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Testimonies for the Church Volume 5
learning the first principles of what constitutes a Christian character.
Christ said to the apostle Peter: “When thou art converted, strengthen
thy brethren.” You, likewise, must be converted before you can do
acceptable work for the Master.
My brother, if you will, you can be a strong man in God. You
have talents of ability that God has entrusted to your keeping to be
sanctified to His service. But if you do not yield up all to Christ, your
ability will prove dangerous both to yourself and to others, leading
them to walk apart from the truth and away from Christ.
The members of the church in-----need very much done for them.
They must have fervent zeal for Christ, must be more humble, more
patient, more kind, more teachable, more Christlike in every respect.
In their character they should manifest to the world the sanctifying
power of grace. God forbid that you should, by precept or example,
bar the way to this essential work. Will you work with Jesus? Will
you be true to the Lord who has bought you? Will you put into the
background all matters of minor importance? You must be baptized
into a larger faith, a larger charity. You need greater reverence for
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things of eternal importance. It is impossible for me to impress upon
your mind too strongly the extent and power of the influence which
flows from the example of individual piety and from the exhibition, by
the church, of the sanctifying influence of the truth upon the character.
A much greater ingathering could be realized in-----if the church
would come into a right position before God, each seeking to set his
own heart and his own house in order. Talk less, and let true inward
piety shine forth in good works. Be kind; cultivate love and gentleness.
Pray more; read your Bibles more. Be diligent students in the school
of Christ. Then the members of the church will not be finding fault
with their brethren and sisters; this is Satan’s work.
I hope you will be strengthened and established in the faith. The
work will surely go forward, whether we advance with it or not. It
will be victorious, but the question is: Shall we be victorious with it?
May God help you both to feel the need of a deep work of grace in
your hearts. Remember that Jesus has bought you with the sacrifice
of His own life. “Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a
price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are
God’s.”