Principles for Christian Leaders

Internal threats

Drawing away—In the place of turning the weapons of warfare within our own ranks, let them be turned against the enemies of God and of the truth. Echo the prayer of Christ with your whole heart: “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.” . . . PCL 39.1

When anyone is drawing apart from the organized body of God’s commandment-keeping people, [and] when he begins to weigh the church [in his human scales] and begin to pronounce judgment against them, then you may know that God is not leading him. He is on the wrong track.—MS 21, 1893 (June 12); 3SM 18 PCL 39.2

Misguided independence—God is teaching, leading, and guiding His people that they may teach, lead, and guide others. There will be, among the remnant of these last days, as there were with ancient Israel, those who wish to move independently, who are not willing to submit to the teachings of the Spirit of God and who will not listen to advice or counsel. Let such ever bear in mind that God has a church upon the earth to which He has delegated power. Men will want to follow their own independent judgment, despising counsel and reproof; but just as surely as they do this, they will depart from the faith and disaster and the ruin of souls will follow. Those who rally now to support and build up the truth of God are ranging themselves on one side, standing united in heart, mind, and voice in defense of the truth; while those who do not labor in harmony of purpose and action, who choose their own unsanctified judgment as perfection of action, are ranging themselves on the side of Satan and are defending his cause. Satan will become their leader, and they will join him in his constant endeavors to tear down that which God is building up. PCL 39.3

None of these discordant elements will be able eventually to thwart the purposes of God in the preparation of a people to stand in the great day and in the final completion of the plan of salvation. . . . PCL 40.1

It is a delusion of the enemy for anyone to feel that he can disconnect from agencies which God has appointed and work on an independent line of his own, in his own supposed wisdom, and yet be successful. Although he may flatter himself that he is doing God’s work, he will not prosper in the end. We are one body, and every member is to be united to the body, each person working in his respective capacity. Men must be like-minded with God—pure, holy, sincere. Not one is to be shut up to himself, to live for himself.—Letter 33a, 1888 (March 21) PCL 40.2

The Word of God does not give license for one man to set up his judgment in opposition to the judgment of the church, neither is he allowed to urge his opinions against the opinions of the church. If there were no church discipline and government, the church would go to fragments; it could not hold together as a body. There have ever been individuals of independent minds who have claimed that they were right, that God had especially taught, impressed, and led them. Each has a theory of his own, views peculiar to himself, and each claims that his views are in accordance with the word of God. Each one has a different theory and faith, yet each claims special light from God. These draw away from the body, and each one is a separate church of himself. All these cannot be right, yet they all claim to be led of the Lord. The Word of Inspiration is not Yea and Nay, but Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus.—3T 428 (1875) PCL 40.3

The spasmodic, fitful movements of some who claim to be Christians are well represented by the work of strong but untrained horses. When one pulls forward, another pulls back, and at the voice of their master one plunges ahead and the other stands immovable. If men will not move in concert in the great and grand work for this time, there will be confusion. It is not a good sign when men refuse to unite with their brethren and prefer to act alone. Let laborers take into their confidence the brethren who are free to point out every departure from right principles. If men wear the yoke of Christ, they cannot pull apart; they will draw with Christ. PCL 41.1

Some workers pull with all the power that God has given them, but they have not yet learned that they should not pull alone. Instead of isolating themselves, let them draw in harmony with their fellow laborers. Unless they do this, their activity will work at the wrong time and in the wrong way. They will often work counter to that which God would have done, and thus their work is worse than wasted.—9T 258, 259 (1909) PCL 41.2

Many do not realize the sacredness of church relationship and are loath to submit to restraint and discipline. Their course of action shows that they exalt their own judgment above that of the united church, and they are not careful to guard themselves lest they encourage a spirit of opposition to its voice. Those who hold responsible positions in the church may have faults in common with other people and may err in their decisions; but notwithstanding this, the church of Christ on earth has given to them an authority that cannot be lightly esteemed. Christ, after His resurrection, delegated power unto His church, saying: “Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.” . . . PCL 41.3

Unbelief suggests that individual independence increases our importance, that it is weak to yield our own ideas of what is right and proper to the verdict of the church; but to yield to such feelings and views is unsafe and will bring us into anarchy and confusion. Christ saw that unity and Christian fellowship were necessary to the cause of God, therefore He enjoined it upon His disciples. And the history of Christianity from that time until now proves conclusively that in union only is there strength. Let individual judgment submit to the authority of the church.—4T 17, 19 (1876) PCL 42.1

You [Brother A] are constantly inclined to individual independence. You do not realize that independence is a poor thing when it leads you to have too much confidence in yourself and to trust to your own judgment rather than to respect the counsel and highly estimate the judgment of your brethren, especially of those in the offices which God has appointed for the saving of His people. God has invested His church with special authority and power which no one can be justified in disregarding and despising, for in so doing he despises the voice of God.—3T 417 (1875) PCL 42.2

