive Christ, so that, through faith, He can live His life in us, good works will be manifest." Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 87.

"With his own blood He paid the penalty for wrongdoers. Every sin acknowledged before God with a contrite heart, He will remove." 7 Bible Commentary, 970,

"Only by faithful repentance will their sins be forgiven; for God will not cover evil with the robe of His righteousness." Sons and Daughters of God, 13.

"Who is desirous of becoming truly repentant? What must he do?—He must come to Jesus, just as he is, without delay, He must believe that the Word of Christ is true, and, believing the promise, ask, that he may receive. When sincere desire prompts men to pray, they will not pray in vain." 1 Selected Messages, 393,

"There is only one provision made for the transgressor. Faithful repentance and confession of sin, and faith in the cleansing blood of Christ, will bring forgiveness, and pardon will be written against his name." 2 Testimonies, 293.

“As the penitent sinner, contrite before God, discerns Christ's atonement in his behalf, and accepts this atonement as his only hope in this life and the future life, His sins are pardoned. This is justification by faith. Every believing soul is to conform his will entirely to God's Will, and keep in a state of repentance and contrition, exercising faith in the atoning merits of the Redeemer and advancing from strength to strength, from glory to glory.

"Pardon and justification are one and the same thing. Through faith, the believer passes from the position of a rebel. . to the position of a loyal subject of Christ Jesus, not because of an inherent goodness, but because Christ receives him as His child by adoption. The sinner receives the forgiveness of his sins, because these sins are borne by his Substitute and Surety. The Lord speaks to His heavenly Father, saying: 'This is My child, I reprieve him from the condemnation of death, giving him My life insurance policy—eternal life—because I have taken his place and have suffered for his sins. He is even My beloved son.' Thus man, pardoned, and clothed with the beautiful garments of Christ's righteousness, stands faultless before God." 6 Bible Commentary, 1070,

"To be pardoned in the way that Christ pardons, is not only to be forgiven, but to be renewed in the spirit of our mind." 3 Selected Messages. 190,

"Justification is a full, complete pardon of sin. The moment a sinner accepts Christ by faith, that moment he is pardoned, The righteousness of Christ is imputed to him and he is no more to doubt God's forgiving grace." 6 Bible Commentary, 1071,

"Justification is the opposite of condemnation. God's boundless mercy is exercised toward those who are wholly undeserving. He forgives transgressions and sins for the sake of Jesus, who has become the propitiation for our sins. Through faith in Christ, the guilty transgressor is brought into favor With God and into the strong hope of life eternal." 6 Bible Commentary, 1070-1071.

"Freely will He pardon all who come to Him for forgiveness and restoration." Desire of Ages, 568.

"The humble and broken heart, subdued by genuine repentance, Will appreciate something of the love of God and the cost of Calvary; and as a son confesses to a loving father, so Will the truly penitent bring all his sins before God, And it is written, 'If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' 1 John 1:9." Steps to Christ, 41.

"I tell you, my brethren and sisters, there is need of humbling your souls before God. 'Cease to do evil,' but do not stop here, 'Learn to do well.' You can glorify God only by bearing fruit to His glory." Testimonies to Ministers, 146.

"That repentance which is produced by the influence of divine grace upon the heart Will lead to confession and forsaking of sin." Acts of the Apostles, 324.

"There is no evidence of genuine repentance, unless it works reformation. If he restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, confess his sins, and love God and his fellow men, the sinner may be sure that he has found his peace with God." Great Controversy, 462-463.

5 — PUT ON THE WEDDING GARMENT OF OBEDIENCE BY FAITH

"No man can cover his soul with the garments of Christ's righteousness while practicing known sins or neglecting known duties." 1 Selected Messages, 366.

"Patching will not do. The only way is to discard the old garment and procure a new one. . Christ's plan is the only safe one. He declares, 'Behold, I make all things new' (Revelation 21:5). 'If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature' (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Saviour gives no encouragement to any to think that He will accept a patchwork religion." Our High Calling, 342.

"The patchwork religion is not of the least value With God. He requires the whole heart." 6 Bible Commentary, 1101.

"The parable of the wedding garment opens before us a lesson of the highest consequence. By the marriage is represented the union of humanity and divinity; the wedding garment represents the character which all must possess." Christ's Object Lessons, 307.

