Paul a Prisoner
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must be a learner in the school of Christ; and there is need of diligent
and persevering effort to reach that standard of righteousness which
God’s word requires. Every one has a work to do to learn the lessons
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of justice, humility, patience, purity, and love. These traits of character
are more precious in the sight of our Lord than offerings of gold or
silver. They are more acceptable to him than the most costly sacrifice.
There is the same dislike of reproof and correction among the pro-
fessed people of God today as in the days of our Saviour. There is the
same disposition to lean toward the world and to follow its mocking
shadows. The presence of ambitious, selfish, time-serving members is
imperiling the church, whose greatest danger is from worldly confor-
mity. Such members are constantly exerting an influence to unite the
church more closely with the world. They are doing the work of Satan.
When God sends his servants with words of warning or counsel, these
traitors to their holy trust reject the Heaven-sent message, and thus
not only slight the grace of Christ themselves, but lead others also to
smother their convictions and lose the proffered blessing.
By resistance to the truth, the hearts of such are settling down
into the fatal hardness of confirmed impenitence. They are deceiving
themselves, and deceiving others. They are Christians by profession;
they pay outward homage to Christ; they unite in the services of
the sanctuary; and yet the heart, whose loyalty alone Jesus prizes, is
estranged from him. They have a name to live, but are dead. They are
left to the darkness they have chosen,—the blackness of eternal night.
It is a fearful thing for those who profess to be children of God,
to cross the line of demarkation that should separate the church from
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the world. Such are Satan’s most effective agents. He works through
them with decision, zeal, and persistency, to devise and execute such
enormities against those who are true to God, as the common sinner
would seem incapable of. The very light they have slighted makes their
darkness tenfold greater than it otherwise would be. When men refuse
to accept the light which God in mercy sends them, they know not
where they are going. They take only one step at a time away from the
right path; but these successive steps lead directly to perdition. They
place themselves on Satan’s ground, and his spirit controls them. They
cannot perceive the great change in themselves. None are transformed
at once; but they enter Satan’s school instead of the school of Christ,
and the great deceiver educates them to do his work.