There is an eloquence far more powerful than the eloquence of words in the quiet, consistent life of a pure, true Christian. What a person is has more influence than what he or she says. MHH 275.1
The officers who were sent to Jesus came back with the report that no man had ever spoken as He spoke. But the reason for this was that no man had ever lived as He lived. If His life had been other than it was, He could not have spoken as He did. His words had convincing power because they came from a heart pure and holy, full of love and sympathy, benevolence and truth. MHH 275.2
Our own character and experience determine our influence upon others. In order to convince others of the power of Christ’s grace, we must know its power in our own hearts and lives. The gospel we present for the saving of souls must be the gospel by which our own souls are saved. Only through a living faith in Christ as a personal Savior is it possible to make our influence felt in a skeptical world. If we would draw sinners out of the swift-running current, our own feet must be firmly set upon the Rock, Christ Jesus. MHH 275.3
The badge of Christianity is not an outward sign, not the wearing of a cross or a crown; it is that which reveals the union of the soul with God. By the power of His grace manifested in the transformation of character, the world is to be convinced that God has sent His Son as its Redeemer. No other influence that can surround a person has such power as the influence of an unselfish life. The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian. MHH 275.4