Worldly-Mindedness a Snare
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Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will
love him, and will manifest Myself to him. Judas saith unto Him, not
Iscariot, Lord, how is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and
not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love
Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We
will come unto him, and make Our abode with him. He that loveth Me
not keepeth not My sayings.”
The words of Christ find no response in your hearts, for you have
blinded your eyes and hardened your hearts. In the books of heaven
you are both accounted as of the world. Your hearts are sometimes
troubled, but not enough to lead you to repent and change your course
of action. The world holds your affections, and its customs are more
agreeable to you than obedience to the heavenly Teacher.
Your example before your children is not at all in accordance with
the truth you profess to love. The truth does not sanctify you or them.
You love selfish enjoyment; and the lessons taught your children, both
by precept and example, have not been of a character to foster in them
humility, meekness, and a Christlike disposition. You are molding
them after the world’s standard. When Jesus shall open before you the
book of records, where day by day your words and actions have been
faithfully registered, you will see that with both of you life has been a
terrible failure.
What your recent affliction may have done for you, I am unable
to say; but if it has had power to open your eyes and convict your
souls, you will certainly take a course to make this evident. Without a
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thorough conversion, you can never receive the crown of everlasting
life; and your children will never have part with the blood-washed
throng unless they first unlearn the lessons you have taught them,
which have become a part of their life and character. Your example
has led them to think that religion is like a garment that may be worn
or laid off as occasion requires or convenience dictates; and unless
there is an entire change in the influences brought to bear upon them,
these lax ideas of the claims of God will cling to them. They do not
know what constitutes the Christian life; they have not learned what it
is to live the truth and bear the cross.
“If the world hate you,” said Christ, “ye know that it hated Me
before it hated you.” You have entertained the opinion that the reason
why the world is so much opposed to us as a people is that we are too