Conditions Among God’s People
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great spiritual weakness. It is not for lack of knowledge that God’s
people are now perishing. They will not be condemned because they
do not know the way, the truth, and the life. The truth that has reached
their understanding, the light which has shone on the soul, but which
has been neglected or refused, will condemn them. Those who never
had the light to reject, will not be in condemnation. What more could
have been done for God’s vineyard than has been done? Light, precious
light, shines upon God’s people; but it will not save them, unless they
consent to be saved by it, fully live up to it, and transmit it to others in
darkness.—
Testimonies for the Church 2:123
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The Need of Heavenly Eyesalve
The churches need to have their eyes anointed with the heavenly
eyesalve, that they may see the many opportunities all about them
to minister for God. Repeatedly God has called upon His people to
go out into the highways and hedges, and compel men to come in,
that His house may be full, yet even within the shadow of our own
doors are families in which we have not shown sufficient interest to
lead them to think that we cared for their souls. It is this work lying
nearest us that the Lord now calls upon the church to undertake. We
are not to stand, saying, “Who is my neighbor?” We are to remember
that our neighbor is the one who need our sympathy and help. Our
neighbor is every soul who is wounded and bruised by the adversary.
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Our neighbor is every one who is the property of God. In Christ the
distinctions made by the Jews as to who was their neighbor are swept
away. There are no territorial lines, no artificial distinctions, no caste,
no aristocracy.—
Testimonies for the Church 6:294
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Fanaticism and Cold Formalism
Satan is now working with all his insinuating, deceiving power, to
lead men away from the work of the third angel’s message, which is to
be proclaimed with mighty power. When the enemy sees that the Lord
is blessing His people, and preparing them to discern his delusions, he
will work with his masterly power to bring in fanaticism on one hand
and cold formalism on the other, that he may gather in a harvest of
souls. Now is the time to watch unceasingly. Watch for the first step