Decision and the Will
251
giving power to be found in cheerfulness, unselfishness, gratitude,
should also be shown.—
Education, 197
(1903).
Holy Spirit Does Not Take Place of Will—The Spirit of God
does not propose to do our part, either in the willing or the doing.
This is the work of the human agent in cooperating with the divine
agencies. As soon as we incline our will to harmonize with God’s will,
the grace of Christ stands to cooperate with the human agent; but it
will not be the substitute to do our work independent of our resolving
and decidedly acting. Therefore it is not the abundance of light, and
evidence piled upon evidence, that will convert the soul it is only the
human agent accepting the light, arousing the energies of the will,
realizing and acknowledging that which he knows is righteousness and
truth, and thus cooperating with the heavenly ministrations appointed
to God in the saving of the soul.—Lt 135, 1898.
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Safe Only When United With Divine—The will of man is safe
only when united with the will of God.—Lt 22, 1896. (HC 104.)
Human Will to Be Blended With Divine Will—In this conflict
of righteousness against unrighteousness we can be successful only by
divine aid. Our finite will must be brought into submission to the will
of the Infinite; the human will must be blended with the divine. This
will bring the Holy Spirit to our aid, and every conquest will tend to
the recovery of God’s purchased possession, to the restoration of His
image in the soul.—
The Review and Herald, August 25, 1896
. (HC
153.)
Conversion Does Not Create New Faculties—The Spirit of God
does not create new faculties in the converted man but works a decided
change in the employment of those faculties. When mind and heart
and soul are changed, man is not given a new conscience, but his will
is submitted to a conscience renewed, a conscience whose dormant
sensibilities are aroused by the working of the Holy Spirit.—Lt 44,
1899. (HC 104.)
Satan Rules the Will That’s Not Under God’s Control—Christ
declared, “I camenot to do My own will, but the will of Him that
sent Me” (
John 6:38
). His will was put into active exercise to save
the souls of men. His human will was nourished by the divine. His
servants today would do well to ask themselves, “What kind of will
am I individually cultivating? Have I been gratifying my own desires,
confirming myself in selfishness and obstinacy?” If we are doing this,