Peril of Extreme Views
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in words that will melt the heart, that not one who shall perseveringly
climb the ladder will fail of an entrance into the everlasting kingdom
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; those who believe in Christ shall
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never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of His hand.
Tell the people in clear, hopeful language how they may escape the
heritage of shame which is our deserved portion. But for Christ’s sake
do not present before them ideas that will discourage them, that will
make the way to heaven seem very difficult. Keep all these overstrained
ideas to yourself.
While we must often impress the mind with the fact that the Chris-
tian life is a life of warfare, that we must watch and pray and toil,
that there is peril to the soul in relaxing the spiritual vigilance for one
moment, the completeness of the salvation proffered us from Jesus
who loves us and gave Himself that we should not perish but have
everlasting life, is to be the theme.
Day by day we may walk with God, day by day following on to
know the Lord, entering into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, laying
hold on the hope set before us. If we reach heaven it must be by
binding the soul to the Mediator, becoming partakers of the divine
nature. Leaning on Christ, your life being hid with Christ in God and
led by His Spirit, you have the genuine faith.
Believing fully in the efficacy of His atoning sacrifice, we shall be
laborers together with God. Trusting in His merits, we are to work out
our own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh
in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Always keeping hold
of Christ, we are coming nearer and nearer to God. Jesus desires us
to keep this always prominent. Do not arouse your combative spirit;
the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, easy to be
entreated, full of mercy and good fruits....
Harmonize With Your Brethren
Do not think that you must make prominent every idea your imagi-
nation receives. Jesus said to His disciples, “I have yet many things to
say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now” (
John 16:12
). How much
more should we, who are constantly liable to err, beware of urging
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upon others that which they are not prepared to receive. Constantly
looking unto Jesus, restrain your strong, extravagant expressions. But