Seite 109 - Counsels for the Church (1991)

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Christians to Represent God
105
and light which have been conferred upon them, they are weighed in
the balance, and angels make the report, WANTING
.
91
The Unpardonable Sin
What constitutes the sin against the Holy Ghost? It is willfully
attributing to Satan the work of the Holy Spirit. For example, suppose
that one is a witness of the special work of the Spirit of God. He has
convincing evidence that the work is in harmony with the Scriptures,
and the Spirit witnesses with his spirit that it is of God. Afterward,
however, he falls under temptation; pride, self-sufficiency, or some
other evil trait, controls him; and rejecting all the evidence of its divine
character, he declares that that which he had before acknowledged to
be the power of the Holy Spirit was the power of Satan. It is through
the medium of His Spirit that God works upon the human heart; and
when men willfully reject the Spirit and declare it to be from Satan,
they cut off the channel by which God can communicate with them.
By denying the evidence which God has been pleased to give them,
they shut out the light which had been shining in their hearts, and as the
result they are left in darkness. Thus the words of Christ are verified:
“If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that
darkness!”
Matthew 6:23
. For a time, persons who have committed
this sin may appear to be children of God; but when circumstances
arise to develop character and show what manner of spirit they are of,
it will be found that they are on the enemy’s ground, standing under
his black banner
.
92
Confessing or Denying Christ
In our mingling in society, in families or in whatever relations of
life we are placed, either limited or extended, there are many ways
wherein we may acknowledge our Lord and many ways wherein we
may deny Him. We may deny Him in our words, by speaking evil
of others, by foolish talking, jesting and joking, by idle or unkind
words, or by prevaricating, speaking contrary to truth. In our words
we may confess that Christ is not in us. In our character we may
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Testimonies for the Church 1:406
92
Testimonies for the Church 5:634