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When Truth is an Abiding Principle, January 13
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in
every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Colossians 1:10
.
The truth of God revealed in His Word is to be a living, abiding principle.
It is not to be looked upon as an influence
among
many but that which is set
over
all others. It will exercise a power over the life and conduct until the whole
being is assimilated to the image of the Perfect Pattern, and the human agent is
complete in Jesus Christ. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord,
so walk ye in him: rooted and built up,” not in self, not after men’s ideas, but “in
him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with
thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ”
(
Colossians 2:6-8
).
Your greatest danger will be that you will not see the need of contemplating
the character of Christ with a set purpose to imitate His life and conform your
character to His character. You are to show a marked difference between your
character and that of the world. “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and
power” (
Colossians 2:9, 10
).
The grand truths of the Bible are for us individually, to rule, to guide, to control
our life, for this is the only way in which Christ can be properly represented to
our world in grace and loveliness in the characters of all who profess to be His
disciples. Nothing less than heart service will be acceptable with God. God
requires the sanctification of the entire man, body, soul, and spirit. The Holy Spirit
implants a new nature, and molds through the grace of Christ the human character,
until the image of Christ is perfected. This is true holiness....
The spirit and word and influence you carry are making impressions upon the
minds of others. The atmosphere which surrounds the soul, if it is evil, will be like
a spiritual malaria, which will be poisonous to those around. But it is profitable
for the soul to have an atmosphere that will be as a savor of life unto life to others.
When the soul is weighted with the truth which works by love and purifies the soul,
a heavenly atmosphere will pervade the soul. “He that walketh with wise men shall
be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (
Proverbs 13:20
). Every
soul that claims to believe the truth, should manifest uprightness of character,
devotion to God, steadfastness of purpose, and represent the character of Christ
in a well-ordered life and godly conversation.—
Letter 70, January 13, 1894
, to
“Brethren in Responsible Positions in the Review and Herald Office.”
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