- A Word to the Reader
-
-
- Introduction
- Chapter 4—The Primacy of the Word
- Chapter 5—Experiences in Receiving the Visions
- Chapter 6—Glimpses of How the Light Came to Ellen White
- Chapter 7—Presenting the Divinely Revealed Message
- Chapter 8—The Question of Influence
-
-
-
-
- Introduction
-
-
-
- Chapter 15—A Running Account of Ellen G. White's Experience in Writing on the Life of Christ in 1876
-
-
-
-
- Introduction
-
- The Completeness of Christ's Humanity
- Christ Descended to the Level of Fallen Humanity
- Was Christ Capable of Yielding to Temptation?
- God Sent a Sinless Being to This World
- Man Created With Sinless Moral Nature
- Sickness of Others Carried Vicariously
- Christ's Sinlessness Disturbed Satan
- Our Fallen Human Nature Connected With Christ's Divinity
- Tempted as Children Today Are
- What the Incarnation Accomplishes
- Satan Declared That Man Could Not Keep God's Law
- Real Meaning of the Incarnation
-
- Introduction
-
-
- A Statement Presenting the Historical Backgrounds
- Precious Promises Versus Gloomy Pictures
- Ellen White's Appraisal on the Closing Day
- Two Excerpts From Minneapolis Sermons
- Three Months After Minneapolis
- The Reception in the Field of the Message of Righteousness by Faith
- Need for a Proper Concept of Righteousness by Faith
- Chapter 22—Emphasis on Salvation Theme—1890-1908
-
-
-
- Introduction
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Introduction
-
-
-
-
-
- Chapter 42—Renting Our Churches to Other Denominations
-
-
- Chapter 45—Balanced Counsel on Picture-making and Idolatry
-
-
-
- Chapter 49—Can All Have the Gift of Prophecy?
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Introduction
-
-
- Misleading Messages Will Be Accepted by Many
- Steadfastness, but No Defiance
- Backsliding SDA's Unite With Unbelievers
- A Science of the Devil
- The Time of Apostasy is Here
- Angels Will Hold Four Winds Until After Sealing
- Satan and his Angels Mingle With Apostates
- The Work of Independent Teachers
- Evil Angels in the Form of Believers Will Work in Our Ranks
- Apostasies That Will Surprise Us
- Apostates Will Use Hypnotism
- “Unify, Unify”
-
- The Trouble Ahead
- A Law of Nations That Will Cause Men to Violate God's Law
- The World in Rebellion
- Many Children Will Be Taken Away
- The Final Conflict Will Be Short but Terrible
- When Persecuted Flee to Another Place
- Martyrdom God's Means of Bringing Many Into Truth
- Christ Stands by the Side of Persecuted Saints
- Merchants and Princes Will Take Their Stand
- Every Human Being Will Be Either in Christ's Army or Satan's Army
- Christ Mingles in the Ranks in the Last Conflict
- Our Lives and the Final Preparation
- A Vivid View of Coming Events
-
Chapter 45—Balanced Counsel on Picture-making and Idolatry
[See Selected Messages 2:318-320.]
It is a difficult matter for men and women to draw the line in the matter of picture-making. Some have made a raid against pictures, daguerreo-types, and pictures of every kind. Everything must be burned up, they say, urging that the making of all pictures is prohibited by the second commandment; that they are an idol.3SM 330.1
An idol is anything that human beings love and trust in instead of loving and trusting in the Lord their Maker. Whatever earthly thing men desire and trust in as having power to help them and do them good, leads them away from God, and is to them an idol. Whatever divides the affections, or takes away from the soul the supreme love of God, or interposes to prevent unlimited confidence and entire trust in God, assumes the character and takes the form of an idol in the soul temple.3SM 330.2
The first great commandment is, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37). Here is allowed no separation of the affections from God. In 1 John 2:15-17 we read, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” Now if the pictures made have a tendency to separate the affections from God, and are worshiped in the place of God, they are idols. Have those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ exalted these things above God, and given their affections to them? Has their love for treasures filled a place in their hearts that Jesus should occupy?3SM 330.3
Have those who have burned up all their pictures of friends and any kind of pictures they happened to have, come up to a higher state of consecration for this act, and do they seem in words, in deportment, and in soul, to be ennobled, elevated, more heavenly-minded? Is their experience richer than before? Do they pray more, and believe with a more perfect faith after this consuming sacrifice which they have made? Have they come up into the mount? Has the holy fire been kindled in their hearts, giving new zeal and greater devotion to God and His work than before? Has a live coal from off the altar of sacrifice touched their hearts and their lips? By their fruits you can tell the character of the work.—Manuscript 50, 1886.3SM 331.1