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The Meaning of Communion with God, October 8
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may
have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and
with his Son Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:3
.
Communion with God is the life of the soul. It is not something that we cannot
interpret, something that we can clothe with beautiful words but which does not
give us the genuine experience that makes our words of real value. Communion
with God gives a daily experience that does indeed make our joy full.
Those who have this union with Christ will declare it in spirit and word and
work. Profession is nothing unless in word and work good fruit is manifest. Unity,
fellowship with one another and with Christ—this is the fruit borne on every
branch of the living vine. The cleansed soul, born again, has a clear, distinct
testimony to bear....
To know God is, in the scriptural sense of the term, to be one with Him in
heart and mind, having an experimental knowledge of Him, holding reverential
communion with Him as the Redeemer. Only through sincere obedience can this
communion be obtained. Where this communion is lacking, the heart is not in
any sense a temple of God, but is controlled by the foe, who is working out his
own purposes through the human agency. Such a man, whatever his profession or
claims, is not a temple of the Holy Spirit.
The experience is perfected by fruit bearing. He who does not bear good fruit
in words and deeds, in the strength of elevated, ennobling principle, is a bad tree.
The fruit that he bears is unpalatable to God. His professed knowledge of Christ
is a falsehood, a deception....
In the light of the love of Christ, the gospel is an open book. This is the true
light, which Christ came to bring to the world. The Saviour’s true disciples have
received this love....
From the light that God has given me, I know that men’s great danger is in
being self-deceived. Satan is watching his chance. He will come to men in human
form, and will speak to them most entrancing words. He will bring against them
the same temptations that he brought against Christ. Unless their minds and hearts
are filled with the pure, unselfish, sanctified love that Christ revealed, they will
fall under Satan’s power, and will do and say and write strange things, to deceive,
if it were possible, the very elect....
Following Christ’s example of unselfish service, trusting like little children in
His merits, and obeying His commands, we shall receive the approval of God.—
Manuscript 120, October 8, 1903
, “Lessons From the [First] Epistle of John.”
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