Special Testimonies for Ministers and Workers—No. 6

Strength in Union with Christ

May the Lord bless his people with spiritual eyesight, to see that the children of God and the world can never be in copartnership. Whosoever will be the friend of the world is the enemy of God. While every individual should work with Christ to transform the children of darkness, by showing them the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, they cannot have overflowing sympathy with worldlings in such a degree that they lend them their influence to carry out their suggestions to weaken and do injustice to God's chosen ones. God does not work in this way. In perfect and complete unity there is strength. Not in numbers, but in the perfect trust and unity with Christ, one can chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight. Let us not form unholy bonds of union, with the friends of the world; for God has pronounced his curse upon all such unions. Let the people of God take their stand firmly for truth and for righteousness. Already we see the terrible consequences of uniting believers with unbelievers. The result is, the unbelievers are given the confidence that belongs to those only who love and revere God. SpTA06 15.1

Already has the power of darkness placed its mold and superscription upon the work that should stand forth, untainted, unpolluted, from Satan's cunning devices. We lift our voice of warning upon the social attractions by worldly bids and worldly baits. Keep clear. Touch not the unclean thing. Let not the world's direction and propositions be given to God's people to control them. Woe be unto him whose wisdom is not from above but from beneath! Men of superficial piety, by their desire to receive patronage, to obtain fame, betray the most sacred interests into the hands of unbelievers. Let not money be obtained by touching or sanctioning any unclean practises. Let the grace of Christ be brought into the heart, and if the workers be few, and God can work with them in our institutions, they will prevail. There must be no deceiving power at work, for it is an unclean thing. There must be no hands that are defiled. Clean hands and a pure heart God will recognize. “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” SpTA06 16.1

Mrs. E. G. White

*****

“Avondale,” Cooranbong, N. S. W.,

January 16, 1896. SpTA06 17.1

Dear Brethren Who Occupy Responsible Positions in the Work,

The Lord has a controversy with you. I have no need to specify the reasons; you have had them laid open before you again and again. The clean hands, the pure, unselfish, holy purposes have not been brought into your practise, and the benediction of God has not come upon many of those who handle sacred things. The lifting up of the soul and speaking vanity, and the lifting up of men to manage their fellow men, body and soul, is all open before God, with whom we have to do. There is no man or set of men that can manage men. “All ye are brethren.” The Holy Spirit of God alone can do this. When you, because of your position, supposed you could say the word, and it would be done just after your idea, you made a mistake. Truth, honor, and integrity have been compromised to gain certain advantages. Justice hath fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. SpTA06 17.2

Religious principles have been corrupted. We will either make more pure, noble, and holy the principles held by God's heritage, or else we will mislead by false proposition, unholy schemes, saying, “The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are” we. The work and cause of the Lord are sacred. There is to be no mingling of human, common, unholy fire with God's offering. This has been and is still being done; but the men are blind, and see not the result of their zealous efforts. The question is, Shall those who are called from place to place to act a part in the sacred work of God, use the fire of God's own kindling? or shall they use the common fire, of which not one spark should be used, to kindle the incense upon the censors which are offered to God? SpTA06 17.3

The spirit which was manifested to the believers by those who established the work in Battle Creek, led them to understand that there was no hidden closet. All was open and clear as the light of day. But the Lord's holy purpose has been grieved. Heaven has manifested its purpose to impart power to those who believe; and the Holy Spirit has been revealed. “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.” SpTA06 18.1