September 26, 1895

Be Not Wise in Your Own Conceit

(Conclusion.)

EGW

It is anything but wise, my young friends, to seek your own pleasure, to sow a crop of tares in foolish, sinful actions, which will not only lead others to do the same, but will bring forth a bitter harvest for your own reaping. The Lord says: “Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Youth is the sowing time, and the words and deeds of the early life are like seeds that will germinate and produce a harvest after their kind. Then why not sow seeds of kindness, of love, of faith, of patience, of self-denial, and true benevolence, and keep all your passions under control? Such sowing will produce a harvest after its kind. Let every word and deed be a seed that will result in good fruit.YI September 26, 1895, par. 1

If you seek the help and grace of God, the Holy Spirit will take possession of mind and character, and work in you that which you can work out with all safety to yourself, and with all benefit to others. You will show that you love God supremely, and your neighbor as yourself. What more desirable work could you do, what could be more satisfactory to yourself, than to know that you are a blessing to your fellow men? Under the dictation of the Holy Spirit, you may be a laborer together with God in uplifting humanity. The atmosphere that surrounds your soul will be of a pure, healthful character.YI September 26, 1895, par. 2

Untried character is not reliable. We are to be tried by temptation in order that we may learn to seek wisdom from God, and to flee to the stronghold in time of trouble. He alone will be successful in resisting temptation who finds help and grace from God. Individually we stand as did our first parents—face to face with manifold temptations that solicit mind and heart. All heaven is watching with intense interest, to see whether we will look unto Jesus and submit ourselves to his will, or whether in the temptation we shall follow the inclinations of the natural heart and the solicitations of the evil one. O, how often you have lost the battle because you have acted independent of him who has made you his own by creation and by redemption! Yielding to the solicitations of evil, you have experienced evil as did Adam when he fell into the snare; but those who through faith are kept by the power of God, learn good and precious things. They experience the peace of Christ which passeth understanding. In resisting temptation, you refuse to be confederate with Satan, and place yourselves under the banner of Jesus Christ. In the sight of heavenly intelligences, you develop yourself as a conqueror. It is made manifest that you are a son of God. “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” You represent Christ in true goodness of character, and understand what these words signify, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.... And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” You receive grace, you develop grace; and as you reveal grace in your words, in your spirit and actions, God pours upon you a larger measure of grace. In proportion as you surrender yourselves to the working of the Holy Spirit, you are supplied with heavenly grace. You are molded and fashioned a vessel unto honor, and become a channel through which God makes manifest his grace to the world.YI September 26, 1895, par. 3

Mrs. E. G. White