"The religion of Christ is a firm fabric, composed of innumerable threads, woven together With tact and skill. Only by the Wisdom that God gives can we weave this fabric, Trusting to ourselves, we draw into it threads of selfishness, and the pattern is spoiled." Faith I Live By, 220.

"The grace of Christ must be woven into every phase of the character." Counsels on Health, 633.

"The righteousness of Christ consists in right actions and good works from pure, unselfish motives." 3 Testimonies, 528.

"Those who believe in Christ derive their motive power and the texture of their characters from Him in whom they believe." Sons and Daughters of God, 299.

"This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human devising. Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us . . By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God's commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him, we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness." Christ's Object Lessons, 311-312.

"All must pass the scrutiny of the great King, and only those are received who have put on the robe of Christ's righteousness. Righteousness is right doing, and it is by their deeds that all will be judged. Our characters are revealed by what we do. The works show whether the faith is genuine." Christ's Object Lessons, 312.

"No man can cover his soul with the garments of Christ's righteousness while practicing known sins or neglecting known duties." 1 Selected Messages, 366.

"The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover unconfessed and unforsaken sin. It is a principle of life that transforms the character and controls the conduct. Holiness is wholeness for God. It is the entire surrender of heart and life to the indwelling of the principles of heaven." Desire of Ages, 555-556

"God makes no compromise with Sin. A genuine conversion changes hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong." 6 Bible Commentary, 1101.

"Christ looks with pitying tenderness on all who have combination characters. Those with such characters have a connection with Christ so frail that it is utterly worthless." 6 Bible Commentary, 1101.

"The whole heart must be yielded to God, or the change can never be wrought in us by which we are to be restored to His likeness." Steps to Christ, 43.

6 — HE WILL MAKE YOU AN OBEDIENT CHILD

"There is no power in repentance to change the life, but when the helpless soul casts itself on Christ, there comes transformation of character." Signs of the Times, May 20, 1903.

"It is for you to yield your will to the will of Jesus Christ; and as you do this, God will immediately take possession, and work in you to will and to do of His good pleasure." 5 Testimonies, 514.

"When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden, or beholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God." Desire of Ages, 173.

"Through the simple act of believing God, the Holy Spirit has begotten a new life in your heart. You are as a child born into the family of God and He loves you as He loves His Son." Steps to Christ, 52.

"The Spirit of God through faith produces a new life in the soul. The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience to the will of Christ. The heart, the mind, are created anew in the image of Him who works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then the law of God is written in the mind and heart, and we can say with Christ, 'I delight to do Thy will, 0 my God.' Psalm 40:8." Desire of Ages, 176.

"Christ connects fallen man in his weakness and helplessness with the Source of infinite power." Steps to Christ, 20.

"His imputed grace and power He gives to all who receive Him by faith." 7 Bible Commentary, 929.

"The inexhaustible supplies of heaven are at their command. Christ gives them the breath of His own Spirit, the life of His own life. The Holy Spirit puts forth its highest energies to work in heart and mind." 6 Testimonies, 306.

"Men need to learn that the blessings of obedience, in their fulness, can be theirs only as they receive the grace of Christ. It is His grace that gives man power to obey the laws of God. It is this that enables him to break the bondage of evil habit. This is the only power that can make him and keep him steadfast in the right path." Ministry of Healing, 115.

"In ourselves we are incapable of doing any good thing: but that which we cannot do will be wrought by the power of God in every submissive and believing soul. It was through faith that the child of promise was given. It is through faith that spiritual life is begotten, and we are enabled to do the works of righteousness." Desire of Ages, 98.

"There are many who think it is impossible to escape from the power of sin, but the promise is that we may be filled with all the fulness of God." That I May Know Him, 302.

"When we submit to God's way. the Lord Jesus guides our minds and fills our lips with assurance. We may be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Receiving Christ. we are clothed with power. An indwelling Saviour makes His power our property." 7 Testimonies, 71.

"In order to serve Him aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart and renew the mind. giving us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us a willing obedience to all God's requirements. This is true worship." Desire of Ages, 189.

"True conversion is a radical change. The very drift of the mind and bent of the heart should be turned and life become new again in Christ." 4 Testimonies, 17.

