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Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce
It is now the duty of God’s commandment-keeping people to watch
and pray, to search the Scriptures diligently, to hide the word of God in
the heart, lest they sin against Him in idolatrous thoughts and debasing
practices, and thus the church of God become demoralized like the
fallen churches whom prophecy represents as being filled with every
unclean and hateful bird.—
The Review and Herald, May 17, 1887
.
Fitted for Translation—There is to be a people fitted up for trans-
lation to heaven, whom Enoch represents. They are looking and
waiting for the coming of the Lord. The work will go on with all those
who will cooperate with Jesus in the work of redemption. He gave
Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify
unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. God has made
every provision that they should be intelligent Christians, filled with a
knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
A theoretical knowledge of the truth is essential, but the knowledge
of the greatest truth will not save us; our knowledge must be practical.
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God’s people must not only know His will, but they must practice
it. Many will be purged out from the numbers of those who know
the truth, because they are not sanctified by it. The truth must be
brought into their hearts, sanctifying and cleansing them from all
earthliness and sensuality in the most private life. The soul temple
must be cleansed. Every secret act is as if we were in the presence of
God and holy angels, as all things are open before God, and from Him
nothing can be hid.
Demoralizing Practices in Marriage—In this age of our world
the marriage vows are often disregarded. God never designed that mar-
riage should cover the multitude of sins that are practiced. Sensuality
and base practices in a marriage relation are educating the mind and
moral taste for demoralizing practices outside the marriage relation.
God is purifying a people to have clean hands and pure hearts to
stand before Him in the judgment. The standard must be elevated,
the imagination purified; the infatuation clustering around debasing
practices must be given up, and the soul uplifted to pure thoughts, holy
practices. All who will stand the test and trial just before us, will be
partakers of the divine nature, having escaped, not participated in, the
corruptions that are in the world through lust.
Source of Spiritual Power—The works of Satan are not half dis-
cerned, because purity and holiness do not mark the life and character