Sermon at Petaluma, California, Campground
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typical of Ellen White to make a positive case for Christian standards
and virtues. Here we see her enthusiasm, regarding keen minds and
refined reasoning abilities, offered in support of being temperate
.
Sermon
“Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that
have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness
of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: grace and peace be multiplied
[notice this expression; we shall refer to it again] unto you through
the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine
power hath given unto us all things [nothing is withheld] that pertain
unto life [eternal life] and godliness, through the knowledge of him
that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us
exceeding great and precious promises“—mark carefully the language,
because in the judgment every person who has ever had the privilege
of hearing or reading these words will be held accountable for the way
in which he has received them—“whereby are given unto us exceeding
great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of
the divine nature“—partakers of divine power, divine grace, divine
possibilities.
Is it possible for the fallen sons and daughters of Adam to stand
on vantage ground, able to overcome?—Yes, this is the great privilege
that is granted them. They may be “partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (
2
Peter 1:1-4
).
Christian life a constant warfare
The Christian life is a constant warfare. The church militant is
not the church triumphant. Paul says, “We wrestle not against flesh
and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places.” We must meet human beings of power and influence who
are on Satan’s side of the controversy; and we must also meet unseen
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agencies of evil. Let us be found in the right position.