Opposition to Faithful Warnings
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is here; truth is here,” Jesus is saying: “I am the truth; I have the words
of eternal life. If any man follow Me, he shall not walk in darkness.”
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God gives to us all evidence sufficient to balance our faith on the side
of truth. If we surrender to God we shall choose the light and reject
the darkness. If we desire to maintain the independence of the natural
heart, and refuse the correction of God, we shall, as did the Jews,
stubbornly carry out our purposes and our ideas in the face of the
plainest evidence, and shall be in danger of as great deception as came
upon them; and in our blind infatuation we may go to as great lengths
as they did, and yet flatter ourselves that we are doing work for God.
Brother G, you will not long stand where you now are. The path
you have started upon is diverging from the true path and separating
you from the people whom God is testing in order to purify them for
the final victory. You will either come into union with this body, and
labor earnestly to answer the prayer of Christ, or you will become
more and more unbelieving. You will question point after point of the
established faith of the body, become more self-willed in your opinion,
and grow darker and darker in regard to the work of God for this time,
until you set light for darkness and darkness for light.
Satan has great power to entangle souls by confusing the minds of
those who do not cherish the light and the privileges which Providence
sends them. Minds which are submitted to Satan’s control are led
continually from the light of truth into error and darkness. If you
give Satan the least advantage, he will claim more and will watch the
outposts to make the most of any circumstance to advantage his cause
and ruin your soul.
Brother and Sister G, you are neither of you in a safe position. You
despise reproof. Had smooth words been spoken to you rather than
words of reproof, had you been praised and flattered, you would now
occupy a very different position from what you do in regard to your
belief in the Testimonies. There are some in these last days who will
cry: “Speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.” But this is not
my work. God has set me as a reprover of His people; and just so
surely as He has laid upon me the heavy burden, He will make those to
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whom this message is given responsible for the manner in which they
treat it. God will not be trifled with, and those who despise His work
will receive according to their deeds. I have not chosen this unpleasant
labor for myself. It is not a work which will bring to me the favor or