EGW
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.” When the heart has a deep longing for God, when the mind contemplates the goodness and the loving kindness of God, when the soul hopes and trusts in the Lord, the Holy Spirit will be as a comforter to the soul. Jesus says, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Shall we be obedient to these inspired words that come sounding down the line to our time? The purpose to which we are called is an exalted one. Peter says, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” How can you show forth his praises?—By the words that you utter. You can speak in such a way as to bless others,—to be a savor of life unto life in working the works of righteousness. “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” YI July 18, 1895, par. 1
The Lord is to be honored and glorified by his people in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom they are to shine as lights in the world. “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.” The manner in which we use the gift of speech will tell on the side of good or evil. We are to manifest Christian tact and sanctified judgment. Men will present arguments against the truth that will be inspired by Satan for the purpose of leading the advocates of truth into side issues, and to carry the minds of his hearers into the same channels. Satan's subtlety often accomplishes this, and thus confuses and harasses those who are seeking after truth. The advocates of truth should not permit themselves to be led hither and thither after vain objections, but they should lift up the standard of truth, and from the book of inspiration crowd in the words of God. Let every soul meet the temptations of Satan in the same manner in which Christ met them when in conflict with the enemy in the wilderness. He said to the tempter, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” YI July 18, 1895, par. 2
Mrs. E. G. White