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Chapter 8—Love for the Erring
I was shown that while Sister J and Brother and Sister K have
seen wrongs in others, they have not made efforts to correct those
wrongs and help those whom they ought to have helped. They have
left them too much alone, and held them off at arms’ length, and
felt that it was of no use to try to do anything for them. This is
wrong. They commit an error in so doing. Christ said: “I came not
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to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” The Lord would
have us help those who most need help. While you have seen the
errors and wrongs in others, you have shut yourselves too much
to yourselves, and have been too selfish in your enjoyment of the
truth. God does not approve this being satisfied with the truth and
making no sacrifice to aid and strengthen those who need strength.
We are not all organized alike, and many have not been educated
aright. Their education has been deficient. Some have had a quick
temper transmitted to them, and their education in childhood has not
taught them self-control. With this fiery temper, envy and jealousy
are frequently united. Others are faulty in other respects. Some are
dishonest in deal, overreaching in trade. Others are arbitrary in their
families, loving to rule. Their lives are far from being correct. Their
education was all wrong. They were not told the sin of yielding
to the control of these evil traits; therefore sin does not appear to
them so exceedingly sinful. Others, whose education has not been
so faulty, who have had better training, have developed a much
less objectionable character. The Christian life of all is very much
affected for good or for evil by their previous education.
Jesus, our Advocate, is acquainted with all the circumstances
with which we are surrounded and deals with us according to the
light we have had and the circumstances in which we are placed.
Some have a much better organization than others. While some
are continually harassed, afflicted, and in trouble because of their
unhappy traits of character, having to war with internal foes and the
corruption of their nature, others have not half so much to battle
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