"When Jesus speaks of the new heart, He means the mind, the life, the whole being. To have a change of heart is to withdraw the affections from the world, and fasten them upon Christ. To have a new heart is to have a new mind, new purposes, new motives. What is the sign of a new heart?—A changed life. There is a daily, hourly dying to selfishness and pride." Messages to Young People, 72.

"To be a Christian is not merely to take the name of Christ, but to have the mind of Christ. to submit to the will of God in all things." Review and Herald, September 4, 1883.

"The sons of God will not be like the worldling: for the truth received in the heart will be the means of purifying the soul and of transforming the character and of making its receiver like-minded with God. Unless a man becomes like-minded with God, he is still in his natural depravity." Faith and Works, 116.

"Through faith in His name He imputes unto us His righteousness, and it becomes a living principle in our life." That I May Know Him. 302.

"Without the transforming process. . the original propensities to sin are left in the heart in all their strength, to forge new chains, to impose a slavery that can never be broken by human power." Evangelism. 192.

"True obedience is the outworking of a principle within." Christ's Object Lessons, 97.

"The power of Christ alone can work the transformation in heart and mind that all must experience who would partake with Him of the new life in the kingdom of heaven. 'Except a man be born again,' the Saviour said. 'he cannot see the kingdom of God.' John 3:3. The religion that comes from God is the only religion that can lead to God. In order to serve Him aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will lead to watchfulness. It will purify the heart and renew the mind, and give us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us a willing obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship." 9 Testimonies, 156.

"New thoughts, new feelings, new motives, are implanted. A new standard of character is set up—the life of Christ. The mind is changed; the faculties are roused to action in new lines . . The conscience is awakened." Christ's Object Lessons, 98-99.

"But while every faculty is regenerated, man does not lose his identity, New faculties are not supplied, but a thorough change is made in the employment of those faculties. . A motive power is working within to transform the character." Signs of the Times, October 13, 1898.

"By receiving His imputed righteousness, through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, we become like Him." 6 Bible Commentary, 1098.

"Souls that have borne the likeness of Satan, have been transformed into the image of God. This change is itself the miracle of miracles. A change wrought by the Word, it is one of the deepest mysteries of the Word. We cannot understand it; we can only believe, as declared by the Scriptures, it is 'Christ in you, the hope of glory.' Colossians 1:27.

"A knowledge of this mystery furnishes a key to every other. It opens to the soul the treasures of the universe, the possibilities of infinite development." Education, 172.

"The Lord Jesus loves His people, and when they put their trust in Him, depending wholly upon Him. He strengthens them. He will live through them, giving them the inspiration of His sanctifying Spirit, imparting to the soul a vital transfusion of Himself. He acts through their faculties and causes them to choose His will and to act out His character,"—That I May Know Him, 78,

"God's forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He sets us free from condemnation, It is not only forgiveness for sin, but reclaiming from sin. It is the outflow of redeeming love that transforms the heart." Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 114,

"When self is submerged in Christ, true love springs forth spontaneously. It is not an emotion or an impulse, but a decision of a sanctified will, It consists not in feeling, but in transformation of the whole heart, soul and character, which is dead to self, and alive to God. . Surrendering self to God is all that He requires, giving ourselves to Him to be employed as He sees fit." Mind, Character, and Personality, 206.

"Our will is to be yielded to Him, that we may receive it again, purified and refined, and so linked in sympathy with the Divine that He can pour through us the tides of His love and power." Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 62,

"The love which Christ diffuses through the whole being is a vitalizing power. Every vital part—the brain, the heart, the nerves—it touches with healing. By it the highest energies of the being are roused to activity. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care, that crush the life forces, With it come serenity and composure, It implants in the soul joy that nothing earthly can destroy, joy in the Holy spirit—health-giving-life-giving joy.

"Our Saviour's words, 'Come unto Me , . and I will give you rest,' are a prescription for the healing of physical, mental, and spiritual ills." Ministry of Healing, 115,

"The only power that can create or perpetuate true peace is the grace of Christ. When this is implanted in the heart, it will cast out the evil passions that cause strife and dissension." Desire of Ages, 305.

"Whoever consents to renounce sin and open his heart to the love of Christ, becomes a partaker of this heavenly peace.

"There is no other ground of peace than this. The grace of Christ received into the heart, subdues enmity; it allays strife and fills the soul with love." Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 27.

CONTINUE

CONTENTS