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The Youth’s Instructor

167/477

August 1, 1895

Delay No Longer

EGW

The gospel of Christ makes progress in every human agent that is consecrated to the Lord's service. The Holy Spirit takes possession of every one who has a willing mind, not that that person may work the Holy Spirit, but that the Holy Spirit may work its miracle through the grace that is poured upon the human agency. The goodness of God becomes a working power through a consistent life, through fervent love for Jesus, and through heaven-inspired zeal. Those who are in association with Jesus will partake of his melting love, and manifest his overflowing sympathy for souls who are yielding to Satan's specious temptations. They will plan and study and exercise tact, in order that they may make a success of so presenting the unselfish love of Christ that sinful and impenitent hearts may be won to loyalty to Jesus, who gave his life for them. YI August 1, 1895, par. 1

My young friends, I call upon you now to make your decision without a moment's delay, that you will no longer stand under the banner of the power of darkness or remain in captivity to Satan. You are Christ's property; you have been bought with a price. You are privileged now in having the precious truth to appeal to your conscience and understanding. Light shines in clear rays about you. Reasons are presented to you why you should become the sons and daughters of God, why you should believe in Christ as your personal Saviour, why you should confess him while mercy's sweet voice pleads with you. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Happy is the man that feareth always: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.” “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men [by a godless, frivolous life and conversation], him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” YI August 1, 1895, par. 2

Lose no time; confess Christ without delay. It is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth that testifies of Christ. Jesus said, “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” To grieve the Holy Spirit which would make you a witness of Christ is a terrible thing. You know not when you may grieve the Spirit for the last time. The Holy Spirit does not work upon the human heart to compel you to give yourself to Christ, to force you to yield your conscience: but it shines into the chambers of the mind in a way to convict of sin, and to entice you unto righteousness. If you do not confess Christ now, the time will come when, overwhelmed with a sense of the great things that you have lost, you will make confession. But why not confess Christ now while mercy's voice invites you? “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” “We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” YI August 1, 1895, par. 3

Mrs. E. G. White