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The Test of Character, April 23
And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall
purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that
they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
Malachi 3:3
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Many who profess sanctification are entirely ignorant of the work of
grace upon the heart.... They lay aside reason and judgment, and depend
wholly upon their feelings, basing their claims to sanctification upon
emotions which they have at some time experienced....
Bible sanctification does not consist in strong emotion. Here is
where many are led into error. They make feelings their criterion. When
they feel elated or happy, they claim that they are sanctified. Happy
feelings or the absence of joy is no evidence that a person is or is not
sanctified.... Those who are battling with daily temptations, overcoming
their own sinful tendencies, and seeking for holiness of heart and life,
make no boastful claims of holiness. They are hungering and thirsting
for righteousness. Sin appears to them exceedingly sinful.
In summer, as we look upon the trees of the distant forest, all clothed
with a beautiful mantle of green, we may not be able to distinguish
between the evergreens and the other trees. But as winter approaches,
and the frost king encloses them in his icy embrace, stripping the other
trees of their beautiful foliage, the evergreens are readily discerned.
Thus it will be with all who are walking in humility, distrustful of self,
but clinging tremblingly to the hand of Christ. While those who are self-
confident, and trust in their own perfection of character, lose their false
robe of righteousness when subjected to the storms of trial, the truly
righteous, who sincerely love and fear God, wear the robe of Christ’s
righteousness in prosperity and adversity alike.
It requires the testing time to reveal the pure gold of love and faith
in the character. When trials and perplexities come upon the church,
then the steadfast zeal and warm affections of Christ’s true followers
are developed.
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