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Imitating the Pattern, October 9
God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with
Christ, ...and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in
heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-6
.
Where the Spirit of God is, there is meekness, patience, gentleness, and
longsuffering; there is a tenderness of soul, a mildness which savors of Christ.
But these fruits are not manifested by the unconverted. The more real need
there is for this class to humble themselves before God, the less sense they
have of their real standing, and the more self-confidence they assume. The
more they claim to be led by God, the more overbearing they are to all around
them, the more incapable of receiving any reproof, the more impatient of
contradiction, and the less they feel the need of counsel. Instead of being
meek and gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy, love, and good fruits,
they are exacting and tyrannical; instead of being swift to hear and slow to
speak, they are slow to hear and swift to speak.
They are unwilling to learn of anyone. The temper is fiery and vehement.
There is a set determination, a fierceness in the very looks and deportment.
They speak and act as though they would take the work out of God’s hands
and pass judgment themselves upon those whom they consider in the wrong.
A true disciple of Christ will seek to imitate the Pattern. His love will
lead to perfect obedience. He will study to do the will of God on earth, as it
is done in heaven. He whose heart is still defiled with sin cannot be zealous
of good works; and is not careful to abstain from evil, is not vigilant and
watchful over his own motives and conduct, is not jealous over his unruly
tongue; he is not careful to deny self and lift the cross of Christ. These poor,
deceived souls fail to keep the first four precepts of the decalogue, defining
the duty of man to God, neither do they keep the last six commandments,
defining the duty of man to his fellow men.
The fruits of the Spirit, ruling in the heart and controlling the life, are love,
joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, bowels of mercies, and humbleness of
mind. True believers walk after the Spirit, and the Spirit of God dwells in
them.—
Manuscript 1, October 9, 1878
, “Church Difficulties.”
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