“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.... And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin.”ST February 1, 1899, par. 1

Christ made a complete sacrifice in our behalf, when He gave Himself as an offering for sin; and He asks us to give ourselves entirely to Him. He asks for the whole heart; He will accept nothing less than the undivided affections. “God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”ST February 1, 1899, par. 2

What is it to serve God?—It is to resemble Him in character, to imitate Him. To serve God is to obey Him, to keep His commandments, to make an open confession of standing, not under the black banner of the great apostate, but under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel. Those who serve God strive earnestly to obey His will. Thus they show to what army they belong.ST February 1, 1899, par. 3

But since sin entered the world, men have been serving self. The world today takes much satisfaction in talking of the progress of the age. But in this God does not delight. In the antediluvian world there were many wonderful works of art and science. Fresh from the hand of the Creator, these descendants of Adam possessed capabilities that we do not now see. But they forgot God; and so it is today. Men have sought out many inventions; but what is the influence exerted by the improvements and the abundant facilities for intercourse that are everywhere seen? Men have not kept God's commandments, and therefore the railways, the telegraph wires, the cables that connect the nations and kingdoms of the earth, have not brought the fallen world any nearer the higher world.ST February 1, 1899, par. 4

Obedience to God's law brings men into harmony with heavenly intelligences. It is the duty of each human being to offer God whole-hearted service, to strive to find the right path, the narrow way, that leads through the gate of self-denial into the city of God. The road that leads to death is broad, and full of indulgence; but at the end thereof is no city whose builder and maker is God. The road that leads to heaven is narrow, and few there be that find it; for by no device can this path be made smooth or easy. “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” Christ declared. “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”ST February 1, 1899, par. 5

Christ came from heaven to pass through the strait gate and travel in the narrow path, and He calls upon us to follow Him. As we do this, we should remember at every step that we are honored. Those who walk in the narrow way must daily receive God's restoring grace. This is given to heaven-bound travelers as they become worn by continual conflicts, and are tempted to cease making progressive movements. Those who do not receive this grace faint by the way, but those who do receive it are strengthened and encouraged.ST February 1, 1899, par. 6

Jesus is the ladder to heaven. Angels ascend and descend this ladder of shining brightness; and God calls upon us to mount this ladder. But we can not do this while we load ourselves down with earthly treasures. We wrong ourselves when we place our convenience and personal advantages before the things of God. There is no salvation in earthly possessions or surroundings. A man is not exalted in God's sight, or accredited by Him as possessing goodness, because He has earthly riches. If we gain a genuine experience in climbing, we shall learn that as we ascend we must leave every hindrance behind. Those who mount must place their feet firmly on every round of the ladder.ST February 1, 1899, par. 7

The church is Christ's instrumentality in this world. By it He seeks to represent the divine character. It is the privilege of each one to show that Christ has not disappointed him, but has given him refreshment by the way. We may not all be able to preach the Word, yet we all may minister. But this we can not do unless we receive Christ's grace, for we can not give what we do not possess. The faith that works by love and purifies the soul is the only true faith. The faith that does not produce fruit, that does not reveal the Christlikeness, is a false faith.ST February 1, 1899, par. 8

God is love, and all who truly serve Him will reveal His purity of character. They will be transformed into His image. Their form of speech will be changed. Hasty words of censure, a passionate spirit, are inspired by the enemy of all good. The children of God are patient. They are merciful, even as Christ is merciful. They are kind, pitiful, tender-hearted, and firm as a rock to principle.ST February 1, 1899, par. 9

But until men see their defects in the mirror of God's law, until they realize that they must meet that law in character, they can not truly serve God. They will manifest a spirit that is opposed to the way of the Lord. They will not feel it essential to be free from sin. Such can not offer to God acceptable service. The Son of God came to our world in human form to show man that divinity and humanity combined can obtain the victory over sin. Through Him we may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. “Whosoever abideth in Him, sinneth not; whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him.”ST February 1, 1899, par. 10

“Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; ... whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God; wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.”ST February 1, 1899, par. 11

“Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.”ST February 1, 1899, par. 12

God calls for complete consecration, and anything short of this He will not accept. A love for spiritual things should be encouraged, yea, must be encouraged, if we would grow in grace. Desires for goodness and true holiness are right so far as they go, but if we stop here, they will avail nothing. Good purposes are right, but they will prove of no avail unless resolutely carried out. Many professed Christians have no sense of the spiritual strength they might obtain were they as ambitious, zealous, and persevering to gain a knowledge of divine things as they are to obtain the perishable things of this life. Many are satisfied to be spiritual dwarfs. They have no disposition to make it their object to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; hence godliness is a hidden mystery to them; they can not understand it. They know not Christ by experimental knowledge.ST February 1, 1899, par. 13

Many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians. They made no earnest effort, and therefore they will be weighed in the balance and found wanting. The will must be exercised in the right direction. We must say, I will be a Christian. I will know the length and breadth, the height and depth, of perfect love. Listen to the words of Jesus: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.” Ample provision has been made by Christ to satisfy the soul that hungers and thirsts for righteousness.ST February 1, 1899, par. 14

Mrs. E. G. White

January 25, 1899

February 8, 1899