Church Organization
321
on human beings for help. They are not to lean, like helpless children,
upon someone else as a prop. As a steward of the grace of God, every
church member should feel personal responsibility to have life and
root in himself.
The success of the meeting depends on the presence and power
of the Holy Spirit. For the outpouring of the Spirit every lover of the
cause of truth should pray. And as far as lies in our power, we are to
remove every hindrance to His working. The Spirit can never be poured
out while variance and bitterness toward one another are cherished
by the members of the church. Envy, jealousy, evil surmising, and
evilspeaking are of Satan, and they effectually bar the way against the
Holy Spirit’s working.
Nothing else in this world is so dear to God as His church. Nothing
is guarded by Him with such jealous care. Nothing so offends God as
an act that injures the influence of those who are doing His service.
He will call to account all who aid Satan in his work of criticizing and
discouraging
[249]
449
Testimonies for the Church 6:39-42