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The Youth’s Instructor

125/477

March 1, 1894

Make the Vessel Pure Within

EGW

Unless the mind of God becomes the mind of men, every effort of man to purify himself will be useless; for it is impossible to elevate man except through a knowledge of God. The outward gloss may be put on, and men may be as were the Pharisees whom Jesus describes as “whited sepulchers,” full of corruption and dead men's bones. But all the deformity of soul is open to him who judgeth righteously, and unless the truth is planted in the heart, it cannot control the life. Cleansing the outside of the cup will never make the vessel pure within. A nominal acceptance of truth is good as far as it goes, and the ability to give a reason for our faith is a good accomplishment; but if the truth does not go deeper than this, the soul will never be saved. The heart must be purified from all moral defilement. “I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness.” YI March 1, 1894, par. 1

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” We can see how necessary it is that there should be a union of the human and the divine. All the heart is to be enlisted in the conflict. The law of God is to be written in the heart, or the soul will never obey the truth; for the truth of God may be no truth to one who may even claim to believe it. Persons may profess to love the Saviour, and yet make it manifest that love does not actuate them in his service. Why is it that the love of Christ does not wield a constraining power over the life?—It is because it has never been brought into the sanctuary of the soul; it has never been made the principle of action. “With the heart, man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.” YI March 1, 1894, par. 2

Unless the truth is stamped upon the soul, it will not be obeyed in the life. Unless every word of profession is heart-felt, it will be but empty sound. Through neglecting to practise the truth, it loses its power over the mind and conscience; and through love of sin, the word loses its light, and certain ruin follows. He who does not practise the truth he knows, loses the love and Spirit of God. There are many of our young men and women who will not, cannot, be witnesses for Christ, unless they have altogether a different view of what it means to be children of God,—heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. May the Lord work upon the hearts of our youth. YI March 1, 1894, par. 3

Coming out to Jesus means coming out of the world, and being separate from the world. It means coming out fully on the Lord's side, realizing that though you are in the world, you are not of it, but are a living representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. He beseeches the brethren, as dear children, to “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” “being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” He admonishes them to walk in Christ Jesus even as they received him, that they may be rooted, and grounded, and built up in him, and established in the faith. YI March 1, 1894, par. 4

The youth might become an army of young soldiers, to go forth as missionaries for God, but they cannot do this while their ideas of what constitutes religion are so far below the standard. Too often they make it manifest that they do not feed upon the word of God; they have a knowledge of the theory, but no realization that it is necessary to live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. They live to please self, to enjoy their own way, to indulge in their own habits and customs, to seek pleasure in holiday festivities, and if they have earned a little money, to spend it upon things to gratify themselves. They study self, they glorify self. Many names on the church record are not on the record of heaven—not in the Lamb's book of life. These youthful persons who profess to be Christians, are not living for Christ. They are not bringing their will into subjection to Christ. YI March 1, 1894, par. 5

When the young come together, it is not to see in what way they shall glorify their professed Master, but it is to talk cheap, commonplace things; and should you listen, you would hear the light speech, the giddy laugh, and plenty of profitless nonsense. This seems to be the only aim of many of our youth in associating together; but will this result in a growth in grace? Will this enable them to perfect a Christian character?—No; this will not train them to become missionaries for God. If they ever enter heaven, they must put themselves under very different training, and have a very different experience. They must compare their characters with the great moral standard, the law of God; for if the character will not stand a comparison with that law now, how will it stand it in the day of judgment? “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.... And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” YI March 1, 1894, par. 6

We feel to rejoice that souls may turn unto God, that they may turn their faces Zionward. Have you abandoned the service of Satan? Have you ceased to sin? Have you come out from among your wicked associates? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour? Have you entered upon the service of Jesus, saying, What shall I do to inherit eternal life? When the lawyer came to Christ asking him that question, he answered, “What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.” Have you this wholeheartedness to God? If not, you need converting. The converting power of God must come upon our youth, that they may be transformed in life and character, that they may realize what a great privilege it is to become sons and daughters of God, to be refined, ennobled, elevated,—to be members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. YI March 1, 1894, par. 7

Mrs. E. G. White