December 21, 1891

Abide in Me

EGW

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.” These are statements of the highest consequence to every one of us. Everyone who is indeed a child of God will be doing something in the great and solemn work of saving souls. Said Christ, “He that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” Let each one of us ask himself: “What am I doing for Christ? Am I winning souls for his kingdom?” If you are not interestedly at work in the service of Christ, your interest and work are reckoned on the side of the prince of darkness. There are professed Christians who, by wrong words, deportment, and spirit, are doing a great deal to counteract the work that others are seeking to do for the Master.ST December 21, 1891, par. 1

Satan can so associate himself with a certain class who are weak in moral power that, by leading them to make a careless remark about being so particular, so over-righteous, so wonderfully conscientious, or by a careless laugh, he can create impulses for evil. Even the most secret whisper of an evil thought, a suggestion of wrongdoing, will be passed from mind to mind, growing in force, extending and widening, and all the time exerting its deleterious influence to separate souls from God, until the branches that bear no fruit are taken away.ST December 21, 1891, par. 2

Satan was a beautiful, exalted angel, and would have remained so forever had he not withdrawn his allegiance from God. From the moment when he ceased to exert his influence for good, he became an influence for evil. He might have been the center of a hallowed influence, loyal and true, being good, and doing good, but he would not. In separating himself from God, he became a power for evil. Each act of selfishness exerts an influence on others.ST December 21, 1891, par. 3

In the hands of Satan, temptation has become a science. He is the god of this world because the world has chosen him as its master. In Satan's hands, the world is a treasure house of evil, upon which he can draw for his weapons and help to do him service. It is dangerous for the followers of Christ to walk on Satan's ground, or place themselves in his power; for if they do this, they do a work in connection with him that will extend down through the ages, and be as lasting as eternity. In his temptation of our first parents, Satan could not force them to transgress, but he could suggest allurements to sin, and the mind that is open to his suggestions is the medium through which he works to allure other minds. That first sin is at work still; it is constantly being reproduced, as one mind is brought to bear upon another for evil. Satan is the root of all evil. Every evil branch draws its sustenance from him, and presents its unholy, poisonous fruit for others to taste.ST December 21, 1891, par. 4

How striking is the power of influence as here presented! And how necessary it is for each of us to know the character of our influence, when that first sin could bring such a flood of woe upon our world! Not an evil deed has been performed but an unseen witness has marked it, and followed its influence from one person to another, and a faithful record has been made of it. If men could only read the record of the past, a most solemn impression would be made upon their minds. The record of the future would be altogether changed in its character. They would see that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and that their life experience must be in keeping with the way of the Lord. What a scene will be presented when Jesus shall open the book of remembrance, and read from its unerring pages the history of every soul!ST December 21, 1891, par. 5

It is for our well-being, for our eternal interest, to heed the words of Christ, “Abide in me, and I in you.” This work is mutual. You must choose to abide in Christ, and then Christ will choose to abide in you. The soul must feel its dependence on Christ, and that only in entire dependence can we receive strength to work the works of Christ. All who have lived to themselves, self-centered, should know that they are not abiding in Christ, and that Christ is not abiding in them. Let these souls, so full of self and self-esteem, determine now, in these last hours of probation, that they will take Christ as all and in all, and then in and through him they may exclaim, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!”ST December 21, 1891, par. 6

In giving Christ to our world for the redemption of the human family, God planned to change the destructive tendencies of man's influence, and he lays special claim upon that influence, seeks to press it into his service, and by his Holy Spirit sanctify the ability. He wants to make man a chosen vessel unto honor, to be a coworker with him in suppressing evil, and extending righteousness in the earth. Christ, co-operating with human agencies, will restore man to favor with God. Satan planned to draw men's minds away from God, that the knowledge of God might become extinct, and that the human agency might, through his power, become a means of destruction; but Christ, the Restorer, came to counteract the work of Satan, to set in operation plans of the highest order, and by giving man a glimpse of the future world, and the exceeding great reward, to make him see things in their true light. With the golden chain of his matchless love, he would bind men to the throne of God. The plan of God was that the highest influence in the universe, emanating from the Center of all power, should be brought to bear on human minds. The goodness and love of God subdues the heart, and then man becomes a channel to communicate these divine impressions to his fellow-men. Thus in Christ he is a fruit-bearing branch. No man, saint or sinner, liveth to himself.ST December 21, 1891, par. 7

Christ sets in operation all good influences to oppose sin and evil. For every supposed sacrifice we make in his service, he has promised to requite us, but not as if he were in debt to man, as the magnitude of the gift shows. He has pledged his word to repay us a hundred-fold in this present life, and in the world to come to give us everlasting life. But that which to us bears the appearance of a sacrifice is not so in reality; for whatever Christ asks us to give up for his sake is only that which it would be to our injury to retain. And in its place he gives us that which is of the highest value. Every struggle against sin, every victory over evil, every holy principle exerted for God, he registers as a good work, and he who does it will be a claimant for his grace at the recompense of the just.ST December 21, 1891, par. 8

“I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing.” Is this the test? Then is not here given a reason why so little is accomplished by so many laborers? They have not a living connection with Christ. The dry branch is to be united to the living vine, grafted into it. Fiber by fiber, vein by vein, the graft grows into the vine stock, until the life of the vine becomes the life of the branch, and the branch buds and blossoms, and matures its clusters of rich fruit. Jesus says to all, whatever their riches, their learning, their talents, their position, “Without me ye can do nothing.” There is the soul dead in trespasses and sins, and how is that soul to be made a partaker of the divine nature?—By coming to Christ and connecting with him, as the dry, sapless branch connects with the vine, and thereby lives. The sinner may unite his ignorance to Christ's wisdom, his weakness to Christ's strength, his frailty to Christ's enduring might; and in this union there is confidence, love, and dependence. When this union is formed, the principle of the law of association takes effect, the will is surrendered to Christ's will, and the sinner has the mind of Christ. The humanity in Christ has touched our humanity, and our humanity has touched divinity. Thus, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, man becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus. He then abides in Christ, living by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. New and heavenly principles are received through mental, moral, and spiritual association with Christ.ST December 21, 1891, par. 9

Satan has tried to prevent men from receiving a correct view of God. Our ideas of God have become perverted. The true ideas have been lost, and the mind has been thrown into confusion in regard to him. Passion has taken the place of reason. To see God as he is, is to love and reverence him as supreme. To know God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent, is eternal life. Satan knows that if the attention of men is turned to Christ, they will believe on him.ST December 21, 1891, par. 10

The greater the efforts of Satan to accomplish our destruction, the greater is the victory achieved in overcoming them. The world's Redeemer presents the plan of the battle, with all the difficulties, and bids us count the cost. He does not wish his followers to be ignorant of Satan's devices. They must know what they will have to meet, and the preparation they must make in order to counteract his devices. He shows them the vast confederacy of evil arrayed against himself and his followers, but he makes it plain to them that they shall have the help of the Holy Spirit in the battle. Angels of God, unseen by mortal sight, will mingle in their ranks. As soldiers of Jesus they must put on the armor, for they “wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” They could do nothing against such formidable foes without Christ to direct the warfare.ST December 21, 1891, par. 11