There is not a motive in the heart that the Lord does not read. He reads every purpose, every thought of the heart. It is not an increase of light that is needed; it is the surrendering of the soul to God, that by the power of His grace He may make the light He has caused to shine into the heart a living principle of action. When a man who has had great light, who is supposed to be led and taught by God, turns out of the way because of self-confidence, he makes false paths for his feet. He follows crooked practices, and many who have admired the supposed nobility and integrity of his character follow his example, thinking that the Lord is leading him. The false step he took resulted in thousands of false steps.—Letter 201, 1899 (December 5) PCL 42.3

Destiny of leaders who follow their own will—Again and again the Lord has sent testimonies of warning, of reproof, and instruction to His people; but so long as the men who stand in responsible positions continue to resist the Spirit of God, and determinedly follow their own unsanctified way and will, as revealed in Minneapolis and since; so long as they persist in holding power over those with whom they are connected, thus placing a mold upon the work that is detrimental to its healthful growth, and weaving into all the working of the cause of God methods and principles which the Lord has testified should not exist, He will overthrow, overthrow, overthrow, until the holy places are cleansed from their moral defilement. The Lord has declared that He will not serve with their sins. Although professing to have a knowledge of divine things, they reveal that they have no vital connection with the sap vessels of the parent stock. The result is that human wisdom takes the place of the Divine. PCL 43.1

The destiny of such men will be an ultimate separation from Christ, as complete as that of the dead branch that has been severed from the vine. In heart they separated from Jesus years ago, and have become like the unfruitful tree of which the Owner of the vineyard said, “Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down: why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit, well; and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.” PCL 43.2

“Then after that.” What meaning is there in these words? In them there is a lesson for all who are connected with the work of God. A period of probation was granted to the tree that bore no fruit. And in like manner God bears long with His people. But to those who have had great advantages, and who are standing in positions of high and sacred trust, and yet bear no fruit, Christ says, “Cut it down: why cumbereth it the ground?” There must be work corresponding with the sacredness of the truth they have had placed before them. Old things must pass away; all things must become new.—MS 7, 1897 (January 27) PCL 43.3

There have ever been in the church those who are constantly inclined toward individual independence. They seem unable to realize that independence of spirit is liable to lead the human agent to have too much confidence in himself and to trust in his own judgment rather than to respect the counsel and highly esteem the judgment of his brethren, especially of those in the offices that God has appointed for the leadership of His people. God has invested His church with special authority and power which no one can be justified in disregarding and despising; for he who does this despises the voice of God. PCL 44.1

Those who are inclined to regard their individual judgment as supreme are in grave peril. It is Satan’s studied effort to separate such ones from those who are channels of light, through whom God has wrought to build up and extend His work in the earth. To neglect or despise those whom God has appointed to bear the responsibilities of leadership in connection with the advancement of the truth, is to reject the means that He has ordained for the help, encouragement, and strength of His people. For any worker in the Lord’s cause to pass these by, and to think that his light must come through no other channel than directly from God, is to place himself in a position where he is liable to be deceived by the enemy and overthrown.—AA 163, 164 (1911) PCL 44.2

Inexperience—I have been shown that the management of the work must not be trusted to inexperienced hands. Those who have not had breadth of experience are not the ones to take large responsibilities, although they may think themselves qualified to do so. Their brethren may see defects where they themselves see only perfection. Too much is at stake now to allow any great risks to be run in investing means from the Lord’s treasury. If any one wishes to try experiments, let him sustain himself from his own funds, so that if losses occur he alone will be the loser. —RH, December 8, 1885 PCL 45.1

Disorganization—Oh, how Satan would rejoice if he could succeed in his efforts to get in among this people and disorganize the work at a time when thorough organization is essential and will be the greatest power to keep out spurious uprisings and to refute claims not endorsed by the word of God! We want to hold the lines evenly, that there shall be no breaking down of the system of organization and order that has been built up by wise, careful labor. License must not be given to disorderly elements that desire to control the work at this time.—9T 257, 258 (1909) PCL 45.2

Satan well knows that success can only attend order and harmonious action. He well knows that everything connected with heaven is in perfect order, that subjection and thorough discipline mark the movements of the angelic host. It is his studied effort to lead professed Christians just as far from heaven’s arrangement as he can; therefore he deceives even the professed people of God and makes them believe that order and discipline are enemies to spirituality, that the only safety for them is to let each pursue his own course, and to remain especially distinct from bodies of Christians who are united and are laboring to establish discipline and harmony of action. All the efforts made to establish order are considered dangerous, a restriction of rightful liberty, and hence are feared as popery. These deceived souls consider it a virtue to boast of their freedom to think and act independently. They will not take any man’s say-so. They are amenable to no man. I was shown that it is Satan’s special work to lead men to feel that it is in God’s order for them to strike out for themselves and choose their own course, independent of their brethren.—1T 650 (1868) PCL 45.3