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Light Versus Darkness, January 6
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be
put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, ... even
as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31, 32
.
The great controversy going on in the world is waging more sharply today
than at any period of this world’s history between the Prince of light and the prince
of darkness. Bear the fact in mind that, wherever there are plans set in operation
to advance the cause of God in the world, Satan will be on hand to counteract,
if possible, the workings of our merciful heavenly Father.... He will use every
possible advantage you give him to control minds....
God’s people, rescued from the fire by Jesus Christ, have a sense of their
sin, feel humbled and ashamed. God sees and recognizes their repentance, and
notes their sorrow for sin, which they cannot remove or cancel themselves. But
as they pray their prayers are heard, and this is the reason that Satan stands by to
resist Christ; because He hears their prayers, He maketh intercession for the saints
according to the will of God. He regenerates the sinner, and pardon is written
off against his name. This stirs Satan up to resistance. He steps in between the
repenting, believing soul and Christ. He seeks to cast his hellish shadow before
that soul, to dampen faith, and to make of none effect the words of God....
If Satan stands between the soul and Jesus Christ, then the love and acceptance
and pardon of Christ are eclipsed—man will be constantly striving to prepare a
robe of righteousness to cover his deformity and sin, when Christ wants him to
come to Him just as he is, and believe in Him as his personal Saviour. In His
tender love, a forgiving Father brings forth His best robe in which to array His
returning child....
Satan is a vigilant, untiring foe, and he sleeps not. He knows that his time is
short, and he will work until the end with every species of deception to draw souls
into his snare and ruin them. I have a message for you—“Watch and pray, lest ye
enter into temptation.” Give no place to the devil to stand between you and Christ,
lest you savor of the things that be of men and not of God. If your faith is genuine,
it must and will produce obedience. God commands us to do nothing which we
cannot do. He will give strength to every believing, trusting soul....
Cherish the love of Jesus in the heart, respect each other, for Christ has given
His life for you. Every soul is precious in the sight of God. It is a wonderful thing
to be remembered and cared for every hour by God.—
Letter 65, January 6, 1894
,
to the ship’s crew on board the
Pitcairn
.
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