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Testimonies for the Church Volume 4
Men’s hearts are no softer today than when Christ was upon the
earth. They will do all in their power to aid the great adversary in
making it as hard as possible for the servants of Christ, just as the
people did with Christ when He was upon the earth. They will scourge
with the tongue of slander and falsehood. They will criticize, and turn
against the servant of God the very efforts he is leading them to make.
They will, with their evil surmisings, see fraud and dishonesty where
all is right and where perfect integrity exists. They lay selfish motives
to the charge of God’s servants, when He Himself is leading them, and
when they would give even their lives if God required, if by so doing
they could advance His cause. They who have done the least, and
made the least investment in the cause of truth, are the most forward
to express lack of faith in the integrity of the servants of God who are
placed in a position to bear financial responsibilities in the great work.
They who have confidence in the work of God are willing to venture
something for its advancement, and their spiritual prosperity will be
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in proportion to their works of faith. God’s word is our standard, but
how few follow it! Our religion will be of but little worth to our fellow
men if it is only theoretical and not practical. The influence of the
world and of selfishness is carried about by many who profess to be
following the Bible. They are like a cloud, chilling the atmosphere in
which others move.
Obstinacy Not Independence
Brother G, it will be uphill work for you to cultivate pure, unselfish
love and disinterested benevolence. You have not much experience
in yielding your opinions and ideas, and in sometimes giving up your
own judgment and being guided by the counsel of others. Brother and
Sister G, you both need to have less of self and more of the grace of
God. You both need to acquire a habit of self-government, that your
thoughts may be brought into subjection to the Spirit of Christ. It is
the grace of God that you need in order that your thoughts may be
disciplined to flow in the right channel, that the words you utter may
be right words, and that your passions and appetites may be subject
to the control of reason, and the tongue be bridled against levity and
unhallowed censure and faultfinding. “If any man offend not in word,
the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”