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To the Workers in Southern California
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His grace, humanity shall become partakers of the divine nature and
thus escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. The
word of God in the Old and New Testaments, if faithfully studied
and received into the life, will give spiritual wisdom and life. This
word is to be sacredly cherished. Faith in the word of God and in
the power of Christ to transform the life will enable the believer to
work His works and to live a life of rejoicing in the Lord.
Again and again I have been instructed to say to our people: Let
your faith and trust be in God. Do not depend on any erring man
to define your duty. It is your privilege to say: “I will declare Thy
name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise
Thee. Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him; all ye the seed of Jacob,
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glorify Him; and fear Him, all ye the seed of Israel. For He hath not
despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath He
hid His face from him; but when he cried unto Him, He heard. My
praise shall be of Thee: ... I will pay my vows before them that fear
Him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord
that seek Him: your heart shall live forever.”
Psalm 22:22-26
.
These scriptures are right to the point. Every church member
should understand that God is the one to whom to look for an under-
standing of individual duty. It is right that brethren counsel together;
but when men arrange just what their brethren shall do, let them
answer that they have chosen the Lord as their counselor. Those who
will humbly seek Him will find His grace sufficient. But when one
man allows another to step in between him and the duty that God
has pointed out to him, giving to man his confidence and accepting
him as guide, then he steps from the true platform to a false and
dangerous one. Such a man, instead of growing and developing, will
lose his spirituality.
There is no power in any man to remedy the defective character.
Individually our hope and trust must be in One who is more than
human. We need ever to remember that help has been laid on One
who is mighty. The Lord has provided the needed help for every
soul who will accept it.
Sanitarium, California,
October 3, 1907.
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