The Principles of Heaven
The works of Christ not only declared Him to be the Messiah, they showed in what manner His kingdom was to be established. To John was opened the same truth that had come to Elijah in the desert, when “a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire” God spoke to the prophet by “a still small voice.” 1 Kings 19:11, 12. So Jesus was to do His work, not by overturning thrones and kingdoms, not with pomp and outward display, but through speaking to human hearts by a life of mercy and self-sacrifice.MHH 16.4
The kingdom of God comes not with outward show. It comes through the gentleness of the inspiration of His Word, through the inward working of His Spirit, the fellowship of the soul with Him who is its life. The greatest manifestation of its power is seen in human nature brought to the perfection of the character of Christ.MHH 17.1
The followers of Christ are to be the light of the world, but God does not bid them make an effort to shine. He does not approve of any self-satisfied endeavor to display superior goodness. He desires that their souls shall be imbued with the principles of heaven; then, as they come into contact with the world, they will reveal the light that is in them. Their steadfast fidelity in every act of life will be a means of illumination.MHH 17.2
Wealth or high position, costly equipment, architecture, or furnishings are not essential to the advancement of the work of God. Neither are achievements that win human applause and administer to vanity. Worldly display, however imposing, is of no value in God’s sight. Above the seen and temporal, He values the unseen and eternal. The former is of worth only as it expresses the latter. The choicest productions of art possess no beauty that can compare with beauty of character, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s working in the soul.MHH 17.3
When God gave His Son to our world, He endowed human beings with imperishable riches—riches compared with which all the treasured wealth of the world since it began is nothingness. Christ came to this world and stood before His earthly children with the hoarded love of eternity, and this is the treasure that, through our connection with Him, we are to receive, to reveal, and to impart.MHH 17.4
Human effort will be efficient in the work of God just according to the consecrated devotion of the worker, who reveals the power of the grace of Christ to transform the life. We are to be distinguished from the world because God has placed His seal upon us, because He manifests in us His own character of love. Our Redeemer covers us with His righteousness.MHH 17.5
In choosing men and women for His service, God does not ask whether they possess worldly wealth, learning, or eloquence. He asks, “Do they walk in such humility that I can teach them My way? Can I put My words into their lips? Will they represent Me?” God can use every person just in proportion as He can put His Spirit into the soul temple. The work that He will accept is the work that reflects His image. His followers are to bear, as their credentials to the world, the never-changing characteristics of His immortal principles.MHH 17.6