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138
Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers
of truth, what then? The spirit is warring against the flesh, and
the flesh against the spirit; and one of these must conquer. If the
truth sanctifies the soul, sin is hated and shunned, because Christ
is accepted as an honored guest. But Christ cannot share a divided
heart; sin and Jesus are never in copartnership. He who accepts the
truth in sincerity, who eats the flesh and drinks the blood of the Son
of God, has eternal life. “The words that I speak unto you,” said
Jesus, “they are spirit, and they are life.” When the receiver of truth
cooperates with the Holy Spirit, he will go weighted with the burden
of the message to souls; he will never be merely a sermonizer.
He will enter heart and soul into the great work of seeking and
saving that which is lost. Practicing the religion of Christ, he will
accomplish a good work in winning souls.
Under Bonds to God
Every believer is under bonds to God to be spiritually minded,
keeping himself in the channel of light, that he may let his light
shine to the world. When all those who are engaged in the sacred
work of the ministry shall grow in grace and in the knowledge of
our Lord and Saviour, they will hate sin and all selfishness. A moral
renovation is constantly going on; as they continue looking to Jesus,
they become conformed to His image, and are found complete in
Him, not having their own righteousness, but the righteousness that
is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The great advantage of the ministerial institutes [
See appendix.
] is not half appreciated. They are rich in opportunities, but do not
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accomplish half what they should because those who attend them
do not practice the truth which is presented before them in clear
lines. Many who are explaining the Scriptures to others have not
conscientiously and entirely surrendered mind and heart and life to
the control of the Holy Spirit. They love sin and cling to it. I have
been shown that impure practices, pride, selfishness, self-glorying,
have closed the door of the heart even of those who teach the truth
to others, so that the frown of God is upon them. Cannot some
renovating power take hold of them? Have they fallen a prey to a
moral disease which is incurable because they themselves refuse to
be cured? Oh, that everyone who labors in word and doctrine would