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Religion to be Supreme, August 2
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first
and great commandment.
Matthew 22:37, 38
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The youth need to realize that they need a deep experience in the
things of God. A mere surface work will be of no benefit to them. You
need to bring the light of God’s Word into your heart, that you may
search it as with a lighted candle.
Many profess to be on the Lord’s side, but they are not; the weight
of all their actions is on Satan’s side. By what means shall we determine
whose side we are on? Who has the heart? With whom are our thoughts?
Upon whom do we love to converse? Who has our warmest affections
and our best energies? If we are on the Lord’s side, our thoughts are
with Him, and our sweetest thoughts are of Him. We have no friendship
with the world; we have consecrated all that we have and are to Him.
We long to bear His image, breathe His spirit, do His will, and please
Him in all things.
Bible religion is not one influence among many others, but its influ-
ence is supreme, pervading and controlling every other influence. Bible
religion is to exercise control over life and conduct. It is not to be like a
dash of color, brushed here and there upon the canvas, but its influence
is to pervade the whole life, as though the canvas were dipped into color
until every thread of the fabric was dyed in a deep, fast, unfading hue.
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.
Let everyone inquire seriously, “Am I a genuine Christian? Am I
bearing the true marks of a Christian? Am I doing my best to perfect a
character after the divine model?”
Pure religion is an imitation of Christ.
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