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The Desire of Ages
those who claim to serve Him, but who misrepresent His character;
and multitudes are deceived, and led into false paths.
Any habit or practice that would lead into sin, and bring dishonor
upon Christ, would better be put away, whatever the sacrifice. That
which dishonors God cannot benefit the soul. The blessing of heaven
cannot attend any man in violating the eternal principles of right. And
one sin cherished is sufficient to work the degradation of the character,
and to mislead others. If the foot or the hand would be cut off, or even
the eye would be plucked out, to save the body from death, how much
more earnest should we be to put away sin, that brings death to the
soul!
In the ritual service, salt was added to every sacrifice. This, like
the offering of incense, signified that only the righteousness of Christ
could make the service acceptable to God. Referring to this practice,
Jesus said, “Every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.” “Have salt in
yourselves, and have peace one with another.” All who would present
themselves “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” (
Romans
12:1
), must receive the saving salt, the righteousness of our Saviour.
Then they become “the salt of the earth,” restraining evil among men,
as salt preserves from corruption.
Matthew 5:13
. But if the salt has
lost its savor; if there is only a profession of godliness, without the
love of Christ, there is no power for good. The life can exert no saving
influence upon the world. Your energy and efficiency in the upbuilding
of My kingdom, Jesus says, depend upon your receiving of My Spirit.
You must be partakers of My grace, in order to be a savor of life unto
life. Then there will be no rivalry, no self-seeking, no desire for the
highest place. You will have that love which seeks not her own, but
another’s wealth.
Let the repenting sinner fix his eyes upon “the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the world” (
John 1:29
); and by beholding, he
becomes changed. His fear is turned to joy, his doubts to hope. Grati-
tude springs up. The stony heart is broken. A tide of love sweeps into
the soul. Christ is in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting
life. When we see Jesus, a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief,
working to save the lost, slighted, scorned, derided, driven from city
to city till His mission was accomplished; when we behold Him in
Gethsemane, sweating great drops of blood, and on the cross dying in
agony,—when we see this, self will no longer clamor to be recognized.